_(14589526219).jpg)
Groping is a type ofsexual assault involving the intentional inappropriatetouching of another person commonly without theirconsent.[1] The term generally has a negative connotation in many societies.[2] Touching a consenting person's body duringsexual activity, amassage, or amedical examination is not usually considered groping, though the term is sometimes used to include clumsy, selfish, or inappropriate sexual touching. Areas of the body most frequently groped include thebuttocks,breasts,vulva,thigh,penis, andscrotum. Gropers might use their hands, but pressing any part of their body against another person can be considered groping.
The practice of women being subjected to apat down by officers, such as customs or security officers at airports, is controversial. Such behaviour by public officials requires a clear legal authorization.
Toucherism, considered aparaphilia, is a practice of a person touching another non-consenting person with their hands, typically in crowds, for their own sexual pleasure. Groping may be depicted inpornographic films.
Italy used to have a reputation for men pinching women's bottoms, and the termgroping could perhaps be applied, but it was not a common term at that time (mid-20th century, for example).Japan has a reputation for men groping women on trains and buses to the extent that the authorities have implemented anti-groping campaigns, which has received considerable media attention and been the subject of serious study in recent years.[citation needed]
In parts ofSouth Asia, especiallyIndia,Nepal, andBangladesh, publicsexual harassment ormolestation (often known as "street harassment") of women by men is widely referred to asEve teasing.[3][4][5]
InAustralia, in August 2019, the host at a charity event offered his cheek to a female guest presenter for a peck, before turning his head and kissing her on the lips. The presenter publicly said: "That kind of behaviour is intolerable and the time for women being subject to it or having to tolerate it is long gone." The host apologised for his behaviour.[6][7] In 2021, immunity to charges of sexual harassment was withdrawn from Australian politicians.[8]
In April 2019, a doctor in Pennsylvania was charged withindecent assault for touching a male patient'spenis during a medical examination.[9] The doctor, 56-year-old William Vollmar, had faced numerous allegations dating back to 2015. On November 12, 2020, Vollmar pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 9 to 20 years in a state prison.[10]
In June 2022, British MPChristopher Pincher was suspended from theConservative Party after it was alleged that he had groped two men, while drunk, at London'sCarlton Club.[11]
In practice, women are the predominant targets for groping. To combat groping, street harassment, and Eve teasing of women in crowded public places, some countries have also designatedwomen only spaces. For example, sex-segregated buses,women-only passenger cars, and compartments on trains have been introduced inMexico,Japan, thePhilippines, theUAE, and other countries to reduce such sexual harassment.[12][13][14][15]
Some places inGermany,Korea, andChina havewomen's parking spaces, often for related safety issues.[16][17][18]
In Japan, a man who gropes women in public is calledchikan (痴漢); and the term also describes the act itself. Crowded trains are a common place for groping and a 2001 survey conducted in two Tokyo high schools revealed that more than two thirds of female students had been groped while traveling on them.[19] As part of the effort to combat the problem, some railway companies designatewomen-only passenger cars during rush hours.[20][21][22]
While the term is not defined in the Japanese legal system, vernacular usage of the word describes acts that violate several laws. Although crowded trains are the most frequent targets,[23] another common setting is bicycle parking areas, where people bending over unlocking locks are targeted. Chikan is often featured inJapanese pornography.[citation needed]
This issue affects men in a different way. Since Japan has a very high conviction rate (99% by some sources), innocent men may have difficulty proving their innocence in court.[24] The filmI Just Didn't Do It by Japanese film directorMasayuki Suo, based on a true story, focuses on a male office worker acquitted of groping after a five-year legal battle.[25] The criminal courts have traditionally been lenient in cases of groping and have only recently[when?] made efforts to combat the social problem with tougher sentences.[26][27]
The charge can vary from state to state but generally is considered to besexual battery, sexual groping, or unlawful touching. In some jurisdictions, groping is consideredcriminal sexual conduct, in the second to fourth degree[clarification needed], if there is nosexual penetration.[citation needed]
Authority control databases: National |
|---|
.svg)