Dear Colleagues,

Intimate partner violence and sexual violence are perpetrated mostly by men against women; therefore, they are types of gender-based violence. According to the World Health Organization, sexual violence is "any sexual act, attempted sexual act, or other act directed against a person's sexuality under coercion by another person, regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any field. Includes rape, defined as penetration, by physical or other coercion, of the vagina or anus with a penis, other body part, or an object, attempted rape, unwanted sexual touching, and other forms of non-contact sexual violence”. Regarding the figures, it is estimated that one in three women (30%) has suffered physical and/or sexual violence by a partner or sexual violence by someone who was not their partner or both. More than a quarter of women between the ages of 15 and 49 who have been in a relationship have been subjected to physical and/or sexual partner violence at least once in their lives (since the age of 15). In addition, 6% of women around the world report having suffered sexual assault by people other than their partner, although the data on this is more limited (WHO, 2021). The risk factors can be framed at the individual level (eg, sex, age, belonging to a minority group such as LGTB, poverty), interpersonal (family dysfunction, violent family environment, lack of emotional attachment, etc.), social (marginal and / or poor neighborhoods, higher demographic density, child and youth gangs, etc.) and cultural (social and gender norms, public, educational, social, economic policies, countries in conflict, etc.). To reduce sexual violence, research is essential in which risk factors are examined and proposals and prevention programs against sexual violence are developed.

Papers addressing these topics are invited for this special issue, especially those who combine high academic standards with a focus on providing a better understanding of sexual violence, social behaviors and Psychology to specify some related challenges facing this field and suggest strategies appropriate to address them. We welcome a diversity of articles, such as conceptual and empirical articles, systematic reviews, critical comments, and meta-analysis, for submission to this Special Issue. We will accept manuscripts from different disciplines, addressing topics related to the scope.

Prof. Dr. María del Mar Sánchez-Fuentes

Guest Editor