8 Countries Where It's Dangerous For Women To Travel

Business Insider ^ | 04/04/2013 | Megan Willett

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We've seen an alarming number of stories about sex attacks on female travelers in recent weeks, from a Swiss tourist who was gang-raped in India to an American student who was raped in a van in Rio de Janeiro.

It doesn't mean that women shouldn't visit foreign places or that no parts of those countries are safe. But women traveling in these areas should do so with extreme caution and a knowledge of the culture.

We rounded up eight popular tourist destinations where women should be extra cautious, based on reports from Human Rights Watch, the State Department, and crime reports in the media.

1) India

From the Taj Mahal to river boat cruises, India's tourism industry generates $17.7 billion each year.

But the recent gang rapes of a Swiss tourist and a New Delhi student, and a British tourist jumping from her window for fear of being raped have caused tourism to drop 35 percent since December.

And Human Rights Watch writes that reports of violence against women have been increasing, and "the government had yet to properly investigate and prosecute sexual abuse in police custody."

2) Brazil

Rio de Janeiro is billed as the most popular tourist destination in the Southern Hemisphere, but women should be on alert after an American tourist was raped in a van while her French boyfriend was handcuffed, AP reports. The three suspects were arrested, but Brazil is known for its a machismo culture and history of gender-based violence, according to Human Rights Watch.

It will be hosting next year's World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.

3) Turkey

Tourists in Turkey largely flock to historical sites in Istanbul or the country's gorgeous seaside resorts.

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Women’s Rape Fantasies: How Common? What Do They Mean?

Rape or near-rape fantasies are surprisingly common.

Psychology Today Published on January 14, 2010 by Michael Castleman, M.A. in All About Sex

Some women have fantasies of being forced into sex. At first glance, rape fantasies make no sense. Why fantasize about something that in real life would be traumatic, repugnant, and life-threatening?

But on closer examination, such fantasies are not unusual. Many men daydream about getting the girl by rescuing her from a dangerous situation—without the slightest wish to confront armed thugs, or be trapped in a fire on the 23rd floor.

Fantasies allow us to “experience” the outer limits of our imaginations safely, with no risk—and for some people, that includes fantasies of coerced sex. In fantasy everything is permitted and nothing is wrong.

But rape fantasies raise thorny issues. Many women who have them can’t shake the feeling that they are abnormal or perverted.

From 1973 through 2008, nine surveys of women’s rape fantasies have been published. They show that about four in 10 women admit having them (31 to 57 percent) with a median frequency of about once a month. Actual prevalence of rape fantasies is probably higher because women may not feel comfortable admitting them.

For the latest report (Bivona, J. and J. Critelli. “The Nature of Women’s Rape Fantasies: An Analysis of Prevalence, Frequency, and Contents,” Journal of Sex Research (2009) 46:33), psychologists at North Texas University asked 355 college women: How often have you fantasized being overpowered/forced/raped by a man/woman to have oral/vaginal/anal sex against your will?

Sixty-two percent said they’d had at least one such fantasy. But responses varied depending on the terminology used. When asked about being “overpowered by a man,” 52 percent said they’d had that fantasy, the situation most typically depicted in women’s romance fiction. But when the term was “rape,” only 32 percent said they’d had the fantasy. These findings are in the same ballpark as previous reports.

Complete article here:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/all-about-sex/201001/womens-rape-fantasies-how-common-what-do-they-mean