An Exploratory Study of Sex and Rape Behind Bars in a South African Prison

• Author: Christiaan Bezuidenhout,Karen Booyens
• Date: 01 December 2014
• Published date: 01 December 2014
• DOI: 10.1177/1057567714547536
• Subject Matter: Articles

Article

An Exploratory Study of Sex

and Rape Behind Bars in a

South African Prison

Karen Booyens

1

and Christiaan Bezuidenhout

1

Abstract

This study explores male inmates’ perceptions of sex and rape in a South African correctional center

(prison). In South Africa, consensual sex between inmates is prohibited by the Department of

Correctional Services and inmates are therefore reluctant to report on such activities. Furthermore,

the prison code of silence and the shame from being the victim of a prison rape make this an

exceptionally challenging topic to research. Despite these challenges, 100 face-to-face interviews

were conducted with male inmates (children, juveniles, and adults) who were either awaiting trial

or already sentenced for a criminal offence. The main focus was on their general viewpoints of con-

sensual sex between men and prison rape victimization. This study was an exploratory study and

because of the size of the sample this study cannot be generalized. It does, however, offer valuable

insight into the prison subculture’s unwritten rules about sex and rape.

Keywords

institutional corrections, sex crimes, other, criminal, victimization

Introduction

For the duration of the criminal justice process, an inmate may be at risk of sexual victimization

in the police holding cells (jails), in the police vehicle to and from the correctional center (prison),

and in the correctional center itself. The focus of this contribution will be on the sexual victimization

of men while incarcerated at a correctional center, as it is often described as a high-risk setting for

male-on-male sexual assault and rape (Wyatt, 2006). Interest in male prisoner rape stems from the

authors’ extensive work with male offenders, through the offering of life skills programs. The first

author meets weekly with male offenders, and discussions often focus on conditions inside prisons,

including male rape. Also, the second author, with the assistance of postgraduate students, performs

different empowerment projects in different prisons. In a country ranked first in Africa and ninth in

the world regarding the inmate population (with approximately 160,000 inmates in South African

prisons), there remains a dearth of scholarly work on the male rape of inmates, and none on the

1

Department of Social Work and Criminology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa

Corresponding Author:

Karen Booyens, Department of Social Work and Criminology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Gauteng 0001, South Africa.

Email: karen.booyens@up.ac.za

International CriminalJustice Review

2014, Vol. 24(4) 377-391

ª2014 Georgia State University

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DOI: 10.1177/1057567714547536

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