"do you happen to know a) what are the long term trends worldwide for this statistic and b) where in the world this number is the lowest (and maybe: why, but I

"do you happen to know a) what are the long term trends worldwide for this statistic and b) where in the world this number is the lowest (and maybe: why, but I don't think this has an easy answer)?" I wish I did, but I do not. As far as I know, the UN collects statistics that are based on police records, which are notoriously unreliable when it comes to rape, and I am not even sure how one could gather reliable statistics in places where victims are literally blamed for being raped (incredibly, such places exist). If someone wants to point out other sources, please do. What I can say, which is relevant to (b), is where the highest number of rapes is occurring: Central Africa. In Congo, rape is being used as a military tactic and that is just the beginning of the sexual violence there; despite an official end to the war, the fighting has not really ended, and it is now being carried about by militias that have loose affiliations with various governments and rebel groups in the region. Consider yourself fortunate that you do not live there, and think about that fact every time you buy a mobile phone (for more info, take a look at Steve Jobs' statements on tantalum).