Research Article
Sexual Violence Against Women, Incest, and Honor Killing in Arab Countries: A Sociological Appraisal
Khalid Hreish*
,
Iyad Khamaysa
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 4, August 2026
Pages:
297-307
Received:
13 June 2026
Accepted:
23 June 2026
Published:
8 July 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.hss.20261404.11
Downloads:
Views:
Abstract: This study offers a sociological analysis of the cultural and structural factors associated with sexual violence, incest, and honor killings in Arab countries. The article employs feminist sociological perspectives and structural violence theory to analyze how patriarchal beliefs and ideologies contribute to permissive attitudes towards sexual violence against women in the region. The analysis points to three interrelated dynamics that sustain these forms of violence. First, sexual violence and incest in the family are regulated and perpetuated through cultural norms, namely the incest taboo and patriarchal kinship systems, which construct an environment in which the abuse is systematically concealed. Second, these cultural elements serve as tools of social control, repressing women’s sexuality and autonomy within the context of honor killings to conceal sexual abuse by male family members under the guise of family honor. Third, the study highlights the contradictory role of social control forces, including the criminal justice system, which often fails to protect victims of incest and instead punishes these victims through tacit acceptance of honor-based justifications and procedural barriers that effectively return legal authority to the family. Based on a comprehensive review of sociological literature, legal frameworks, empirical data, and victim testimonies from several Arab countries, the article calls for a radical re-evaluation of legal and social responses so that they protect women rather than family reputation. The article examines recent legal reforms in Jordan, Tunisia, and Lebanon as possible models for change, while critically addressing continuing issues of enforcement, cultural change, and the gap between legislative reform and social practice. The study concludes with a call for dismantling the patriarchal systems of belief that devalue women’s lives and privilege family honor over human rights, and for continued investment in legal reform, psychosocial support, and grassroots advocacy to end these forms of violence.
Abstract: This study offers a sociological analysis of the cultural and structural factors associated with sexual violence, incest, and honor killings in Arab countries. The article employs feminist sociological perspectives and structural violence theory to analyze how patriarchal beliefs and ideologies contribute to permissive attitudes towards sexual viol...
Show More
