The reluctance to define non-consensual sex between married couples as a crime and to prosecute has been attributed to traditional views of marriage, interpretations of religious doctrines, ideas about male and female sexuality, and to cultural expectations of subordination of a wife to her husband - views which continue to be common in many parts of the world. It exists in a complex web of state governments, cultural practices, and societal ideologies which combine to influence each distinct instance and situation in varying ways. Marital rape is often a chronic form of violence for the victim which takes place within abusive relations.

Marital rape is more widely experienced by women, though not exclusively. Laws are rarely enforced, due to factors ranging from reluctance of authorities to pursue the crime, to lack of public knowledge that sexual intercourse in marriage without consent is illegal. Still, in many countries, marital rape either remains outside the criminal law, or is illegal but widely tolerated. The issues of sexual and domestic violence within marriage and the family unit, and more specifically, the issue of violence against women, have come to growing international attention from the second half of the 20th century. However it is repudiated by some more conservative cultures. Although, historically, sexual intercourse within marriage was regarded as a right of spouses, engaging in the act without the spouse's consent is now widely classified as rape by many societies around the world, and increasingly criminalized. Marital rape is considered a form of domestic violence and sexual abuse. The lack of consent is the essential element and need not involve physical violence. Marital rape or spousal rape is the act of sexual intercourse with one's spouse without the spouse's consent.

Post-assault treatment of victims of sexual assault.

Sex offender registries in the United States.

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