have no laws against sexual violence in marriage, and where it is also very difficult to leave a marriage. Incidents taking place in some of these countries (such as Yemen) have received international attention. The World Health Organization states, under the rubric "Customary forms of sexual violence", (pp. 156): "Marriage is often used to legitimize a range of forms of sexual violence against women. The custom of marrying off young children, particularly girls, is found in many parts of the world. This practicelegal in many countriesis a form of sexual violence, since the children involved are unable to give or withhold their consent. The majority of them know little or nothing about sex before they are married." One type of forced marriages occurs in Guatemala (called robadas) and Mexico (called rapto). Robadas refers to "...abductions, in which women are 'taken' during the period of courtship, sometimes semivoluntarily but other times by force, by a suitor who wants to start a marital relationship with them". Rapto refers to "...an abduction for sexual or erotic purposes or marriage". Following the abduction, marriage is often encouraged to maintain the family honor. In these types of forced marriages, the marital union begins with the man's intense sense of control over the woman, combined with the understanding that the wife is the possession of her husband. This foundation of marriage had direct implications for sexual violence within the marriage. In reference to the practice of robadas, Cecilia Menjívar writes, "...unions that start out from the violent act of a robada can continue to breed violence, abuse, and mistreatment in the union." In addition, women victims of robadas often face embarrassment and blame, despite the act usually being initiated by male perpetrators. Women are blamed for disobeying their parents or not resisting their abductor strong enough. This notion of blaming the woman also occurs in reference to rapto in rural Mexico. Silvie Bovarnick writes, "In many cases, men and women alike look for the fault of responsibility in women's behavior due to traditional conceptualisations of women as 'pillars of honour.'" Abduction and rape compromises a woman's moral integrity, and therefore her honor. Many of these women, who were given little choice in their marriage, are left to live with their abusers. Prevalence The prevalence of marital rape is difficult to assess, especially outside the Western World. Discussing sexual matters in many cultures is taboo. One problem