Sexual Harassment and Rape among Klingons

[Kaz Son of Maktan]

[Edit -- This post split off from the Klingon Women thread]


The progression of historical records has strongly featured the richness of Klingon society since the 23rd century and on.
As for the comparison to Terran society, well, I have learned that tribes/communities of Asia and Africa (and I assume beyond) had, in parts at times, not just equal rights but matriarchal societies. 
Pondering more on Klingon equal rights, I am concerned with the issue of sexual harassment and rape.
Klingon mating is usually, of course, quite aggressive by Terran standards, where both consenting partners can leave with cuts and bruises. It is very worrisome to wonder how a Klingon woman who has been harassed and or assaulted can seek justice. One would hope a trial would not automatically lead to a duel as that would prove the saddening, darker side of the feudal culture- where only might makes right.

[qoSagh]

I am not sure such harassment even exists in a Klingon sense. From what we have seen unwelcome advances are dealt with forcefully. I think it was Grilka who made it clear to Quark that his hand needed to move off her thigh. Plus we also have to look at the Klingon Male, since Klingon society is so honor based, I do not think unwelcome advances would be made except by mistake, and those would most likely not be taken as unwelcome, but as merely misplaced.

A Klingon would only have to ask once, getting a no, would likely end the matter. Thus I don't think the question itself would be seen as wrong. A Klingon who persistently asked similar questions and persistently received no for an answer would be risking a great deal. One would, I thing, quickly become known as a fool, and of course one might also be placed in the position of answering a challenge from the intended object of ones affections, or their family.

[Kaz Son of Maktan]

Good observations, qoSagh.  More keenly, I recall the ideal nature of the Sta Trek galaxy.  I just completed watching season five of DS9, and the episode "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places" comes to mind most amusingly.  I had brought up the topic in another topic stream merely as rumination on therange of Klingon culture, as that not covered in the canon and as a font of thought for any fan writers watching this board.  I must say though, that where honor is concerned, we have certainly seen many klingons, especially those of the house of Duras, behaving dishonorably.  In human history, e.g. in a warrior/ honor based society like that of Japan (feudal to WWII) military policy and inidivuals have twisted the code of honor (bushido) to their own person/sexual gain. More pure extrapolation...
-Khaz

[Kehlan]

I hate to say it but I could see it happening.  Of course, if all Klingons are honourable then it would not happen, no would mean no.
Klingon women are of course better able to defend themselves than their Terran counterparts but even so, could still be vulnerable to a bigger stronger male who has no honour.
Here is one possible scenario - Imagine for a moment a group of men coming into port for the first time in months,getting drunk in a tavern and then going outside.  They find a woman in the wrong place at the wrong time....
Of course, as Klingon sex is quite violent anyway, it would be very easy for a dishonourable male to say "well I thought she was just playing rough"  come to that, it would be easy for the (dishonourable) woman to cry rape the following morning.
I do not see it as being a common crime though and how it would be dealt with by society I am not sure.  Maybe a blood feud if she knows his identity.  As for courts, would a Klingon woman want to stand up in court and admit to being attacked in that way?

[Abbot Nej vIt]

Ideally Klingons (Male and Female), would be Concerned with Risking their Social Status and Losing Honor through Unwanted "Inappropriate" Persual or Forceful Physical Attack (Such as Rape)... No System is Perfect However, and The Honor Road is a Chosen Philosophical View... Klingons are Not "Born" Honorable, Honor Must be Taught, Socially Enforced and Learned... So the "Potential" For Disturbing (Even by Klingon Standards), Behavior must Exist...

Klingon Culture Does have a Functional Legal System, but I Also Think the Concept of "Privilege" And "Strength" Having an Impact on Legal Proceedings would Factor in Highly, as to rather a "Legal" Recourse Could be Expected in Certain Circumstances... (Such as a Person of a Lower Social Class, who was Raped by One of a Higher Social Class being able to Expect "Justice" From a Court)...

Where Klingon and Human Law, (Actually Western Cultural Law), Differs Dramatically However, is that we Know that Duels Of Honor Can and Do Get Fought in Klingon Culture... We Also have Precedent for One to Have a "Champion" of Sorts, and Certainly Vendetta is as Much of an Artform in Klingon Culture as it Is in any Extreme Human Example... So I Think that it is Likely Much more "Dangerous" in Klingon Culture to Behave Disrespectively than it Would be In Western Human Culture, because Exacting Physical Revenge is an Acceptable Response to Dishonorable Action and is Condoned by Law in the Klingon, where it is Not in Human... (Again at Least Not in Western Culture, there are in Fact a Disturbing Number of Other Human Cultures which Have VERY different ways of Looking at both of these Issues)...

So in a Nut Shell, I Would Suggest that the Instances of this Type of Behavior Would Likely be Less Common (Due to Moral Conditioning), and the Physical Danger to Those Who Would Attempt it would be Dramatically Increased...

[X'na]

Klingon women are of course better able to defend themselves than their Terran counterparts

Speaking as a woman with at least Dan 7(7th level)  in three seperate martial arts and who has studied varied forms of fighting styles since the age of three years (I am 42 now) and as a woman who has created her own style of women's self defense designed specifically to address the issue of violence against women, let me make a point here...

Women are perfectly capable of defending themselves against attack *if* they learn! The trouble is, they don't as a collective bunch seem to want to. This is an issue that hits home very deeply with me. It's like having the means to feed a Nation, only to have the Nation say, "Eh ::shrug:: We'd rather let somebody else farm for us." It is infuriating, frustrating and it drives me up a wall. I have had women tell me they don't need to learn self defense, they have a boyfriend/husband to "protect" them. Now I ask you...what good is that going to be if one day that boyfriend/husband is the one she needs protecting *from*?

So speaking from experience, human women are very capable of defending themselves if they simply take the time to learn. And before somebody asks me, yes...I've fought, defended myself against, and prevailed against men far larger than myself. It's not your size, it's your skill that counts.

The difference between the two is not in physiology, it is in Culture. Klingon women are taught from birth (just like males) to defend themselves and their Family with honour. The fighting arts is as much a part of life as breathing. In Human culture, women are taught that fighting under any circumstance is wrong, and that they need a Knight on a White Horse to defend them. Poppycock.

I also teach ballet, an "acceptable" activity for girls. Guess which of my classes fills with girls and women first? I'll bet you get it in one guess.

[Kaz Son of Maktan]

You all have strong points.  From your own real life experience, it is great to hear, X'na, of your prowess and strength both in mind and body.  I trust in no way it seemed when I brought up this subject that I was implying women, whether Klingon or Terran, are weak.  My distaste for broad generalizations, both positive and negative, is what impelled me to bring this up in the first place. "An honour-based, warrior society" is too simplistic a description for us.  I was also ruminating from some perspective of wishing to write some fan fiction and putting out an important topic to ponder for far more obviously experienced fan writers than I.  But that's  beside the point, your elaboration on Kehlan's words are wise.  As a recent newcomer to the forum, Welcome! Qapla'!

[X'na]

  From your own real life experience, it is great to hear, X'na, of your prowess and strength both in mind and body.  I trust in no way it seemed when I brought up this subject that I was implying women, whether Klingon or Terran, are weak. <respectfully snipped>  But that's  beside the point, your elaboration on Kehlan's words are wise.  As a recent newcomer to the forum, Welcome! Qapla'!

Thank you! And I understand you didn't mean to imply women are inherantly weak, no harm no foul.    I just tend to get "wound up" when I discuss this topic, as it's so very close to my heart.

I thank you for the good words and the warm welcome.

[AS´ti]

I'm pretty sure I read something about rape in one of the IKS Gorkon books, although it was rape through manipulation more than blunt force if I remember correctly. If I can find some time today, I'll look it up and quote it.

I don't see why there would be no sexual harrasment or rape really, perhaps not even just towards women but also towards (younger/weaker) men. If only just as a way to portray dominance. I can't see it being largely socially acceptable though.

[El Payaso Malo]

Most Klingons, regardless of sex, seem to have a few things in common: some degree of martial training, and a tendency to be armed with a dagger at the very least. This is regardless of whether you own a restaurant or happen to be a trial lawyer. Earth culture, on average, has discoraged women from combat. Exceptions exist, of course (Israel comes to mind). But all Klingons are expected to defend themselves. They are all expected to be strong and self-reliant. The Klingon women we've seen have been shown to be as strong and self-reliant as the men. If mirror universe Kurn (because I can't see the Kurn I know even trying) attempts to rape prime universe Grilka, I can easily see Grilka as being able to defend herself successfully. No doubt Kurn is tough, but Grilka is also tough, skilled and armed. That puts them on even ground. So even if a man has a lapse in honorable judgment, I see a woman as very able to set him on his journey to the clearing at the end of the path. And if she were attacked by a human? He stands no chance. Resisting a Vulcan might prove difficult, because Vulcans tend to be physically stronger than Klingons.*

*Since it is my understanding that Vulcans are, on average, three times stronger than humans, while Klingons are only twice so.