Conflict-related Sexual Violence Research Articles

When the stick fails to work: The effects of sanctions on government sexual violence in armed conflict

Are sanctions effective in reducing government sexual violence? In recent years, states and international organizations have started to impose sanctions against states that are reported to commit crimes of sexual violence. Some bodies, including the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), have even adopted sexual and gender-based violence as a designation criteria for sanctions. Although anecdotal evidence shows that sanctions are imposed to punish actors that participate in these crimes, are they actually effective in doing so? We argue that the decline in resources encountered by sanctioned targets does not deter them from using sexual violence but, rather, creates an incentive to perpetrate or tolerate sexual violence to make up for their financial and military losses. Using existing sanctions data and original data on sanctions that refer to government conflict-related sexual violence, this study tests the impact of military and economic sanctions on sexual violence by state forces in civil conflicts during the period of 1989 to 2012. Findings support the study’s claims and show that government sexual violence is more likely if states are subject to sanctions, including ones that have a clear objective of reducing conflict-related sexual violence.

Sexual violence in the shadows: Private military contractors and the perpetration of sexual violence

How do private military contractors (PMCs) influence the perpetration of sexual violence? In providing the first empirical assessment of PMCs’ impact on conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), I argue that, contrary to popular belief, PMC presence is negatively associated with the level of CRSV during armed conflict. Both states and PMCs have incentives to respect human rights. States prefer to avoid international condemnation while PMCs aim to be rehired. Association with human rights abuses damages both parties, leading each party to monitor the other to ensure good behavior. Furthermore, the global conflicts of the last 20 years have changed the face of warfare, producing professionalized warfighters and contractors. This raises the standards for PMCs, and results in more professionalism, especially in American contractors. Using the Private Military Contractors and Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict datasets from 1990 to 2008, I find PMC employment by state militaries is negatively associated with state-perpetrated CRSV. Additionally, both American contractors and contractors in general, employed in the Global War on Terror period are associated with lower levels of CRSV.

Positionality and Knowledge Production on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence against Men and Boys in (Counter-) Terrorism

Abstract What happens to knowledge production when African-based researchers studying intersections between terrorism and wartime sexual violence interrogate prevailing heteronormative socio-norms? As the influence of socio-political bias in reflexive methodology in international relations (IR) continued to be discussed, critics argue that reflexive discourses have yet to address their entrenched racial and colonial logic, which centers on Western voices. Thus, African-based researchers’ fieldwork experiences in the research process are poorly reflected in IR or terrorism studies. We reflect on our experiences studying fellow nationals on issues of sexual violence victimization of men and boys in areas affected by terrorism. We argue that irrespective of shared national/ethnic identity, researcher–researched relations are strained when researchers pose vexing questions that interrogate heteronormative social norms. This leads to researchers’ feelings of vulnerability, anxiety, and physical harm as their gender and sexuality become open to social scrutiny. We also argue that study participants strategically silence ethnographic encounters, demonstrating their power when researchers disregard existing social norms and study participants’ sense of existential security. Our study embodies the Feminist-Informed Researchers’ Commitment to IR, which addresses the politics of field research, nuances the methodology of uneasiness concept on wartime sexual violence, and advocates flexibility to mitigate methodological messiness.

Potential metabolic sequelae to the terrorist attack of October 7th, 2023.

Evaluate cardiometabolic risk as a potential sequel to a mass terrorist attack using October 7th, 2023 as a focus. Narrative review surveying PubMed, PsycNet, UN and Council on Foreign Relations websites on. 1. PTSD following terrorism, rocket attacks and conflict related sexual violence. 2. The relationship between cardiometabolic illness and PTSD. 3. Humoral, genetic and epigenetic mechanisms relating cardiometabolic risk, inflammation and PTSD. 4. Treatments for PTSD and associated cardiometabolic risk factors and their effectiveness. Cardiometabolic sequelae occur after trauma. This is most pronounced when trauma, sexual or violence related, occurs during childhood. The risk of cardiometabolic sequelae increases with PTSD diagnosis in adults. Inflammation as well as genes related to inflammatory function (e.g. FKBP5, AHRR, NR3C1) impact vulnerability to PTSD, response to treatment and cardiometabolic outcomes. Treatments for PTSD appear somewhat more effective at lowering cardiometabolic risk in civilian, rather than military populations. There is little published research on directly treating cardiometabolic sequelae of PTSD. Israelis, particularly those with exposure to the terror events of October 7, 2023 should be screened for psychological and metabolic sequelae. This should occur in a primary care setting and be part of observational research to help understand relationships between trauma, metabolic outcomes and their treatment.

Obstacles to emergency medical consultation in cases of conflict-related sexual violence.

Despite the availability of a well-developed holistic care model for victims of conflict-related sexual violence, little is known about the factors that determine late presentation for care post-sexual violence care. Drawing from data from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, this study aimed to determine obstacles to accessing emergency medical care within 72-hours of sexual violence (SV). We retrospectively analyzed data from 4048 victims of SV treated at Panzi Hospital (PH) in Bukavu city between 2015 and 2018. The factors of access to care within 72h were analyzed using logistic regression. 88% of the victims consulted after 72h post sexual violence. Several sociodemographic factors were found to limit access to the medical care post-sexual violence including the victim's age (p = 0,022), place of residence (p = 0,000) and education level (p = 0,039). Clinical discomfort from pain during urination (p = 0,002) and fear of pregnancy (p = 0,000) were also associated with late assessment of care. Seeking medical care within 72 hours after sexual violence within the critical 72-hours timeframe is crucial to avoid several medical complications stemming from SV. Improvement will be achieved by integrating the post-exposure prophylaxis protocol into primary health care, as well as by increasing community awareness of the relevance of timely consultation after sexual abuse.

At All Costs: How Relative Rebel Strength Affects PGM Sexual Violence in Civil Conflict

Abstract Does the military strength of rebel movements affect conflict-related sexual violence by pro-government militias (PGMs)? Existing studies on PGMs show the significant role that PGMs can have in shaping conflict dynamics and outcomes. What remains understudied is how the variation in power capabilities between conflict actors and the sources of support for PGMs influences civilian victimization by militia groups. We argue that strong rebels tip the balance of power against the state, making the state more susceptible to authorizing or allowing sexual violence by PGMs. In addition, the level of autonomy of PGMs from the government is likely to influence their sexual violence, conditional on rebel strength. When rebels are militarily strong, states are likely to order or tolerate sexual violence by PGMs that they train and/or provide resources to, thereby resulting in sexual violence by state-dependent PGMs. Examining all civil conflicts from 1989 to 2009 and using newly collected data on state-dependence of PGMs, our empirical findings provide evidence that PGMs are associated with higher levels of conflict-related sexual violence when the government faces strong rebels. Results also show that the likelihood of sexual violence by state-dependent PGMs increases when rebels exhibit strong military capabilities.

Recent Advances in the Study of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence.

Conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) is a frequent but not ubiquitous part of warfare, affecting not only survivors but also their families and wider communities. This thematic review describes advances in research on CRSV, reviews new developments in the literature, and proposes recommendations for future study. An increasing number of studies consider how to address methodological and ethical research challenges, how understudied victim/survivor groups as well as families and communities are affected by CRSV, how survivor-centered justice mechanisms can be developed to reduce impunity, and how CRSV is perceived by different actors. Research is expanding to deepen and nuance knowledge on CRSV, particularly on CRSV by rebel groups and the experiences of diverse victims. The research community is also growing more diverse. Remaining challenges exist, in particular regarding data and measurement, justice and accountability, and violations by state-affiliated actors.

Beyond Seeing and Listening: Children Born from Conflict-Related Sexual Violence

ABSTRACT This essay discusses some points made by the three books under review regarding how children born of conflict-related sexual violence have not been seen and listened to by those working in the field of transitional justice. To this end, it explores some of the reasons behind this oversight, including generalized assumptions about their relationships with their mothers, families and communities. It also discusses some of the limitations of the current transitional justice framework to address the plight of these children. Finally, the essay emphasizes the importance of analyzing more deeply the particular context in which these children are embedded. To this end it draws from some of the frameworks presented in the three books under review, which allow for a more capacious comprehension of the situation of children born of conflict-related sexual violence.

The Force Intervention Brigade in the drc, Civilian Security and Women Peace and Security

Abstract This article examines the UN Security Council (unsc) authorised Force Intervention Brigade (fib) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (drc) and the component of the mandate that articulates civilian security as a rationale for justified force. In examining civilian protection (articulated as both civilian security and as the protection of civilians), we explore the parallels between the women, peace and security agenda and the image – versus the reality – of civilian vulnerability in the drc. In focusing on the narratives of civilian security we explore how the ten years of repeat authorisations for the fib replicate heteronormative and colonial tropes that have ultimately undermined security in the drc and, for international lawyers, undermine peacekeeping principles, authorisations of force, and understandings of consent. The contradictions between the Security Council’s commitments to addressing and preventing conflict-related sexual violence and the mobilisation of the fib are drawn on to demonstrate the ways in which gender simultaneously strengthens the Council’s legitimacy and yet produces few spaces of significant change from a feminist perspective. We conclude that not only is the legacy of the fib detrimental to women’s security in the drc given reports of sexual exploitation and abuse (sea) perpetrated by peacekeepers but that the fib has transformed peacekeeping away from peace, embedding militarised responses to a complex humanitarian crisis.

Curating conflict-related sexual violence: Museological visibilities at the Imperial War Museum

While often under-researched, mis-catalogued, and obscured from public display, conflict-related sexual violence is acutely entangled in the story of conflict that the Imperial War Museum tells its visitors, beyond the dichotomous characterisation of present/absent, hidden/revealed or remembered/forgotten. This article outlines and characterises ways in which the Imperial War Museum curates conflict-related sexual violence, illustrating how this equates to gendered and gendering arbitrations on what is appropriate, representative, and moreover what counts as conflict-related sexual violence and as the material and visual culture of war. Curatorial practices are found to both reflect and actively (re)produce patterns of representation in sexual violence discourse, through a prism of visual hierarchies inherent to modern museumification and the Museum’s titular imperial legacy. Insights from this case can help guide ambitions of a more activist, feminist curatorial practice, one invested in disrupting harmful patterns and centring what is marginal.

Conflict, Displacement and Overlapping Vulnerabilities: Understanding Risk Factors for Gender Based Violence Among Displaced Women in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been embroiled in decades-long conflict that has resulted in the forced displacement of millions of people and extremely high rates of gender-based violence (GBV). While much attention has understandably focused on conflict-related sexual violence, intimate partner violence (IPV) is in fact one of the most pervasive forms of GBV, including in conflict settings. This paper presents results of a large, randomised survey looking at both sexual and intimate partner violence. Formerly displaced women had 11 per cent greater odds of reporting past-year IPV (p < 0.05), and currently displaced women reported 20 per cent greater odds of IPV in the past-year (p < 0.001). Women who reported ever being displaced also reported 8.5 per cent greater odds (p < 0.001) of past-year sexual violence. Both displacement and war-related experiences are highly and significantly associated with lifetime and past-year IPV and sexual violence. By acknowledging and creating programs that explicitly address the high risk of violence faced by displaced women, we may more effectively break the cycles of violence in fragile settings.

«WE ALREADY NEED TO RUN A MARATHON»: AN ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL WORK TRAINING EXPERIENCES DURING WARTIME

The article presents the findings from a study on the training experience of the international NGO «International Leadership and Development Center» (ILDC) during full-scale war, specifically focusing on training activities for social workers and volunteers. The phenomenological approach (8 in-depth interviews were conducted) reveals various aspects, such as the impact of war on the mental well-being of both trainers and participants, and how stress factors, constant exposure to danger, and the chaotic environment influence the training process. The adaptation of training programs and trainers’ strategies to the new war-induced realities is explored.Key challenges faced by practitioners were identified, including an overwhelming increase in the number of clients alongside the expansion of client categories. New, unfamiliar groups appeared, such as military personnel and their families, wives and mothers of prisoners of war, freed captives and their relatives, women affected by conflict-related sexual violence, families of the deceased. The trainers and practitioners found themselves in a dual position, being both helpers and those affected by war. This created a need for professional support, especially in maintaining professional boundaries and avoiding secondary trauma.Another challenge was the need for social workers and volunteers to acquire new skills and competencies under stressful conditions – initially acute stress, followed by prolonged stress – which also impacted their cognitive abilities. The study highlighted that training must focus on maintaining the professional identity of social workers and adapt both its content and format to include a trauma-sensitive approach.The article concludes with specific recommendations for trainers and organizers of training programs during crises, suggesting strategies that could enhance the effectiveness of training in wartime conditions. It emphasizes the importance of trauma-awareness in designing training materials and the need for ongoing psychological support for practitioners, helping them navigate their dual roles.

Strategies for primary healthcare in Ukraine: An integrated response to gender-based violence

Abstract Issue/problem Survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) and conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in Ukraine face significant challenges in accessing appropriate healthcare services. Despite governmental commitment, acknowledgment and regulatory frameworks, including the ratification of the Istanbul Convention, gaps persist in integrating comprehensive GBV/CRSV services into primary healthcare (PHC) settings, exacerbated by the ongoing conflict with Russia. Description of the problem An analysis of healthcare providers’ knowledge has revealed deficiencies in effectively supporting GBV/CRSV survivors. Barriers include workload pressures, lack of inter-sectoral cooperation and case-management protocols, and insufficient training opportunities on survivor support. In collaboration with the World Health Organization, the global Clinical Management of Rape (CMR) guidelines was adapted for Ukrainian context. Among findings from CMR trainings attended by 443 PHC providers in 2022-2023 (213 participants in 2022 and 230 participants in 2023), the results underscore gaps in PHC workers’ basic knowledge and readiness to effectively support survivors during the war. Results Data from WHO training sessions underscored significant gaps in knowledge among healthcare professionals regarding legal protocols, available resources, and best practices in PHC service delivery. Identified barriers emphasized the urgent need for targeted interventions to enhance PHC workers’ capacity in GBV/CRSV response. Lessons Recommendations focus on systemic enhancements including revising regulatory frameworks, developing standardized protocols, and institutionalizing and providing comprehensive training programs. Innovative approaches like online courses, mentoring programs, and integrated service models are crucial for addressing multifaceted challenges. Key messages • A holistic GBV/CRSV response is an essential component in PHC. • This intersectoral survivor-centered approach provides safe spaces that can be adapted to other contexts in Europe.

Key mental health differences in conflict-related sexual violence and how sex, severity, and early intervention impact on improvement: a retrospective observational study

BackgroundConflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) is a significant health and human rights issue in humanitarian contexts, but there is a need of further research on differences between sexes in terms of severity of symptoms and improvement. Consequently, we explored the differences in severity and outcomes among male and female survivors of CRSV who received mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) in an armed conflict setting.MethodsWe retrospectively analysed medical records from 3442 CRSV survivors in a MHPSS programme in Borno State, Nigeria, between 2018 and 2019. Patient characteristics, severity (measured with Clinical Global Impression of Severity Scale [CGI-S scale]), and improvement (measured with Clinical Global Impression of improvement [CGI-I] scale) were assessed by an attending counsellor. We assessed predictors for severity and improvement using a multivariable logistic regression analysis and time to improvement by sex using Kaplan Meier (K–M) curves and Cox regression.ResultsWe included 3442 patients who had at least one CRSV event in this study (2955 [85.9%] female, 486 [14.1%] male, one unknown). The most prevalent categories of symptoms were depression (49.9%; n = 1716), post-traumatic (25.6%; n = 879), and anxiety (20.3%; n = 697) symptoms. Most patients had mild (59.0%; n = 1869/3170) or moderate (36.4%; n = 1153/3170) symptoms at baseline, with 4.7% having severe symptoms (n = 148/3170). The logistic regression analysis (n = 1106), showed male patients had a 59% higher odds of severe symptoms at baseline than female patients (aOR 1.59; 95% CI 1.04–2.45). Among males, those older than 55 years had three times higher odds of presenting severe symptoms than younger patients (aOR 3.65; 95% CI 1.43–9.34). Women aged 36–55 years were more likely to present improvement than younger female patients (aOR 1.32; 95% CI 1.11–1.58). For both sexes, prompt attention after a CRSV event (≤ 3 days) positively predicted improvement (aOR 13.9; 95% CI 1.48–130 males, aOR 2.11; 95% CI 1.22–3.64 females) compared to late attention. Time to improvement did not differ between sexes, with an average of at least three consultations needed to achieve improvement.ConclusionsOur study suggests that psychological attention of survivors within the first 72 h should be a priority. MHPSS programmes addressing CRSV should be inclusive to all patients, and gender-neutral approaches to ensure access, safety, confidentiality, and non-discrimination for all survivors should be developed.

Children Born of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence as Direct Victims under International Criminal Law

Abstract This article explores specific cases of children born of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) to ascertain the precise nature of their harm making them a unique category of victims under international criminal law. It will identify and illustrate, inter alia, the nature, intent and impact of their victimhood, detailing precisely how to prosecute crimes against and affecting these children at the International Criminal Court (ICC). The research eschews the conventional approach of regarding these children as secondary victims by surfacing direct crimes under ICC jurisdiction and positioning them firmly within investigative, prosecutorial and judicial attention.

Migrant survivors of conflict-related sexual violence accessing a specialist health service in Turin, Italy: a qualitative analysis of clinical forensic interview transcripts.

The Sexual Violence Relief center Soccorso Violenza Sessuale (SVS) is a specialist service, situated in Sant'Anna Hospital, an Obstetrics and Gynecology facility in Turin, North-West Italy. The study aimed to qualitatively analyze the transcripts of interviews routinely conducted by gynecologist and midwife in the first part of the medical examination of migrant patients accessing care at SVS after being subjected to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in their home country or during migration and to explore the adverse outcomes of such violence on their health. Interview transcripts were purposely selected to include adult migrant patients (age > 18) subjected to CRSV in the different phases of migration and accessing SVS from January 1st, 2014, to September 4th, 2023. Data was extracted from the SVS archive, anonymized, and thematically analyzed. In total, 43 interview transcripts were eligible for inclusion. All of them were related to cisgender women of Sub-Saharan origin describing different forms of violence as a driver for migration. CRSV was disclosed by 18 survivors as occurring in their home country and by 31 in transit (e.g., Libya), the most reported type being rape. 49% of the patients described adverse physical outcomes of CRSV, while 72% reported psychological sequelae. The findings confirm high levels and different modalities of violence throughout the migratory route. Qualitative analysis of interview transcripts served as a valuable source for understanding how survivors described the CRSV they endured, its consequences, as well as other violence encountered during migration.

Unspeakable: reflections on relational approaches to research in post-conflict settings

ABSTRACT In this article, I offer reflections on a research project with former combatants who fathered children as the result of conflict-related sexual violence in northern Uganda. The research sought to understand how becoming a father shaped their decision making as soldiers, and reintegration experiences following demobilisation. What roles, if any, do they play in their children’s lives post-conflict, and what futures do they envision for them? I consider the ethical and methodological challenges of the research project through the concept of the unspeakable, what Judith Herman refers to as ‘traumatic events that take place outside socially validated reality.’ How does one come to know beyond what one can imagine, or that which is socially unrecognisable, such as the love of fathers associated with the perpetration of violent atrocities? I foreground a relational approach to the research encounter, one that fostered intimate, steadfast, and mutually giving relationships between the research team and participants, and opening pathways to explore intimacy between a father and child. I then reflect on what this methodology offers in terms of thinking beyond Western-centric conceptualizations of peacebuilding.

Merging Responsibilities

Abstract In emergent fields of practice, there is often an ‘ethics lag’ — a period of significant innovation during which the focus is on what can be accomplished more than on the safeguards that should be put in place to protect the public from the unanticipated consequences of that innovation. This is true of the emergent field of digital open-source investigations conducted for international criminal justice purposes, in which researchers and analysts comb the Internet for information relevant to their research. One sub-field where the ethics lag is particularly of concern is digital investigations of conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence (CRSV), especially with regards to whether and when investigators need consent from social media posters, survivors, bystanders and others to use information discovered in online spaces. This article explores options for centring and promoting victim safety and dignity by clarifying ethical issues that investigators should consider before using open-source information to support international investigations and prosecutions of CRSV. After identifying where the relevant law leaves gaps in guidance, the authors discuss a series of considerations that may help investigators ethically handle such sensitive data. Ultimately, the authors underscore the importance of securing consent from survivors when engaging in digital open-source investigations into sexual violence. What arguably varies is who should seek that consent, when, and how.

Family Therapy for Kosovar Mothers Who Experienced Conflict-Related Sexual Violence and Their Children in Postwar Times: A Pilot Randomised Waitlist-Controlled Trial.

Women who have experienced conflict-related sexual violence report significant long-term effects, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and relationship difficulties. Research has demonstrated that maternal trauma is associated with children's behavioural difficulties and challenges in family functioning, such as impaired communication and harsh parenting. This pilot study is aimed at evaluating the preliminary effectiveness of family therapy for Kosovar mothers who experienced conflict-related sexual violence in 1998-1999 and later developed PTSD and their children in improving family functioning and reducing behavioural difficulties in postwar times. Sixty-four mothers were randomised to an intervention group or a waitlist control group. Data was collected during a screening phase, at baseline before intervention initiation, after the intervention group completed family therapy and once the waitlist control group received the intervention. Generalised linear mixed models were used to analyse group differences in family functioning and children's behaviours over time. At follow-up, mothers in the intervention group reported improved family functioning. However, mothers in the waitlist control group reported significantly fewer behavioural difficulties than mothers in the intervention group before the control group had started family therapy. There was no significant interaction between group condition and time for child-rated family functioning. Overall, this pilot study suggests that family therapy could be effective in reducing the effects of intergenerational trauma related to PTSD and conflict-related sexual violence. Future research should evaluate the long-term effects of family therapy to assess if immediate effects were maintained.

The Normative Framework Behind the (Non-)Recognition of Children Born of War in International Criminal Law

Abstract This article traces the normative development in international criminal law on children born of war (cbow—i.e., children born in the context of an armed conflict to one parent who belongs to a local community and one parent who is an opposing combatant, fighter or peacekeeper). In a historical cross-contextual approach, primary and secondary sources, and particularly jurisprudence of international criminal courts from 1945 to today, are interpreted in reference to political psychologist Inger Skjelbæk’s epistemology conceptualising conflict-related sexual and reproductive violence as carrying essentialist, structuralist and socio-constructivist implications. The analysis traces how cbow as a group of victimised but underacknowledged war-affected children have come to be understood in international justice. The findings point to avenues for normative refinement that would facilitate a more coherent and unbiased integration of their interests into the practice of international courts.