Characteristics and Impacts of Sexual Violence Against Men and Boys in Conflict and Displacement: A Multicountry Exploratory Study
Abstract
Evidence of sexual violence against men and boys in many conflict-affected settings is increasingly recognized. Yet relatively little is currently known about the varied forms, sites, and impacts of this violence. Further, scant research on sexual violence against men and boys in displacement contexts has been undertaken to date. To begin to address these knowledge gaps, we undertook a multicountry, qualitative, exploratory study to gain insights into these issues. Study settings and populations were Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh; refugees and migrants who had traveled through Libya residing in Italy; and refugees from eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Somalia, and South Sudan residing in Nairobi and Mombasa, Kenya. Methods included 55 semi-structured focus group discussions with 310 refugees and semi-structured key informant interviews with 148 aid workers and human rights experts. Data were thematically analyzed using NVivo 12. Findings suggest that sexual violence against men and boys may not be rare in Myanmar (northern Rakhine state), Libya, eastern DRC, and South Sudan. Frequently reported forms of violence in these settings were genital violence, forced witnessing of sexual violence, and rape. Sites where violence was often reported included border crossings, along the roadside, and during imprisonment. In host countries, forms of sexual violence included sexual abuse of boys, sexual exploitation particularly of adolescents and persons with diverse sexual orientation and gender identity, and rape. Impacts on survivors involved short- and long-term physical, mental, economic, and familial dimensions. These findings aim to inform sexual violence-related prevention, mitigation, and response efforts in humanitarian settings. More research is warranted, including on sexual violence against men and boys in Somalia, sexual violence by family and community members in conflict and displacement settings, sexual exploitation of adolescent boys, and sexual violence including sexual exploitation of persons with diverse sexual orientation and gender identity.
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Author Biographies
Sarah Chynoweth, PhD, the principal investigator for this study, is the Founder and Director of the Sexual Violence Project at the Women’s Refugee Commission and is an Adjunct Lecturer in Health, Rights, and Development at the University of New South Wales. She has worked at the interface of research, policy, and practice in humanitarian response for 20 years, primarily focused on sexual and reproductive health, sexual violence, and accountability.
Dale Buscher, MSW, is vice president for Programs at the Women’s Refugee Commission where he oversees the organization’s research and advocacy work on gender, protection, social inclusion, and livelihoods. He has been working on humanitarian issues for over 30 years in Asia, the Balkans, the Middle East, and Africa. He is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.
Sarah Martin, BA, is lead associate at Gender Associations. She has worked as a humanitarian aid worker and gender-based violence prevention and response specialist for over 20 years including as Senior Gender Advisor to UNHCR in Jordan and as the Regional Emergency Gender-based Violence Advisor for the Gender-based Violence Area of Responsibility for the Asia Pacific region. She also worked as a Humanitarian Affairs Specialist for Médecins Sans Frontières. She is a Member of the Global Advisory Committee for the Women’s Refugee Commission's Sexual Violence Project and was involved in data collection in Italy and Kenya.
Anthony Zwi, MB BCh, PhD, is a professor of Global Health and Development at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. He has longstanding commitment to researching violence—interpersonal, gender-based, and/or collective. He teaches and researches around global public health, global development, and global policy issues with a strong emphasis on how people and systems respond to experiences of trauma, “disasters” and violent conflict.
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Article first published online: October 29, 2020
Issue published: May 2022
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PubMed: 33118459
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