The Silent Victims of Wartime Sexual Violence: Evidence from a List Experiment in Sri Lanka

Traunmüller, Richard; Kijewski, Sara; Freitag, Markus

doi:10.2139/ssrn.2937943

Cited by 4 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Another population survey in DRC estimated the prevalence CRSV among men at 23.6% [20]. Research from Sri Lanka estimates that 9-21% of men experienced some form of CRSV [21]. On the other hand, a cross sectional survey In Cote d'Ivoire found that less than 1% of men in conflict-affected communities reported sexual violence from a combatant or other official [22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Male and LGBT survivors of sexual violence in conflict situations: a realist review of health interventions in low-and middle-income countries

Kiss

Quinlan-Davidson

Pasquero³

et al. 2020

Confl Health

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Conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) against women and girls has been the subject of increasing research and scholarship. Less is known about the health of men, boys and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and other gender non-binary persons who survive CRSV. This paper is the first systematic realist review on medical, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) interventions that focusses on male and LGBT survivors of CRSV. The review explores the gender differences in context, mechanisms and outcomes that underpin interventions addressing the health and psychosocial wellbeing of male and LGBT survivors. The aim is to contribute to the design and delivery of gender-sensitive and, when needed, gender-specific approaches for interventions that respond to specific needs of different groups of all survivors. We conducted a systematic search of academic and grey literature to identify medical and MHPSS interventions that included men, boys and LGBT survivors. We identified interventions specifically targeting women and girls that we used as comparators. We then purposively sampled studies from the fields of gender and health, and sexual abuse against men and LGBT people for theory building and testing. We identified 26 evaluations of interventions for survivors of CRSV. Nine studies included male survivors, twelve studies focussed exclusively on female survivors and one study targeted children and adolescents. No intervention evaluation focussed on LGBT survivors of CRSV. The interventions that included male survivors did not describe specific components for this population. Results of intervention evaluations that included male survivors were not disaggregated by gender, and some studies did not report the gender composition. Although some mental health and psychosocial consequences of sexual violence against men and boys may be similar among male and female survivors, the way each process trauma, display symptoms, seek help, adhere to treatment and improve their mental health differ by gender. Initiatives targeting male and LGBT survivors of CRSV need to be designed to actively address specific gender differences in access, adherence and response to MHPSS interventions. Models of care that are gender-sensitive and integrated to local resources are promising avenues to promote the health of male and LGBT survivors of CRSV.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Male and LGBT survivors of sexual violence in conflict situations: a realist review of health interventions in low-and middle-income countries

Kiss

Quinlan-Davidson

Pasquero³

et al. 2020

Confl Health

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“…Again, this silence on sexually related crimes stands in contrast to the reports by human rights organizations, which have brought attention to sexual violence and exploitation both during the war and after it has ended (HRW 2013;Sooka 2014;Traunmüller et al 2017). The silences around sexual abuses in the LLRC must be understood against the background of the LLRC being a formalized setting, a lack of probing into these issues by the commissioners, and an absence of gender-sensitive measures, which may have made it possible for women to speak about these issues more safely.…”

Section: Silence and Agencymentioning

confidence: 82%

“…BAn estimated 3,000 captured or surrendered women LTTE fighters-many of them forcibly recruited-were sent to military-run rehabilitation centers, where, again, there are credible allegations of rape and sexual abuse^(International Crisis Group 2017, p. 7). Research also records substantial sexual violence during the war against both men and women in Sri Lanka (Traunmüller et al 2017;Sooka 2014).…”

Section: The Sri Lankan Conflict Women and The Post-war Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testimony Under Threat: Women’s Voices and the Pursuit of Justice in Post-War Sri Lanka

Höglund

2019

Hum Rights Rev

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This paper foregrounds how women's public testimony as part of a formal transitional justice initiative is shaped by the particular context in which a commission operate, including the political and security environment. While the literature has engaged with the gendered predicaments of truth commissions after peace agreements and during transitions away from non-democratic rule, the function of such initiatives in more authoritarian and in immediate postwar contexts is generally overlooked. I examine women's testimonies from Sri Lanka's Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), and contend that pervasive militarization and insecurity, and the conduct of the Commission, influenced the stories that came forth. Women's testimonies in the war-torn areas primarily represent pleas for information about missing family members and reflect important silences about the women's own experiences of abuse, including ongoing postwar insecurities. The analysis raises questions about what may be expected from transitional justice efforts in difficult postwar contexts.

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“…Not only is awareness of sexual violence against men lower, but men may also feel greater social stigma for experiencing violence and thus be less likely to report/discuss their experiences (Sivakumaran 2005). In their study of postconflict Sri Lanka using list experiments (which allow for anonymous reporting), Traunmüller, Kijewski, and Freitag (forthcoming) suggest that men were half as likely to report sexual violence in comparison to women but men were twice as likely to experience sexual violence. Hence, existing research may underestimate levels of sexual violence against men, underscoring the need for more attention to the social stigmas preventing male survivors from coming forward (Grey and Shepherd 2012; Clark 2017).…”

Section: Sexual Violence and Warmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is well-established that sexual violence can play an instrumental role in ethnic cleansing processes against out-groups during wartime, and much attention has been focused on sexual violence by male perpetrators against females (Sjoberg 2013; Buss 2009; Wood 2006). However, recent research suggests that men’s victimization during conflict has been underestimated due to underreporting (Traunmüller, Kijewski, and Freitag forthcoming). Existing studies show pervasive sexual violence against men during wartime, and male-dominated contexts like detention centers, prisons, and prisoner of war camps create opportunities for the sexual abuse and exploitation of captive males (Olujic 1998; All Survivors 2017; Eichert 2018).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Confronting Wartime Sexual Violence: Public Support for Survivors in Bosnia

Page

Whitt

2019

Journal of Conflict Resolution

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Existing research on conflict-related sexual violence focuses on the motivations of perpetrators and effects on survivors. What remains less clear is how postconflict societies respond to the hardships survivors face. In survey experiments in Bosnia, we examine public support for financial aid, legal aid, and public recognition for survivors. First, we find a persistent ethnocentric view of sexual violence, where respondents are less supportive when the perpetrator is identified as co-ethnic and survivors are perceived as out-groups. Second, respondents are less supportive of male survivors than female survivors, which we attribute to social stigmas surrounding same-gender sexual activity. Consistent with our argument, those who are intolerant of homosexuality are especially averse to providing aid to male survivors. This study points to the long-term challenges survivors face due to ethnic divisions and social stigmatization from sexual violence.

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The Silent Victims of Wartime Sexual Violence: Evidence from a List Experiment in Sri Lanka

Cited by 4 publications

References 43 publications

Male and LGBT survivors of sexual violence in conflict situations: a realist review of health interventions in low-and middle-income countries

Male and LGBT survivors of sexual violence in conflict situations: a realist review of health interventions in low-and middle-income countries

Testimony Under Threat: Women’s Voices and the Pursuit of Justice in Post-War Sri Lanka

Confronting Wartime Sexual Violence: Public Support for Survivors in Bosnia

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