Journal Article - Annual Review of Political Science
Conflict-Related Sexual Violence
Abstract
This article reviews the remarkable growth in empirical literature in political science on wartime sexual violence against civilians, including rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage, and other forms. Early work, motivated by ongoing conflicts in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, tended to portray these forms of violence as inevitable, ubiquitous, and either opportunistic or strategic. However, recent literature and new data sources have documented substantial variation in sexual violence across countries, conflicts, perpetrators, and victims and survivors. Building on this observed variation, scholars have developed and tested a wealth of theories about when, where, why, and under what conditions sexual violence occurs as well as its consequences. We highlight the core findings from the literature, explain the key debates among experts, and explore several avenues for future research. We conclude by detailing what the study of wartime sexual violence—both the findings and the research process—offers to a broader set of political science scholars.
– Via Annual Review of Political Science.
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For Academic Citation:
Cohen, Dara Kay and Ragnhild Nordås. "Conflict-Related Sexual Violence." Annual Review of Political Science, Vol. 24. (May 2021): 193–211.
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Abstract
This article reviews the remarkable growth in empirical literature in political science on wartime sexual violence against civilians, including rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage, and other forms. Early work, motivated by ongoing conflicts in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, tended to portray these forms of violence as inevitable, ubiquitous, and either opportunistic or strategic. However, recent literature and new data sources have documented substantial variation in sexual violence across countries, conflicts, perpetrators, and victims and survivors. Building on this observed variation, scholars have developed and tested a wealth of theories about when, where, why, and under what conditions sexual violence occurs as well as its consequences. We highlight the core findings from the literature, explain the key debates among experts, and explore several avenues for future research. We conclude by detailing what the study of wartime sexual violence—both the findings and the research process—offers to a broader set of political science scholars.
Cohen, Dara Kay and Ragnhild Nordås. "Conflict-Related Sexual Violence." Annual Review of Political Science, Vol. 24. (May 2021): 193–211.
- Recommended
- In the Spotlight
- Most Viewed
Recommended
Book - Cornell University Press
Rape During Civil War
Analysis & Opinions - The Washington Post
Governments Don't Outsource Atrocities to Militias. Here's What Really Happens
Analysis & Opinions - The New York Times
How to Counter Rape During War
In the Spotlight
Most Viewed
Analysis & Opinions - Project Syndicate
If Trump Returns
Analysis & Opinions
US-China Relations: An Interview with Graham Allison