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.

From ‘It Rarely Happens’ to ‘It’s Worse for Men’

“…For example, forced witnessing of sexual violence against othersan often overlooked type of sexual violencewas reportedly common in conflicts in Bosnia-Herzegovina, eastern DRC and Myanmar, among others (Touquet, forthcoming;Chynoweth, 2019a;Promundo, 2013). Genital violence was commonplace against men and boys in conflicts in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kenya, and has been reported in other settings (Lončar et al, 2010;Carlson, 2006;Auchter, 2017;Myrttinen, 2018;Chynoweth et al, 2020b). In conflict-affected areas in eastern DRC, a population-based study found that 19.6 per cent of men/ boy survivors disclosed suffering sexual slavery, while 5 per cent reported being forced to perform a sexual act (Johnson et al, 2010).…”

“…Sexual violence against men and boys in armed conflict has garnered increasing attention over the past decade. 1 A growing body of evidence demonstrates that sexual violence against men and boys is perpetrated in many conflicts and that men and boys are also subject to sexual violence during displacement (Chynoweth et al, 2020b;Féron, 2018;Hossain et al, 2014;Johnson et al, 2008Johnson et al, , 2010Schulz, 2020;Schulz and Touquet, 2020;Touquet, 2018a). The notion that little to no research exists is no longer valid.…”

“…2 Misconception 1: Conflict-Related Sexual Violence against Men and Boys Is Almost Always Perpetrated in Detention and Imprisonment A common misconception is that conflict-related sexual violence against men and boys is almost always perpetrated in detention and imprisonment, often as a form of torture. Yet where and when sexual violence against men and boys is perpetrated is dependent on the setting, the type of conflict, the parties to conflict, and the historical and cultural contexts (Chynoweth et al, 2020b). While reliable numbers regarding perpetration are difficult to obtain, evidence suggests that sexual violence is also perpetrated under many other circumstances.…”

“…More recent publications have asserted that the most common types are forced sex acts and genital violence (Meger, 2015;SVRI, 2016). In fact, a variety of forms of sexual violence have been documented against men and boys in conflict, including forced nudity, anal and oral rape, castration, penile amputation, genital violence, sexual humiliation, sexual slavery, forced incest and forced rape of others (Ba and Bhopal, 2016;Chynoweth et al, 2020b).…”

“…The most common form of conflict-related sexual violence against men and boys is unknown (Chynoweth et al, 2020b). Forms of violence vary between and within conflicts.…”