Rebel Child Soldiering and Conflict-Related Sexual Violence

Abstract

Why do some rebel groups perpetrate sexual violence in armed conflict while others do not? A growing literature explores factors impacting the occurrence of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). We contribute to this literature, arguing that the composition of rebel groups can provide insight into patterns of sexual violence. We contend rebel groups that use child soldiers, and especially those that rely heavily on coercive child recruitment practices, are more prone to engage in wartime sexual violence than groups who do not recruit minors. While children are rarely the ideal soldier, they have become a crucial resource for many rebel groups. Yet, their recruitment can impact internal group dynamics. Sexual violence can serve as a tool for conditioning children to violence, intragroup cohesion-building, and an instrument for combatting defection. We test this argument with data on 245 rebel groups active in armed conflicts between 1989 and 2011. We supplement the quantitative analyses with an illustrative case study on the Revolutionary United Front in Sierra Leone. Our results suggest groups that recruit child soldiers are more likely to inflict CRSV. This effect is magnified when children are recruited forcibly.

The Pitfalls and Potential of the Systematic Collection of Data on Child Soldier Recruitment

“…Child recruitment also dramatically impacts the characteristics of conflicts, increasing conflict duration and likelihood of recurrence (Haer andBöhmelt 2016, 2017). The recruitment of children has also been associated with an increased level of violence against civilians, including patterns of conflict-related sexual violence (Mehrl 2021, Faulkner andWelsh 2022). The result is a critical need for the academic and policy community to include information on child recruitment in existing early warning systems and to develop new early warning systems that can alert the national and international community when there is an increased likelihood of child recruitment.…”