Investigating the Use of Sexual Violence by Terrorist Organizations

• In Event: Terrorism: Motivations, Strategy, and Messaging

Abstract

Despite the importance of understanding the scope and implications of sexual violence by terrorist organizations—both as a humanitarian concern and as a strategy countering violent extremism—this topic is often overlooked among collectors of terrorism data. The task of collecting systematic, comprehensive data on terrorist organizations’ tactical use of sexual violence combines the unique challenges of collecting data on sexual violence with the unique challenges of collecting data on terrorism. The current research reflects on the current state of knowledge about sexual violence in the context of terrorism, identifies potentially fruitful paths forward given the limitations of available data collection strategies, and presents descriptive analysis of preliminary data on the use of sexual violence among the most active terrorist organizations.

Author

• Erin Miller, University of Maryland