Criminological Perspectives on Rape in Armed Conflict

• In Event: Atrocity Crimes: Types of Offending (ECACTJ)

Abstract

Although attention to sexual violence in armed conflict is growing worldwide, wartime rape and its criminological background are still gravely under-explored. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, this dissertation project pursues the objective to create a better understanding for the phenomenon of wartime rape. Combining existing data on wartime rape and various conflict- and actor-related variables, this project delivers a comprehensive dataset on rape in armed conflicts from 1989 till 2015. In the statistical analyses, some traditionally discussed factors like the type and intensity of the conflict show a significant influence on the reported prevalence of wartime rape, whereas others like military strength and external support present themselves as statistically insignificant. By testing the influence of gender equality on wartime rape in various ways, the study offers a complex picture of the interactions between equality and sexual violence. The second part of the study consists of two in-depth case-studies of the UPC/FPLC and the FNI/FRPI in the Ituri conflict in the DRC and shows the impact of neutralization mechanisms, institutional attitudes towards sexual violence and individual propensities on wartime rape. Ultimately, this study aims to offer a comprehensive understanding of rape within the context of armed conflict.

Author

• Anouk Noelle Nicklas, University of Leipzig