What is Sexual Violence (SV) ?
Sexual Violence (SV) means any sexual act or threat that results in physical, psychological and emotional harm.
SV includes the following acts:
- Rape
- Sexual abuse/child sexual abuse
- Forced sodomy/anal rape
- Sexual exploitation
- Forced prostitution
- Sexual Harassment
- Sexual violence as a weapon of war and torture
During the war, women and girls have more risk of SV such as rape, forced marriage, sexual exploitation and trafficking.
However, victims are not only women and girls. Men and boys also become targets of SV, especially at the time of detention and interrogation.
It is well known that SV is used as a tactic of war.
For example, rape, sexual torture, and mutilation are often done intentionally to break morals, destroy families and communities, and change the structure of ethnicity.
Sadly, these acts are not limited to past wars but are still seen today.
In 2023, the rape and SV against Ukrainian women by Russian soldiers was documented in the UN report.
In 2024, the UN reported its concern about human rights violations to Palestinian women and girls by the Israeli army. The report about SV includes:
- Being stripped naked and searched by male Israeli army officers;
- Being raped and threatened with sexual violence at detention.
In addition, the sexual torture of a Palestinian man by Israeli soldiers at the prison is reported.
I can not believe humans use sexual violence as a tool of war. That’s so horrible……
How do International laws address SV?
Several international laws address SV, including the Geneva Convention, the International Humanitarian Law, and the Roma Statute of the International Criminal Court.
In the 1998 Roma Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), SV (rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization, or any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity) is defined as a “Crime against Humanity” and it is in the list of War Crimes.
Rape and the other form of SV in international or non-international armed conflicts are serious violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
All States must prosecute perpetrators.
Even in times of war, we should respect humanitarian laws and remember what not to do.
How does SV affect to our health?
Victims of SV suffer from a wide range of physical, mental, reproductive, and behavioural problems.
Major symptoms are shown in the below illustration, but problems are not limited to them.
As for physical issues, women have much more risk than men to experience physical injuries due to the physical violence.
Women with a history of abuse are more likely to report chronic physical issues (headache, abdominal and pelvic pain, gastrointestinal disorders, etc.) than other women.
Childhood sexual abuse has been linked to psychological problems such as anxiety, fear, depression and PTSD, as well as behavioral problems later in life, such as increased alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse, early sexual activity, and a tendency to choose abusive partners.
They often feel worthless and have difficulty maintaining their self-esteem.
Children who have been abused lose trust in others and tend to blame themselves.
They have difficulty maintaining good distance from others and tend to seek excessive attention from others.
Experiencing negative feelings about oneself, shame, anger, humiliation, and unstable relationships with others leads to low self-esteem and low self-worth.
Sexual violence has lifelong consequences for victims, not just short-term health problems. I wish the world become free from sexual violence!
References
– Araujo JO, Souza FM, Proença R, Bastos ML, Trajman A, Faerstein E. Prevalence of sexual violence among refugees: a systematic review. Rev Saude Publica. 2019 Sep 23;53:78. doi: 10.11606/s1518-8787.2019053001081. PMID: 31553381; PMCID: PMC6752644.
– UNHCR. Sexual and Gender-Based Violence against Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons. Guidelines for Prevention and Response, UNHCR (SGVB Guidelines). May 2003. https://www.unhcr.org/media/sexual-and-gender-based-violence-against-refugees-returnees-and-internally-displaced-persons
– UN. UN News. Ukraine: Rape and torture by Russian forces continuing, rights experts report. 25 September 2023. https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/09/1141417
– UN Human Rights office of the High Commissioner. Israel/oPt: UN experts appalled by reported human rights violations against Palestinian women and girls. 19 February 2024. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/02/israelopt-un-experts-appalled-reported-human-rights-violations-against
– UN Human Rights office of the High Commissioner. Special Rapporteur on Torture appalled by allegation of sexual torture by Israeli soldiers and calls for accountability. 16 August 2024. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/08/special-rapporteur-torture-appalled-allegation-sexual-torture-israeli
– The International Criminal Court. Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. https://www.icc-cpi.int/sites/default/files/NR/rdonlyres/ADD16852-AEE9-4757-ABE7-9CDC7CF02886/283503/RomeStatutEng1.pdf
– https://www.icrc.org/en/document/sexual-violence-armed-conflict-questions-and-answers
– https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/customary-ihl/v1/rule156
– WHO. Understanding and addressing violence against women. Health consequences. 2012. https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/77431/WHO_RHR_12.43_eng.pdf
– Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Abuse and Child Psychology: Notebook Edition https://www.mext.go.jp/component/a_menu/education/detail/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2012/09/28/1280766_3.pdf
– Kawabe H, Murazawa W. Journal of the Sapporo Gakuin University Clinical Psychology Center, No. 17, 2017. The impact of abuse on children’s psychology (part 1)
https://www.sgu.ac.jp/sgucpc/ds8n7p0000002kvx-att/17_4articles_kawabe_murasawa.pdf
– Tazaki M, Morita N, Taguchi M, et al. Current status of sexual abuse response at child consultation centers and collaboration with medical care. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Related Fields, Vol. 58, No. 5, 2017, p. 669-676. https://doi.org/10.20615/jscap.58.5_669
