| ID | 127791 |
| Title Proper | Explaining rape during civil war |
| Other Title Information | cross-national evidence (1980-2009) |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Cohen, Dara Kay |
| Publication | 2014. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Why do some armed groups commit massive wartime rape, whereas others never do? Using an original dataset, I describe the substantial variation in rape by armed actors during recent civil wars and test a series of competing causal explanations. I find evidence that the recruitment mechanism is associated with the occurrence of wartime rape. Specifically, the findings support an argument about wartime rape as a method of socialization, in which armed groups that recruit by force-through abduction or pressganging-use rape to create unit cohesion. State weakness and insurgent contraband funding are also associated with increased wartime rape by rebel groups. I examine observable implications of the argument in a brief case study of the Sierra Leone civil war. The results challenge common explanations for wartime rape, with important implications for scholars and policy makers. |
| `In' analytical Note | American Political Science Review Vol.107, No.3; August 2013: p.461-477 |
| Journal Source | American Political Science Review Vol.107, No.3; August 2013: p.461-477 |
| Key Words | Social Crime ; Civil War ; Human Rights ; Cross-National Evidence ; History ; History - 1980-2009 ; Social Justice ; Decision Making ; Policy Making ; Cohesion State ; State Failures ; Wartime Rape ; Armed Groups ; Occurrence ; Substantial Variation ; Political System |