Correlates of Sexual Violence in Protest Spaces

The study finds that sexual violence in Tahrir Square was more likely to occur during large, static protests and less likely during transient demonstrations. The author identifies a shift from single-perpetrator to multiple-perpetrator assaults, specifically the 'circle of hell' phenomenon, suggesting a learned behavioral pattern or strategy. While the study found no statistically significant link between the specific political aim of a protest (anti-regime or anti-military) and the occurrence of sexual violence in the main model, it highlights the historical use of sexual violence as a tool of repression by the Egyptian state.

• Protest size is a significant predictor of sexual violence, with larger crowds increasing the likelihood of assaults due to anonymity and a violent crowd mentality.
• The type of protest tactic influences the risk of sexual violence; specifically, transient demonstrations are associated with a lower likelihood of assaults compared to static protests.
• There was a temporal shift in the nature of assaults, where single-perpetrator violence decreased and multiple-perpetrator violence, such as the 'circle of hell,' increased over time.
• Sexual violence in Tahrir Square exhibited spatial clustering, with a high concentration of assaults occurring in the South-East corner of the square near fast-food restaurants.
• The study found no statistically significant relationship between the specific political target of the protest (Mubarak, the Muslim Brotherhood, or SCAF) and the occurrence of sexual violence in the primary mixed-effects model.
• The presence of women at protests did not have a statistically significant effect on the occurrence of sexual violence, although the direction of the relationship suggested a possible mitigating effect.
• Historically, the Mubarak regime weaponized sexual violence and gender tropes to delegitimize political opposition and control dissenting bodies.

APA

Gilbert, S. (2021). Correlates of Sexual Violence in Protest Spaces. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a6ffdccb-3f30-4fc5-80ee-04f313c0566b/Correlates of Sexual Violence in Protest Spaces Evidence from the Egyptian Revolution.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Gilbert, Sofie. Correlates of Sexual Violence in Protest Spaces. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2021. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a6ffdccb-3f30-4fc5-80ee-04f313c0566b/Correlates of Sexual Violence in Protest Spaces Evidence from the Egyptian Revolution.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gilbert |first1=Sofie |title=Correlates of Sexual Violence in Protest Spaces |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2021 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a6ffdccb-3f30-4fc5-80ee-04f313c0566b/Correlates of Sexual Violence in Protest Spaces Evidence from the Egyptian Revolution.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gilbert2021correlates, author = {Gilbert, Sofie}, title = {{Correlates of Sexual Violence in Protest Spaces}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2021}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/a6ffdccb-3f30-4fc5-80ee-04f313c0566b/Correlates of Sexual Violence in Protest Spaces Evidence from the Egyptian Revolution.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }