The Legacy of War Time Rape: Mapping Key Concepts and Issues

The report details the outcomes of a conference on the legacy of wartime rape, emphasizing that sexual violence in conflict is a complex societal issue affecting victims, families, and communities. It identifies significant gaps in research regarding perpetrators and the long-term life histories of victims and children born of war. The document advocates for a holistic, multidisciplinary approach to support, the development of international guidelines for the rights of victims, and increased political pressure to prosecute perpetrators.

• Wartime rape is a complex societal issue that extends beyond the immediate victims to impact their families, communities, and society at large, making it essential to understand these dynamics for sustainable post-conflict peacebuilding.
• There is a critical lack of systematic research and reliable data on wartime rape victims, children born of war, and perpetrators, which hinders the ability to estimate the problem's magnitude and evaluate humanitarian programs.
• Children born of war, regardless of the specific circumstances of their conception, frequently face similar hardships, including social marginalization, trauma, identity crises, and deprivation of basic human rights such as education.
• Victims of wartime rape and their children often face severe social stigma and exclusion; in some cultures, women are still held responsible for the crimes committed against them.
• There is a specific deficit in research concerning perpetrators, including their organizational culture and ethical codes, which is necessary to understand why sexual violence is used systematically in some conflicts but not others.
• Neuroscientific and medical research indicates that severe trauma can cause lasting physical damage to the brain, including volume shrinkage in specific regions and the desynchronization of emotional and cognitive information.
• The report recommends the creation of international guidelines to secure the rights of raped women and children born of war, noting that the interests of mothers and children may not always overlap.
• Legal protections are often lacking at the national level, and the international community must pressure local leaders to prosecute wartime rape and prevent perpetrators from ascending to leading positions in post-conflict societies.

APA

Mochmann, I. C., & Haavardsson, I. K. (2012). The Legacy of War Time Rape: Mapping Key Concepts and Issues. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/ab39e067-e8c8-4d16-a2b6-853fb2b54b2c/Legacy-of-War-Time-Rape-PRIO-Paper-2012.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Mochmann, Ingvill C., and Ingeborg K. Haavardsson. The Legacy of War Time Rape: Mapping Key Concepts and Issues. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2012. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/ab39e067-e8c8-4d16-a2b6-853fb2b54b2c/Legacy-of-War-Time-Rape-PRIO-Paper-2012.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mochmann |first1=Ingvill C. |last2=Haavardsson |first2=Ingeborg K. |title=The Legacy of War Time Rape: Mapping Key Concepts and Issues |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=February 2012 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/ab39e067-e8c8-4d16-a2b6-853fb2b54b2c/Legacy-of-War-Time-Rape-PRIO-Paper-2012.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mochmann2012legacy, author = {Mochmann, Ingvill C. and Haavardsson, Ingeborg K.}, title = {{The Legacy of War Time Rape: Mapping Key Concepts and Issues}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2012}, month = feb, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/ab39e067-e8c8-4d16-a2b6-853fb2b54b2c/Legacy-of-War-Time-Rape-PRIO-Paper-2012.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }