Perpetrators of conflict-related sexual violence

The paper argues that the armed organization to which a person belongs is the most powerful predictor of whether they become a perpetrator of conflict-related sexual violence. Using datasets like SVAC and ACLED, it finds that while state forces have historically been more frequent perpetrators, there is a recent trend of increasing reports involving rebel groups. The author identifies key organizational risk factors, such as forced recruitment and child soldiering, which use sexual violence as a socialization tool for group cohesion. Conversely, restraint is linked to strong internal governance, such as electoral leader selection and ideological norms. The paper suggests that policy interventions should target organizational structures and use risk factors as early warning indicators rather than focusing solely on individual perpetrators.

• The most significant predictor of whether an individual becomes a perpetrator of conflict-related sexual violence is the specific armed organization they belong to and the group dynamics within that organization, rather than individual motivations alone.
• Data from the SVAC dataset indicates that while state forces were more commonly reported as perpetrators historically, there has been a trend toward parity and a recent increase in the frequency of rebel groups reported as perpetrators, with rebel group observations exceeding state forces in 2022 and 2023.
• Widespread sexual violence is not a universal feature of all armed groups; only a minority engage in it, and it is often an organizational practice rather than a centralized, deliberate strategy.
• Forced recruitment and the use of child soldiers are strong predictors of sexual violence, as gang rape is often used as a socialization mechanism to create social cohesion among reluctant recruits or to prevent child soldiers from deserting through the creation of shame.
• Ideology can either drive or restrain sexual violence; for example, the Islamic State used ideologically motivated policies to authorize sexual slavery of Yazidis, whereas leftist groups with strong political education institutions often prevent widespread sexual violence.
• Specific governance procedures, particularly the use of electoral processes for selecting leaders, are associated with lower levels of sexual violence as they encourage long-term group stability and internal constraints on commanders.
• Sexual violence may be used strategically to achieve battlefield goals, such as ethnic cleansing, genocide (e.g., in Rwanda, the former Yugoslavia, and Bangladesh), or to gain negotiation leverage ahead of peace settlements.

APA

Nordås, R. (2026). Perpetrators of conflict-related sexual violence. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/291abfd7-ef87-45cd-89fc-f66bc663645d/MPI Paper 11_Nordas_Final.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Nordås, Ragnhild. Perpetrators of conflict-related sexual violence. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2026. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/291abfd7-ef87-45cd-89fc-f66bc663645d/MPI Paper 11_Nordas_Final.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Nordås |first1=Ragnhild |title=Perpetrators of conflict-related sexual violence |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=June 2026 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/291abfd7-ef87-45cd-89fc-f66bc663645d/MPI Paper 11_Nordas_Final.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{nords2026perpetrators, author = {Nordås, Ragnhild}, title = {{Perpetrators of conflict-related sexual violence}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2026}, month = jun, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/291abfd7-ef87-45cd-89fc-f66bc663645d/MPI Paper 11_Nordas_Final.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }