stopVAW -- By Topic

Several articles examine widely held prejudicial beliefs about rape, rape victims, and perpetrators and the role these myths play in justifying and perpetuating sexual violence.

The Economic Dimensions of Interpersonal Violence, Hugh Waters, et al., Department of Injuries and Violence Prevention, World Health Organization (2004).

Examines the economic effects of interpersonal violence, including sexual violence, as well as the economic effects of interventions seeking to reduce violence and the ways in which economic factors such as poverty and income inequality contribute to violence.

Report Describing Projects Designed to Prevent First-Time Male Perpetration of Sexual Violence, Monique Clinton-Sherrod et al. (23 April 2003). (PDF, 61 pages).

2002 Report of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, Cultural Practices in the Family that Are Violence Towards Women (E/CN.4/2002/83) (31 January 2002). (Available in PDF and Word, 39 pages).
The Special Rapporteur's 2002 report documents cultural practices within the family (i.e., wife burning, honor killings, foot binding, son preference) that constitute violence against women, as well as the ideologies that perpetuate and render invisible these cultural practices. Many of these ideologies—such as the connection between masculinity and violence and the regulation of female sexuality—are also those that perpetuate domestic violence. The Special Rapporteur emphasizes that states "should not invoke any custom, tradition or religious consideration to avoid their obligation to eradicate violence against women and the girl child in the family."

Taking Stock: What do we know about interpersonal violence?, Violence Research Programme (2002). (PDF, 56 pages).
Comprehensive report covering the history, prevalence, scope and laws concerning interpersonal violence, including sexual violence, in the United Kingdom.

Violence Against Women: An Obstacle to Peace, Hilkka Pietila, European Profeminist Men’s Network (1998).
This report discusses the Beijing Conference, recent research on male violence, the Inter-American Development Bank Conference on Domestic Violence in Latin American and the Caribbean, and the Expert Group Meeting, "Male Roles and Masculinities in the Perspective of a Culture of Peace, organized by UNESCO.

An in-depth discussion of theories of sexual assault is available through Explore the Issue.

Sexual Violence and Vulnerable Populations

Maze of Injustice: The Failure to Protect Indigenous Women from Sexual Violence in the USA—1 Year Update: Spring 2008, Amnesty International USA (2008). (PDF, 15 pages).

This update highlights actions that have been taken in the past year to address the problem of sexual violence against Indigenous women, including several pieces of legislation that have been passed, as well as critical changes that still need to be made.

Maze of Injustice: The Failure to Protect Indigenous Women from Sexual Violence in the USA, Amnesty International USA (2007). (PDF, 112 pages).

Through interviews with survivors, activists, service providers, prosecutors, judges, and others, as well as a review of previous reports on the subject, Amnesty International documented alarming rates of sexual violence among Indigenous women and significant barriers to justice.

Impunity: Sexual Abuse in Women’s Prisons, Kim Shayo Buchanan, Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review, Vol. 42 (2007). (PDF, 44 pages).

Describes sexual abuse of female prisoners in the United States as ubiquitous and legal remedies as wholly inadequate, and emphasizes the racial dimensions of abuses perpetrated against female prisoners, the majority of whom are African-American and/or Latina.

Violence Against Girls in Conflict with the Law, Human Rights Watch (2007).

Documents the particular vulnerability to sexual abuse and rape of girls who come into contact with police and juvenile justice systems in various countries.

The Shame of War: Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls in Conflict, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs/Integrated Regional Information Networks (OCHA/IRIN) (2007). (PDF, 139 pages).

A comprehensive study of sexual assault and abuse during armed conflict and the challenges of holding the perpetrators accountable. Includes sections on the motivations of perpetrators, violations by peacekeepers and aid workers, and the various mechanisms for seeking justice.

Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls in War and Its Aftermath: Realities, Responses, and Required Resources, Jeanne Ward and Mendy Marsh, UNFPA (2006).

This briefing paper was prepared for the Symposium on Sexual Violence in Conflict and Beyond, which took place in June 2006. It provides information on the nature and scope of the problem as well as evaluation of efforts to combat it.

Guidelines for Gender-based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Settings: Focusing on Prevention of and Response to Sexual Violence in Emergencies, Inter-Agency Standing Committee (2005). (PDF, 100 pages).

The guidelines are intended to be a tool to help humanitarian actors develop effective, coordinated approaches to the prevention of and response to sexual violence during the early stages of an emergency. The guidelines emphasize the importance of active involvement of local authorities and women and girls from the affected communities.

Lives Blown Apart Crimes Against Women in Times of Conflict Stop Violence Against Women , Amnesty International, 8 December 2004.
The report lays out the global picture revealing a systematic pattern of abuse repeating itself in conflicts all over the world from Colombia, Iraq, Sudan, Chechnya, Nepal to Afghanistan and in 30 other ongoing conflicts. Despite promises, treaties and legal mechanisms, governments have failed to protect women and girls from violence.

National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examinations for Adults/Adolescents , The U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence against Women, September 2004. (PDF, 141 pages).
The protocol contains detailed guidelines for criminal justice and health care practitioners in responding to the needs of victims of sexual assault.

In War as in Peace: Sexual Violence and Women’s Status, LaShawn Jefferson, Human Rights Watch (January 2004).

This article describes the links between sexual violence during armed conflicts and the status of women in times of peace.

Sexual Violence and Adolescents, Holly Harner, May 2003.
Discusses risk factors for and consequences of sexual violence in adolescent relationships, and emphasizes the need to tailor advocacy and counseling programs that provide services tailored to the particular needs of adolescents.

Supporting People with Disabilities: Advocacy Strategies for Legal Advocates, Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs (2003).

Designed for legal advocates working with people with disabilities who have experienced sexual assault, and intended to help make advocates aware of the multiple barriers often faced by their clients and strategies that can be used to address them.

Unspoken Crimes: Sexual Assault in Rural America, Susan H. Lewis, National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 2003.

Policy Statement: Care of the Adolescent Sexual Assault Victim, American Academy of Pediatrics, in Pediatrics, vol. 107, no. 6, 1476 (June 2001).
Outlines the effect of sexual assault on adolescents and provides recommendations for pediatricians.

Working with Victims of Crime with Disabilities, Cheryl Guidry Tyiska, National Organization for Victim Assistance, 19 April 2001.

Impact: Feature Issue on Violence Against Women with Developmental or Other Disabilities, Institute on Community Integration, vol. 13, no. 3 (Fall 2000). (PDF, 28 pages).

Abuse and Women with Disabilities, Margaret A. Nosek, & Carol A. Howland, February 1998.

People with Mental Retardation and Sexual Abuse, Leigh Ann Reynolds, October 1997.

National Study of Women with Physical Disabilities, Center for Research on Women with Disabilities, 1997.
Section VII specifically discusses the issue of sexual abuse.

Older Women: Hidden Sexual Abuse Victims, Kathleen Quinn, Illinois Department on Aging, 1997.

Further discussion of sexual assault and vulnerable populations is available through Explore the Issue.

Prevalence of Sexual Assault

Sex Workers and Sexual Assault in Australia: Prevalence, Risk and Safety, Antonia Quadara, Australian Institute of Family Studies (2008).

This paper explores the nature of scope of sexual assault perpetrated against sex workers, focusing on risk factors and conditions that maximize safety.

Estimate of the Incidence of Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault in the U.S., Adam Negrusz, Matthew Juhascik and R.E. Gaensslen, University of Illinois at Chicago (2005). (PDF, 208 pages).

Drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) occurs when a victim is given a drug by an assailant and subsequently sexually assaulted. The researchers for this report gathered data from four clinics on the self-reporting of illegal drug use by sexual assault victims as well as the actual results of drug tests included in their sexual assault kits.

Addendum 1 to the Special Rapporteur's 2003 Report, International, regional and national developments in the area of violence against women 1994-2003 (E/CN.4/2003/75/Add.1) (27 February 2003). (Available in PDF and Word, 434 pages).
Discusses developments in the Asia/Pacific region (including the countries of the former Soviet Union) at pages 165-222 and in the Eastern European region at pages 335-388. Best practices in the field of violence against women are discussed at pages 392-397.

Physical and Sexual Assault on Dating Partners by University Students in Eight Countries, Murray A. Straus et al. (5 September 2002).

First World Report on Violence and Health, World Health Organization (2002).

Bending the Bow: Targeting Women's Human Rights and Opportunities, Open Society Institute, Network Women's Program (2002). (PDF, 116 pages).

European Health Report, World Health Organization, Regional Committee for Europe (EUR/RC51/Conf.Doc./4) (19 July 2001). (PDF, 16 pages).

The Sexual Victimization of College Women, Bonnie S. Fisher et al., U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Program, National Institute of Justice (December 2000). (PDF, 47 pages).

Full Report of the Prevalence, Incidence, and Consequences of Violence Against Women, Patricia Tjaden & Nancy Thoennes, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Program, National Institute of Justice (November 2000). (PDF, 71 pages).

Women 2000: An Investigation into the Status of Women's Rights in Central and South-Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States, International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (9 November 2000).
These collected individual reports on the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union often include statistics on the prevalence of sexual violence. Sections of this report are available online by country. To retrieve the section that addresses women's rights in a particular country, highlight the name of that country in the "Countries" pull-down menu, highlight "Women" in the "Topics" pull-down menu, and enter "2000" in the field for date of publication.

Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence, Patricia Tjaden & Nancy Thoennes, U.S. Department of Justice (2000). (Available in PDF and HTML format, 71 pages).

Criminal Victimisation in Seventeen Industrialised Countries: Key findings from the 2000 International Crime Victims Survey, John van Kesteren et al., The Hague, Ministry of Justice, Research and Documentation Center (2000).

Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Data Collection Systems in the States, Dr. Stan Orchowsky & Dr. Candace Johnson, Submitted to National Institute of Justice, (September 1999). (PDF, 266 pages).
Describes the results of a study of domestic and sexual violence incident data collection systems within the United States.

1997 Report of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, Alternative Approaches and Ways and Means Within the United Nations System for Improving the Effective Enjoyment of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (E/CN.4/1997/47) (12 February 1997).

Women's Victimisation in Developing Countries, Anna Alvazzi del Frate & Angela Patrignani, United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, Issues & Reports, no. 5.
Contains statistics on the prevalence and scope of violence against women around the world.

An in-depth discussion of the prevalence of sexual assault is available through Explore the Issue.

Marital Rape

Consent and Coercion: Examining Unwanted Sex Within Marriage, K.G. Santhya, et al. (2006).

The researchers responsible for this unpublished study argue that a broadening of focus from forced sex to other forms of unwanted sex reveals a much higher rate of non-consensual sex within marriage than was previously recognized. They examine the coerced sexual experiences of young married women and girls in parts of rural India.

Marital Rape: New Research and Directions, Raquel Kennedy Bergen with contributions from Elizabeth Barnhill (February 2006).

Forced Sexual Relations among Married Young Women in Developing Countries, Deepika Ganju, et al., Population Council (June 2004). (PDF, 4 pages).

Provides an overview of the problem of young women being subjected to non-consensual sex within marriage in developing countries, including the problem’s roots in gender inequality and beliefs about men’s entitlement to sex, and makes recommendations on how to reduce young women’s vulnerability to this form of sexual violence.

Spousal Rape Laws 20 Years Later, National Center for Victims of Crime (2003).

Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls, UNICEF, Innocenti Digest, vol. 6 (2000). (PDF, 30 pages).
Contains a discussion of sexual abuse and rape in intimate relationships on page four.

Intimate Partner Sexual Abuse: An International Survey and Literature Review, Kim Slote & Carrie Cuthbert, National Violence Against Women Prevention Research Center (2000).
Describes preliminary findings of international study on the issue of intimate partner sexual abuse.

Marital Rape, Kersti Yllo, Battered Women's Justice Project.
Discusses the historical exemption of marital rape from the definition of rape in Britain and the United States, the definition and prevalence of marital rape, and strategies for responding to marital rape.

Marital Rape, Barb Kiffe, Dakota County Sexual Assault Services.

An in-depth discussion of marital rape is available through Explore the Issue.

Acquaintance Rape

Date Rape Cases Among Young Women and the Development of Good Practices for Support and Prevention—National Findings Reports for Cyprus, Greece, Malta, Lithuania, and Latvia, Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies (2008).

These reports were published as part of a project to investigate the incidence of date rape among female college students in five European countries.

Teen Dating Violence: A Review of Risk Factors and Prevention Efforts, Maura O’Keefe with contributions from Leah Aldridge (April 2005).

Perceptions of Appropriate Punishment for Committing Date Rape: Male College Students Recommend Lenient Punishments, Theodore W. McDonald and Linda M. Kline, College Student Journal (March 2004).

This study compared the responses of male and female college students to three different versions of an account of date rape and found that males selected significantly less harsh punishments for the offender.

Acquaintance Rape of College Students, Rana Sampson, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (2002). (PDF, 68 pages).

Date Rape: A Hidden Crime, Laura Russo Australian Institute of Criminology (June 2000). (PDF, 6 pages).
Discusses the definition and effects of date rape in Australia, examines law enforcement, health care and advocacy intervention strategies for responding to date rape, and describes potential prevention strategies.

Perspectives on Acquaintance Rape, David G. Curtis, American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress (1997).

Physical and Sexual Assault on Dating Partners by University Students in Eight Countries, Murray A. Straus et al. (5 September 2002).
Describes the methods and conclusions of a study conducted by researchers participating in the International Dating Violence Research Consortium.

Dating Violence, Health Canada, National Clearinghouse on Family Violence.

Eliminating Force From Campus Sexual Misconduct Policies: The Rise of The Consent Construct, Katie Koestner & Brett A. Sokolow.

An in-depth discussion of acquaintance rape is available through Explore the Issue.

Sexual Violence During Armed Conflict

Women and War, International Committee of the Red Cross, Geneva (2008).

Contains a chapter on sexual violence and discusses protections of women in international humanitarian law.

Women Building Peace and Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict-Affected Contexts: A Review of Community-Based Approaches, UNIFEM (October 2007). (PDF, 31 pages).

Through Security Council Resolution 1325, the UN committed itself and its member states to engaging women in conflict prevention and peace-building. This report examines the numerous challenges faced by women participating in these processes and recognizes the importance of both community-based efforts and broader national and international peace-building work.

The Shame of War: Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls in Conflict, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs/Integrated Regional Information Networks (OCHA/IRIN) (2007). (PDF, 139 pages).

A comprehensive study of sexual assault and abuse during armed conflict and the challenges of holding the perpetrators accountable. Includes sections on the motivations of perpetrators, violations by peacekeepers and aid workers, and the various mechanisms for seeking justice.

Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict: Global Overview and Implications for the Security Sector, Megan Bastick, Karin Grimm and Rahel Kunz, Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) (2007).

This report first provides summaries of documented instances of conflict-related sexual violence in 50 countries and then examines prevention and response strategies for security and justice actors.

Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls in War and Its Aftermath: Realities, Responses, and Required Resources, Jeanne Ward and Mendy Marsh, UNFPA (2006).

This briefing paper was prepared for the Symposium on Sexual Violence in Conflict and Beyond, which took place in June 2006. It provides information on the nature and scope of the problem as well as evaluation of efforts to combat it.

Seeking Justice: The Prosecution of Sexual Violence in the Congo War, Human Rights Watch (March 2005). (PDF, 55 pages).

Documents the efforts of women victims of sexual violence to obtain justice from the Congolese judicial system and the numerous reasons why they often failed.

Guidelines for Gender-based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Settings: Focusing on Prevention of and Response to Sexual Violence in Emergencies, Inter-Agency Standing Committee (2005). (PDF, 100 pages).

The guidelines are intended to be a tool to help humanitarian actors develop effective, coordinated approaches to the prevention of and response to sexual violence during the early stages of an emergency. The guidelines emphasize the importance of active involvement of local authorities and women and girls from the affected communities.

Lives Blown Apart Crimes Against Women in Times of Conflict Stop Violence Against Women , Amnesty International, 8 December 2004.
The report lays out the global picture revealing a systematic pattern of abuse repeating itself in conflicts all over the world from Colombia, Iraq, Sudan, Chechnya, Nepal to Afghanistan and in 30 other ongoing conflicts. Despite promises, treaties and legal mechanisms, governments have failed to protect women and girls from violence.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Mass Rape—Time for Remedies, Amnesty International, 28 October 2004.
This report describes the systematic rape and torture of women, children and men in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where over twenty groups have been fighting for control over the land and its resources. The report also documents failure of the Government of the DRC to provide effective access to adequate medical care for survivors of the violence.

Colombia: “Scarred Bodies, Hidden Crimes”: Sexual Violence Against Women in the Armed Conflict, Amnesty International, 13 October 2004.
The report is based on first-hand accounts of the women who have survived sexual violence at the hands of the various armed actors in Colombia. This report is part of the organization’s International Campaign to Stop Violence against Women, launched in March 2004.

Struggling to Survive: Barriers to Justice for Rape Victims in Rwanda, Human Rights Watch, September 2004.

Provides background on the sexual violence suffered by women and girls during and after the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and discusses obstacles to reporting, investigating and prosecuting these crimes.

In War as in Peace: Sexual Violence and Women’s Status, LaShawn Jefferson, Human Rights Watch (January 2004).

This article describes the links between sexual violence during armed conflicts and the status of women in times of peace.

Rwanda: “Marked for Death,” Rape Survivors Living with HIV/AIDS in Rwanda, Amnesty International (2004). (PDF, 38 pages).

Ten years after the genocide in Rwanda, this report urges the Rwandan government and the international community to improve access to justice and health care for survivors of mass rape, many of them living with HIV/AIDS.

Gender and Armed Conflict, Bridge (development-gender), Cutting Edge Pack Series, Institute of Development Studies (August 2003). (Available in PDF and Word formats).
Contains an Overview Report, a copy of Development and Gender: In Brief on women in armed conflict, and a report on Supporting Resources Collection that contains contact information for organizations and a discussion of key international texts, case studies, tools, and resources.

Protective Measures for Witnesses and the Rights of the Accused at the ICTY, CEELI Discussion Paper Series, Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative (15 June 2003). (PDF, 42 pages).
Describes protective measures that can be instituted to minimize the trauma that survivors of sexual assault and abuse may experience in testifying before the tribunal.

The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls: A UNFPA Strategy for Gender Mainstreaming in Areas of Conflict and Reconstruction, United Nations Population Fund, Bratislava, Slovakia (13-15 November 2002). (PDF, 149 pages).
Contains reports of working groups held at a consultative meeting in Bratislava on gender mainstreaming in situations of conflict and reconstruction, including the report of a working group on gender-based violence (page 23). Contains background papers, including a paper on sexual violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina (page 60) and a paper on the impact of armed conflict on women in Kosovo (page 77).

Gender Approaches in Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations, United Nations Development Programme (October 2002). (PDF, 32 pages).

Systematic rape, sexual slavery and slavery-like practices during armed conflicts, Report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/28) (18 July 2002). (Available in PDF and HTML, 12 pages).

Rape as a Strategy for War: The Sexual Assault of Kosovar Albanian Women in 1999, Jillian M. Weise (19 April 2002). (PDF, 20 pages).

Women, War and Peace: The Independent Experts' Assessment on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Women's Role in Peace-building, Elisabeth Rehn & Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, UNIFEM (2002).
Chapter 1: Violence Against Women discusses sexual violence against women during armed conflict. (PDF, 10 pages).

The Status of Rape as a War Crime in International Law: Changes Introduced After the Wars in the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda (abstract), Vesna Kesic, New School University (December 2001).

Review of Reports, Studies and Other Documentation for the Preparatory Committee and the World Conference, Note by the Secretary-General, transmission of Contribution by Special Rapporteur Radhika Coomaraswamy to the World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance on the subject of race, gender and violence against women (A/CONF.189/PC.3/5) (27 July 2001). (Available in PDF and Word, 64 pages).
In her report to the World Conference on Racism, the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women discusses the intersection of ethnicity and gender in times of armed conflict.

2001 Report of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, Violence Against Women Perpetrated and/or Condoned by the State During Times of Armed Conflict (E/CN.4/2001/73) (23 January 2001). (Available in PDF and Word, 45 pages).
Discusses sexual violence against women during armed conflict, including rape and sexual slavery, the specific risks faced by women who are refugees or internally displaced, and developments in international law regarding sexual violence against women during armed conflict.

Gender and Racial Discrimination: Report of the Expert Group Meeting, United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations Development Fund for Women, Zagreb, Croatia (21-24 November 2000).
This article emphasizes the way in which gender and race can be used against women to ensure subordination. It also briefly discusses how gendered and racial subordination is used during armed conflicts and female incarceration.

Contemporary Forms of Slavery: Systematic rape, sexual slavery and slavery-like practices during armed conflict, Update to the final report submitted by Ms. Gay J. McDougall, Special Rapporteur (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2000/21) (6 June 2000). (PDF, 36 pages).

Reproductive health during conflict and displacement, World Health Organization (WHO/RHR/00.13) (2000). (Available in PDF and HTML format).
Chapter 7 discusses prevention of gender-based and sexual violence. Section E, composed of Chapters 17 through 21, discusses gender-based and sexual violence during armed conflict. Chapter 18 discusses the physical, psychological and social consequences of gender-based and sexual violence and Chapters 19 through 21 provide recommendations for responses to gender-based and sexual violence.

Crimes of War: What the Public Should Know, Roy Gutman ed. (1 July 1999).
Contains chapters on Sexual Violence, Sexual Violence: Systematic Rape, and Sexual Violence: Enslavement and Forced Prostitution.

Kosovo Backgrounder: Sexual Violence as an International Crime, Human Rights Watch (10 May 1999).
Examines legal developments leading to the recognition of sexual violence as a war crime and a crime against humanity.

Sexual Violence in Eastern Europe: Legal System Response and Recommendations for the Future (excerpt), Halyna Fedkovych (1999).
Discusses the criminalization of sexual violence in Belarus, Poland, Russia, Serbia and Ukraine.

Bosnia and Hercegovina, "A Closed, Dark Place": Past and Present Human Rights Abuses in Foca, Human Rights Watch, vol. 10, no. 6 (D) (July 1998).

Contemporary Forms of Slavery: Systematic rape, sexual slavery and slavery-like practices during armed conflict, Final Report Submitted to the UN General Assembly by Gay J. McDougal, UN Special Rapporteur on Systematic Rape, Sexual Slavery and Slave-like Practices During Armed Conflict, Including Internal Armed Conflict, (E/CN.4/Sub.2/1998/13) (22 June 1998).

Sexual Violence and Armed Conflict: United Nations Response, Division for the Advancement of Women and the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (April 1998).

1998 Report of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, Alternative Approaches and Ways and Means Within the United Nations System for Improving the Effective Enjoyment of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (E/CN.4/1998/54) (26 January 1998).
Section I addresses violence against women during armed conflict and discusses country-specific cases, legal issues surrounding sexual violence, economic and social consequences of sexual violence, and recommendations for improved responses to sexual violence.

Violence Against Women in Situations of Armed Conflict and Displacement, World Health Organization (July 1997). (PDF, 4 pages).

Sexual Assault Issues Before the War Crimes Tribunal, Diane Orentlicher, in Human Rights Brief, American University, Washington College of Law, vol. 4, no. 2 (1997).

A Feminist Appraisal of the Dayton Peace Accords, Ustina Dolgopol, in Adelaide Law Review, vol. 19, 59 (1997). (Available in PDF and HTML, 7 pages).

Radical Rules: The Effects of Evidential and Procedural Rules on the Regulation of Sexual Violence in War, Fionnuala Ni Aolain, in Albany Law Review, vol. 60, 883 (1997). (Available in PDF and HTML, 23 pages).

The Need for Greater Regional Protection for the Human Rights of Women: The Cases of Rape in Bosnia and Guatemala, Scott Splittgerber, in Wisconsin International Law Journal, vol. 15, no. 1, 185 (1996). (PDF, 43 pages).

Prosecuting Rape as a War Crime: Speaking the Unspeakable, Tamara L. Tompkins, in Notre Dame Law Review, vol. 70:4, 845 (1996). (Available in PDF and HTML, 25 pages).

Beyond Bosnia and In Re Kasinga: A Feminist Perspective on Recent Developments in Protecting Women from Sexual Violence, in Boston University International Law Journal, vol. 14, 319 (1996). (Available in PDF and HTML, 22 pages).

Women and War Crimes, Rhonda Copelon, in St. John's Law Review, vol. 69, 61 (1995). (PDF, 8 pages).

Annex II: Rape and Sexual Assault: A Legal Study, Final report of the United Nations Commission of Experts established pursuant to security council resolution 780 (S/1994/674/Add.2) (Vol. I) (28 December 1994).
Considers the criteria for applying certain international humanitarian law instruments to sexual assault cases and the limitations of international criminal and humanitarian law instruments.

Rape and Sexual Abuse of Women in International Law, Christine Chinkin, in European Journal of International Law, vol. 5, no. 3 (1994).
Provides a brief introduction to rape in armed conflict and discusses the consequences of sexual assault as well as international legal responses and remedies.

Comment: Mass Rape During War: Prosecuting Bosnian Rapists Under International Law, Danise Aydelott, in Emory International Law Review, vol. 7, 585 (1993). (PDF, 47 pages).

Reproductive Health for Communities in Crisis: UNFPA Emergency Response, United Nations Population Fund (PDF, 42 pages).
Includes a chapter on sexual violence at page nineteen.

Report of the Task Force on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Humanitarian Crises, Inter-Agency Standing Committee. (PDF, 8 pages).
Describes the deliberations and analysis of the Task Force that was created by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, which is composed of members (FAO, OCHA, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP, WHO) and standing invitees (ICRC, ICVA, IFRC, InterAction, IOM, SCHR, RSG/IDPs, UNHCHR, and the World Bank). The report "outlines a number of steps that the Task Force believes must be taken by the humanitarian community towards preventing sexual exploitation and abuse and responding to survivor needs."

An in-depth discussion of sexual assault during armed conflict is available through Explore the Issue.

Sexual Violence Against Refugees

Displaced Women and Girls At Risk: Risk Factors, Protection Solutions and Resource Tools, Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children (February 2006). (PDF, 56 pages).

This report discusses the various risk factors and strategies for protection that arise in the contexts of displacement, local integration, and return and reintegration.

Lives Blown Apart Crimes Against Women in Times of Conflict Stop Violence Against Women, Amnesty International, 8 December 2004.
The report lays out the global picture revealing a systematic pattern of abuse repeating itself in conflicts all over the world from Colombia, Iraq, Sudan, Chechnya, Nepal to Afghanistan and in 30 other ongoing conflicts. Despite promises, treaties and legal mechanisms, governments have failed to protect women and girls from violence.

Guidelines for Prevention and Response: Sexual and Gender-Based Violence against Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (May 2003). (PDF, 168 pages).

If Not Now, When? Addressing Gender-based Violence in Refugee, Internally Displaced, and Post-conflict Settings, Jeanne Ward, The Reproductive Health for Refugees Consortium (April 2002). (PDF, 132 pages).
Discusses gender-based violence, particularly sexual violence, committed during armed conflict and as a strategy of war. Pages seventy-one through ninety-one discuss Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo.

Gender Approaches in Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations, United Nations Development Programme (October 2002). (PDF, 32 pages).

Women, War and Peace: The Independent Experts' Assessment on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Women's Role in Peace-building, Elisabeth Rehn & Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, UNIFEM (2002).
Chapter 2: Women Forced to Flee discusses sexual violence against displaced women and women in refugee camps. (PDF, 12 pages).

Clinical Management of Survivors of Rape: A guide to the development of protocols for use in refugee and internally displaces person situations, World Health Organization and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2002). (PDF, 58 pages).
Presents the results of discussions that took place at a conference of humanitarian organizations in 2001 on creating protocols and systems to respond to sexual violence and support community-based efforts to prevent sexual violence against refugee and internally displaced women.

Protecting Refugees: A Field Guide for NGOs, UNHCHR (May 1999). (PDF, 81 pages).
The subsection on "Protecting Refugee Women" at page fifty-three discusses some of the ways in which women may be especially vulnerable in a refugee setting.

1998 Report of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, Alternative Approaches and Ways and Means Within the United Nations System for Improving the Effective Enjoyment of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (E/CN.4/1998/54) (26 January 1998).
Section III discusses violence against refugee and internally displaced women, describes projects to protect women in refugee or displaced situations, and offers recommendations.

Sexual Violence Against Refugees: Guidelines on Prevention and Response, Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Rapporteur on violence against women, Commission on Human Rights (March 1995). (PDF, 56 pages).

Guidelines on the Protection of Refugee Women, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (July 1991). (PFD, 31 pages).

An in-depth discussion of sexual assault against refugees is available through Explore the Issue.

Custodial Sexual Assault

Impunity: Sexual Abuse in Women’s Prisons, Kim Shayo Buchanan, Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review, Vol. 42 (2007). (PDF, 44 pages).

Describes sexual abuse of female prisoners in the United States as ubiquitous and legal remedies as wholly inadequate, and emphasizes the racial dimensions of abuses perpetrated against female prisoners, the majority of whom are African-American and/or Latina.

The Prison Rape Elimination Act: Implications for Women and Girls, Andie Moss, Corrections Today, American Correctional Association (August 2007). (PDF, 4 pages).

Provides a basic introduction to the Prison Rape Elimination Act, which became law in 2003, and considers its particular application to female prisoners, whose victimization is less well understood than men’s.

Prison Rape and Sexual Coercion Behind Bars, Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, Research & Advocacy Digest Volume 7, No. 3 (May 2005). (PDF, 16 pages).

Includes an interview with the Executive Director of Stop Prisoner Rape, summaries of several research articles on the subject, and a list of additional resources.

Inmate Sexual Assault: The Plague That Persists, in The Prison Journal, vol. 80, no. 4, 407 (December 2000). (PDF, 8 pages).
Discusses the issue of sexual assault in prison in general and is not specific to the issue of custodial sexual violence against women.

Not Part of My Sentence, Amnesty International, (1999).
Focuses on sexual assault of women in prisons in the United States.

1998 Report of the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, Alternative Approaches and Ways and Means Within the United Nations System for Improving the Effective Enjoyment of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (E/CN.4/1998/54) (26 January 1998).
Section II discusses different forms of custodial violence against women, country-specific cases, prevention measures, and international standards concerning custodial violence against women.

An in-depth discussion of custodial sexual assault is available through Explore the Issue.

Abuse of Power

Educator Sexual Misconduct: A Synthesis of Existing Literature, U.S. Department of Education, Office of the Under Secretary (June 2004). (PDF, 156 pages).

A comprehensive report drawing from literature on all aspects of sexual abuse by educators, including prevalence, characteristics of offenders and their actions, the effects of abuse on students, and strategies for prevention.

Sexual Exploitation by Professionals, Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault (2004). (PDF, 2 pages).

This information sheet contains facts on sexual exploitation by professionals, including estimates of its prevalence among various types of professionals.

Beyond Victims and Villains: Addressing Sexual Violence in the Education Sector, Judith Mirsky, Panos Institute (2003). (PDF, 31 pages).

“It’s Never Ok: A Handbook for Victims and Victim Advocates on Sexual Exploitation by Counselors and Therapists,” The Public Education Work Group of the Task Force on Sexual Exploitation by Counselors and Therapists (January 2001). (PDF, 41 pages).

Sexual Abuse by Therapists, Physicians, Attorneys and Other Professionals, Pamela K. Sutherland.
Discusses the reasons behind the prohibitions on sexual contact between attorneys, therapists or other professionals and their clients.

Professional Exploitation, Advocate Web: Helping Overcome Professional Exploitation.

This website is dedicated to understanding and overcoming the harm that occurs when mental health professionals, doctors, clergy, educators, social workers, and other professionals abuse their power through sexual exploitation.

Health Consequences of Sexual Assault

Traumatic Gynecologic Fistula as a Result of Sexual Violence, The ACQUIRE Project (2006). (PDF, 2 pages).

Outlines current knowledge about traumatic gynecologic fistula, including where it occurs and the barriers to services faced by affected women, and describes the ACQUIRE Project’s efforts to address this problem.

Services for Victim/Survivors of Sexual Assault: Identifying Needs, Interventions and Provision of Services in Australia, Jill Astbury, Australian Institute of Family Studies (December 2006).

This paper provides a summary of literature on sexual assault services, focusing on the needs of victim/survivors, categories of current interventions, and recommendations for service providers.

Sexual Assault and the Body, Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, Research & Advocacy Digest, Volume 7, No. 2 (February 2005). (PDF, 16 pages).

Explores the multifaceted effects of sexual assault on the victim’s body through articles on such diverse topics as negative self image, impaired sexual function, compulsive weightlifting and dental fear.

Coerced First Intercourse and Reproductive Health Among Adolescent Women in Rakai, Uganda, Michael A. Koenig, et al., International Family Planning Perspectives 30(4) (2004). (PDF, 8 pages).

This study of several hundred sexually experienced young women in rural Uganda found that after their demographic characteristics had been accounted for, those who reported that their first sexual intercourse had been coerced were less likely to use modern contraceptives and more likely to report unintended pregnancies and genital tract symptoms.

Lives Blown Apart Crimes Against Women in Times of Conflict Stop Violence Against Women, Amnesty International, 8 December 2004.
The report lays out the global picture revealing a systematic pattern of abuse repeating itself in conflicts all over the world from Colombia, Iraq, Sudan, Chechnya, Nepal to Afghanistan and in 30 other ongoing conflicts. Despite promises, treaties and legal mechanisms, governments have failed to protect women and girls from violence.

Violence, pregnancy and abortion: Issues of women's rights and public health, Maria de Bruyn, Ipas (August 2003). (PDF, 82 pages).
Describes the sexual and reproductive health problems associated with violence against women, specifically in relation to pregnancy and abortion. Examines relevant international human rights standards and presents a health promotion framework as a strategy for response on the national and international levels.

Violence Against Women: Effects on Reproductive Health, Outlook, vol. 20, no. 1 (September 2002).

First World Report on Violence and Health, World Health Organization (2002).

European Health Report, World Health Organization, Regional Committee for Europe (EUR/RC51/Conf.Doc./4) (19 July 2001). (PDF, 16 pages).

Reproductive Health, Gender and Human Rights: A Dialogue, Elaine Murphy & Karin Ringheim eds., Women's Reproductive Health Initiative (2001). (PDF, 13 pages).

State of the World Population 2000: Lives Together, Worlds Apart: Men and Women in a Time of Change, United Nations Population Fund (2000).
Chapter 3: Ending Violence against Women and Girls discusses violence against women, including sexual violence, and the impact of violence on women's reproductive health.

Ending Violence Against Women, in Population Reports, vol. 7, no. 4 (December 1999).

The Impact of Violence Against Women on Sexual and Reproductive Health, Dr. Rachel Jewkes, Medical Research Council, Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Durban, South Africa (11 November 1999).

Gender-Based Violence: An Impediment to Sexual and Reproductive Health, Kira Jensen & Naana Otoo-Oyortey, International Planned Parenthood Federation Members' Assembly, Prague, The Czech Republic (29 November 1998).
Discusses presentations given on different strategies that have been used around the world to integrate gender-based violence concerns into sexual and reproductive healthcare services.

State of the World Population 1997: The Right to Choose: Reproductive Rights and Reproductive Health, United Nations Population Fund (1997).
Chapter 3: Sexual and Reproductive Self-Determination discusses violence against women and women's reproductive health.

Sexual Coercion and Reproductive Health, A Focus on Research, Lori Heise et al., Population Council (1995).

Sexual Violence, World Health Organization.

Impact of Violence Against Women on Their Physical Health, Terri Weaver & Heidi Resnick.

Sexual and Reproductive Rights and Health in Central and Eastern Europe, Astra Network.
Discusses the links between violence against women and women's health and reproductive rights.

Violence Against Women: A Priority Health Issue, World Health Organization.
Discusses rape and sexual assault and the health consequences of violence against women.

Violence Against Girls and Women: A Public Health Priority, United Nations Population Fund.

An in-depth discussion of the health consequences of sexual assault is available through Explore the Issue.

Community Costs of Sexual Assault

The Economic Dimensions of Interpersonal Violence, Hugh Waters, et al., Department of Injuries and Violence Prevention, World Health Organization (2004).

“Ripple Effects” of Sexual Assault, Zoe Morrison, Antonia Quadara and Cameron Boyd, Australian Institute of Family Studies (June 2007).

This paper demonstrates the wide-reaching effects of sexual assault on survivors’ families and friends, professionals working in the sexual assault field, and society as a whole.

Costs of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the United States, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (March 2003) (available in PDF and HTML, 64 pages), summarized in Billions Lost to Abuse in the U.S. Each Year, Study Finds, Family Violence Prevention Fund.

The PVS Disaster: Poverty, Violence and Substance Abuse in the Lives of Women and Children, Women's Law Project (September 2002). (PDF, 238 pages).

Testimony of NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund on the Impact of Domestic and Sexual Violence in the Workplace, Submitted to the United States Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Hearing on "Violence Against Women in the Workplace: The Extent of the Problem and What Government and Business are Doing About it" (25 July 2002). (PDF, 15 pages).

The Impact of Violence in the Lives of Working Women: Creating Solutions—Creating Change, NOW Legal Defense Fund. (PDF, 17 pages).
Discusses the ways in which domestic violence "can have dramatic and far-reaching effects on business" and recommends ways in which employers can assist women employees who are affected by domestic violence.

An in-depth discussion of the community costs of sexual assault is available through Explore the Issue.

Victim Reactions to Sexual Assault

Sexual Assault and the Body, Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, Research & Advocacy Digest, Volume 7, No. 2 (February 2005). (PDF, 16 pages).

Sexual Assault Against Females, Sue Orsillo, National Center for PTSD (2003).

Practice Guidelines: Rape and Sexual Assault, Empirical Treatments PTSD Related to Rape and Sexual Assault, Sherry A. Falsetti & Jeffery A. Berrat, National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, MUSC (2000).

Coping and Reactions: Rape Trauma Syndrome, Ann Wolbert Burgess & Lynda Lytle Holmstrom, in Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault Training Manual.

Rape Trauma Syndrome: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Queendom.

This article explores the symptoms and development course of rape trauma syndrome as well as various approaches to treatment.

An in-depth discussion of victim reactions sexual assault is available through Explore the Issue.

HIV/AIDS

Sexual Violence and HIV: A Technical Assistance Guide for Victim Service Providers, National Sexual Violence Resource Center (2008). (PDF, 24 pages).

Provides information on the prevalence of sexual violence and HIV, types of HIV testing and treatment available, benefits and risks of testing and treatment, sexual offender testing, and how service professionals can meet the needs of sexual violence victims.

Show Us the Money: Is Violence Against Women on the HIV & AIDS Funding Agenda?, Susana T. Fried, Women Won’t Wait Campaign (2007). (PDF, 81 pages).

This report analyzes the level of resources, in terms of policy, programming and funding, being devoted to the intersection of gender-based violence and the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Rwanda: “Marked for Death,” Rape Survivors Living with HIV/AIDS in Rwanda, Amnesty International (2004). (PDF, 38 pages).

“Gender Based Violence and HIV/AIDS,” Pan American Health Organization.

Women and HIV/AIDS: Confronting the Crisis, The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, 2004. (PDF, 76 pages).
The report documents the important but little known impact of the AIDS epidemic on women and girls. It also discusses HIV and violence against women.

Exploring the Association Between HIV and Violence: Young People’s Experiences with Infidelity, Violence and Forced Sex in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Heidi Lary, et al., International Family Planning Perspectives 30(4) (2004). (PDF, 7 pages).

Based on interviews with young men and women regarding their sexual relationships, the authors argue that HIV prevention efforts must take into account the infidelity, violence and coerced sex experienced by many young people in Tanzania.

First World Report on Violence and Health, World Health Organization (2002).
Chapter 4: Violence by Intimate Partners discusses the connections between HIV/AIDS, intimate partner violence and marital rape. (PDF, 36 pages).

Kazakhstan: Fanning the Flames—How Human Rights Abuses are Fueling the AIDS Epidemic in Kazakhstan, Human Rights Watch, vol. 15, no. 3(D) (June 2003).
Discusses the connections between violence against sex workers and the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Turning the Tide: CEDAW and the Gender Dimensions of the HIV/AIDS Pandemic, United Nations Development Fund for Women (2001).
Chapter 3 discusses gender-based violence and sexual exploitation.

Violence Against Women and HIV/AIDS: Setting the Research Agenda—Meeting Report, World Health Organization (23-25 October 2000). (PDF, 33 pages).

Women of the World: Laws and Policies Affecting Their Reproductive Lives—East Central Europe, Center for Reproductive Rights (2000).

Gender and HIV/AIDS: Taking Stock of research and programmes, UNAIDS (UNAIDS/99.16E) (March 1999).

Dying of Sadness: Gender, Sexual Violence and the HIV Epidemic, Peter Gordon & Kate Crehan, SEPED Conference Paper Series (1999).

Women and AIDS, UNAIDS (October 1997).

Empower Women, Halt HIV/AIDS, UNIFEM.

Factors Affecting Women's Health in Eastern and Central Europe with particular emphasis on Infectious Disease, Mental, Environmental, and Reproductive Health, Wanda Nowicka, Federation for Women and Family Planning.

An in-depth discussion