Citation

Nesterko Y, Schönenberg K, Glaesmer H. Dtsch. Arztebl. Int. 2021; 118(8): 130-131.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Deutscher Ärzte-Verlag)

DOI

10.3238/arztebl.m2021.0120

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Sexual violence in the context of war and displacement is one of the gravest human rights violations, which often causes posttraumatic disorders in those affected (1) and, as a result, remains comprehensively concealed by survivors themselves and their social environment, where the violence occurred or where they live (2). Sexual violence includes any kind of psychological or physical violence that attacks sexual characteristics or sexuality in one or more persons. Especially in regions where conflict prevails or post-conflict regions, distinction is made between rape and/or multiple perpetrator rape, sexual torture practices, genital mutilation, sexual degradation, and the threat of sexual violence (1). According to what is known today, the overwhelming majority of those affected are girls and women, but more recently, a growing number of reports has documented the existence and extent of sexual violence against men and boys in the context of war and displacement (3,4). Academic studies investigating experiences of systematic sexual violence and the possible consequences for the mental health in refugees are lacking to date...

Language: en