Fracturing the Collective Conscience: Sexual Violence in the Presence of others in Conflict

Why do police, state militaries, paramilitaries and non-state armed actors across the globe instrumentalize sexual violence in the presence of others in conflict(SVPO)? This paper examines the use of sexual violence intentionally committed in the presence of others or in the close proximity of an involuntary audience as a tactical weapon in conflict. Through an examination of conflicts in dissimilar regions and with varying racial and ethnic contexts, this paper explores sexual violence committed in the presence of family members and community associates in conflict zones. Drawing on a collection of interviews from victims in Indonesia, Ukraine, Colombia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I explore the connection between the desire to fragment collective consciousnesses and the dissuasion of dissent through sexual assault-based public shaming.