Raping Men As A War Tactic

Most men who are held prisoner in concentration camps and or as political prisoners are raped and sexually abused, yet they are often ignored.

An opinion piece in the New York Times by Lara Stemple looked at male rape and the problems we have because we don’t acknowledge it.

• The United Nations reported that out of 5,000 male concentration camp detainees held near Sarajevo during the Bosnian conflict, 80 percent acknowledged having been abused sexually. In El Salvador, 76 percent of male political prisoners told researchers they had experienced sexual torture.

The United Nations Resolution 1325 “promotes gender-sensitive training in peacekeeping, encourages hiring more women in peacekeeping roles and calls for better protection of women and girls in conflict zones,” but it makes no mention of protecting boys and men.

Stemple suggested that American government and the United Nations should amend this and any other resolutions to acknowledge male victims and help work towards stopping rape against anyone.

Obviously we need to stop looking at only women as victims and acknowledge that men can be victims too. We need to let men know it’s not their fault. Men don’t have to be strong and capable all the time and in war camp situations (and even normal life) it’s possible that they will be assaulted but it doesn’t make them any less of a man.

Contact the author here: mack@morningquickie.com