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An intergenerational perspective on conflict-related sexual violence against women: femal survivors and their children born of war rape
Abstract
This chapter investigatesmothers who are survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and their children born of war rape (CBOWR), and discusses the specifics of their mother-child relationships from a psychological and intergenerational perspective. The theoretically derived assumptions about the psychological burden of the mothers that results from experiences of CRSV and its impact on parenting and mother-child attachment, as well as the findings on CBOWR, are illustrated with two case reports from Post-WWII-Germany and the Bosnian War of the 1990s. The cases delineate complex and individual courses of relations between CBOWR and their mothers – ranging from emotional unavailability, suicide attempts, and punitive behaviour towards the child, to positive relationships whereby the mother has a sense of solidarity with her child – highlighting the fact that relationships between mothers who are survivors of CRSV and their CBOWR are diverse. The patterns of how mothers dealt with the specific challenges of balancing their child’s right to live and their own right of self-determination, as well as difficulties they faced establishing mother-child relationships should inform preventive and supportive measures for women who are survivors of CRSV and who give birth to a CBOWR.
... CBOWR is a subcategory of children born of war (CBOW), and according to researchers studying the intergenerational impact of sexual violence against women in conflict zones, it needs special consideration. While both categories of children face stigmatization and rejection (Carpenter 2007(Carpenter , 2010Lee 2017;Lee, Glaesmer, and Stelzl-Marx 2021;Lee and Mochmann 2015;Satjukow and Gries 2015;Stelzl-Marx and Satjukow 2015), CBOWR face additional challenges given their violent conception (Glaesmer 2015;Roupetz, Delic, and Glaesmer 2021;Schwartz 2020). In the words of Virginia M. Bouvier: "There is a tremendous knowledge gap surrounding the issue of children born of conflict-related sexual violence, and even less public policy to address the needs of these children" (Bouvier 2016, 8). ...
... CBOWR can be subjected to infanticide, abandonment, institutionalization, maternal neglect, or adoption. Like their mothers, they can be rejected by their communities, their sense of belonging may be questioned, and their well-being compromised (Lee 2017;Mochmann 2017;Roupetz, Delic, and Glaesmer 2021). In her exploration of Drakulić's S.: A Novel About the Balkans, Hashamova asserts that mothers who raise such children are trapped in a situation of impossible motherhood. ...
... Throughout her unwanted pregnancy, S. is also unable to separate her child's existence and identity from the violence that had led to its conception. Psychologists described this reaction to CBOWR as the identification of the child with the perpetrator of the violent act, which leads to a reliving of the trauma and, ultimately, rejection of the childsomething S., unlike Safa, eventually overcame (Roupetz, Delic, and Glaesmer 2021). Damon grew up in London and became an anti-war activist (N1 Sarajevo 2018). ...
Drawing from two published literary narratives, the German wartime diary by Anonymous, A Woman in Berlin, and the novel based on women’s testimonies of war rape and unwanted pregnancies in Bosnia by Slavenka Drakulić, S.: A Novel About the Balkans, in addition to published testimonies and unpublished interview data by now young adult (in the case of Bosnia) and elderly (in the case of Germany) children born of war rape (CBOWR), this article examines the intergenerational impact of wartime sexual violence. Applying feminist narrative analysis, the authors demonstrate the situation of “impossible motherhood” and experiences of children who were not supposed to be born. The article focuses on the narrative process marked by trauma but also by agency and resilience so as to challenge dominant stories of war and unwanted pregnancy following rape in armed conflict. The authors propose a resolution of tensions around the ethnic identity of CBOWR along their maternal lineage rather than the imposition of the paternal heritage of the enemy.
... Following prior research, our findings show that disruptions in family patterns, increased levels of poverty and the breakdown of community structures during conflict, political instability, and natural disasters inform women's/girls' vulnerability to conceiving PKFC. In line with case studies on post-WWII-Germany and the Bosnian War of the 1990s that delineate the complex intergenerational consequences of sexual violence (Roupetz et al., 2021), our research shows that the psychological burden of mothers that results from giving birth to a child through volatile social and environmental circumstances impacts parenting attitudes and acceptance of the CBOW by their clan and kinship groups. As a result of their perceived illegitimate conception and unconventional family life, some mothers and PKFC face prejudice and rejection from maternal families. ...
In the last two decades, academic research has made significant progress exploring the life courses of so-called “children born of war” (CBOW). Similarly, the unintended consequences of peacekeeping operations, including the experiences of victims of sexual exploitation and abuse, and children born of these interactions, have received preliminary academic attention. This paper compares peacekeeper-fathered children (PKFC) to other CBOW to determine how these two groups relate to one another. We draw on research conducted in two peacekeeping contexts where personnel have been accused of fathering and abandoning children (Haiti and the Democratic Republic of Congo) to empirically situate PKFC within the category of CBOW. We introduce 5,388 micro-narratives from Haitian and Congolese community members (Haiti n = 2,541, DRC = 2,858) and 113 qualitative interviews with mothers/grandmothers of PKFC (Haiti n = 18, DRC n = 60) and PKFC (DRC n = 35) to investigate how PKFC fit in the CBOW paradigm. Our findings demonstrate that many of the multi-level adversities faced by PKFC resemble those of the broader reference group. Given their shared developmental needs and experiences of exclusion, we conclude that PKFC constitute CBOW and ought to be included in conceptualisations pertaining to them. Acknowledging PKFC as CBOW offers new opportunities for policy development to (a) enhance protection and support of all CBOW and (b) remind states of their commitments to uphold the rights of all children.
Abstract
Objective: Research on the impact study participation has on participants has shown that, even though they may find it stressful during participation, overall, they appear to benefit personally and emerge with a positive cost-benefit-balance. In 2013, the first psychological study on German occupation children (GOC), a potentially vulnerable and hidden study population, was conducted, after which respondents shared a high volume of positive feedback. In the context of a follow-up survey, the impact of study participation on participants was investigated to determine the causes of this distinctly positive outcome.
Methods: Mixed-methods paper-pencil survey including the standardized Reactions to Research Participation Questionnaire (RRPQ) as well as open-ended questions on expectations towards participation, and changes due to participation in dealing with GOC background and in personal life. Analyses included N=65 participants (mean age 68.92, 40% men) and were carried out with descriptive measures for RRPQ and inductive content analysis for open-ended questions.
Results: Participants specified six motives for participation besides answering the standardized form; 46.2% (n=30) saw their expectations met. Although participation was related to negative emotions during participation, participants’ overall experience was positive; 89.2% (n=58) stated an inclination to participate again. 52.3% (n=34) reported participation had helped develop new ways of dealing with their GOC experiences; five contributing factors were observed. Changes in private life were reported by 24.6% (n=16); three aspects were identified. The vast majority (81.5%; n=53) stated, following participation, they were able to disclose their GOC background to others. Participants placed emphasis on four aspects of this experience.
Conclusion: Although study participation was described as emotionally challenging during participation, participants felt that the overall impact it had on them was positive. The study was the first of its kind and thus presented an opportunity for a previously hidden population to step out of the dark, simultaneously gaining insight that helped them better understand themselves as GOC, and thereby increase their capacity for self-acceptance. Participants also benefitted from learning about the study’s findings and connecting with other GOC through activities that ensued. In conclusion, results suggest that vulnerable and/or hidden populations benefit from specific attention to their lived experiences even at higher age.
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