Sexual violence in the shadows: Private military contractors and the perpetration of sexual violence

Baylee Harrell

International Interactions, 2025, vol. 51, issue 1, 58-91

Abstract: How do private military contractors (PMCs) influence the perpetration of sexual violence? In providing the first empirical assessment of PMCs’ impact on conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), I argue that, contrary to popular belief, PMC presence is negatively associated with the level of CRSV during armed conflict. Both states and PMCs have incentives to respect human rights. States prefer to avoid international condemnation while PMCs aim to be rehired. Association with human rights abuses damages both parties, leading each party to monitor the other to ensure good behavior. Furthermore, the global conflicts of the last 20 years have changed the face of warfare, producing professionalized warfighters and contractors. This raises the standards for PMCs, and results in more professionalism, especially in American contractors. Using the Private Military Contractors and Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict datasets from 1990 to 2008, I find PMC employment by state militaries is negatively associated with state-perpetrated CRSV. Additionally, both American contractors and contractors in general, employed in the Global War on Terror period are associated with lower levels of CRSV.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/03050629.2025.2450320

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