The Distribution and Consequences of Sexual Misconduct Perpetrated by Peacekeepers in Haiti: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Analysis

Luissa Vahedi, Heather Stuart, Stéphanie Etienne, Sabine Lee and Susan A Bartels
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Luissa Vahedi: Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
Heather Stuart: Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
Stéphanie Etienne: Komisyon Fanm Viktim pou Viktim (FOFAVIV), Port au Prince, Haiti
Sabine Lee: Department of History, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Susan A Bartels: Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada

Social Sciences, 2021, vol. 10, issue 7, 1-33

Abstract: During the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), reports of sexual abuse and exploitation and children fathered by peacekeepers were brought forward to the UN. In 2017, a cross-sectional mixed-methods survey was administered by Haitian research assistants using SenseMaker ® (Cognitive Edge, Singapore), a rapid data collection tool that allows participants to share a narrative on a topic of interest. In total, 2541 self-interpreted narratives in relation to the experiences of Haitian women and girls vis-à-vis peacekeepers were collected from a convenience sample of Haitian males and females across Haiti. This exploratory secondary data analysis analyzes whether narratives about sexual misconduct perpetrated by MINUSTAH peacekeepers were associated with rural, semi-urban, or urban locations and investigates the relationship between sharing narratives about sexual misconduct and the desire to engage with the UN/MINUSTAH. After adjustment, narratives addressing sexual misconduct were more likely to be shared in rural locations, compared to urban locations (RR rural : 1.19; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.38). Personal experiences of sexual misconduct were more likely (RR sex : 4.52; 95% CI: 3.34, 6.12) to be associated with rejection of the UN/MINUSTAH, compared to personal narratives of positive/neutral experiences. This research is an empirical steppingstone to understanding the distribution and consequences of peacekeeper-perpetrated sexual abuse and exploitation in Haiti.

Keywords: Haiti; United Nations; peacekeeping; sexual violence; social epidemiology; sexual abuse; exploitation reporting (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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