Rebel Leader Ascension and Wartime Sexual Violence

A number of explanations have been advanced for why soldiers commit acts of sexual violence in wartime, yet we have little understanding of why some rebels refrain from sexual violence. We examine the systematic absence of sexual violence by certain rebel groups, using original data on rebel leader selection practices coupled with data on sexual violence from the Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict project. We find strong quantitative support for our claim that leader selection processes hold significant consequences for engagement in sexual violence: rebels who choose leaders via an electoral process are less likely to engage in sexual violence in wartime. Moreover, we find that the degree of electoral inclusiveness significantly affects whether rebels commit sexual violence. Rebel groups that hold elections with civilian participation are significantly less likely to use sexual violence than groups whose leader elections occur only among group members or top-level rebel officials.