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INTRODUCTION
1.1 Abuse during wars , conflict and migration
Every year thousands of people cross national borders in the hope of escaping persecution and abuse , war , oppression , general insecurity or hopeless living conditions . Most wish to establish a new life in a safe environment that offers protection and better conditions .
In the last few years , the number of people on the move has risen to record levels . The UN High Commissioner for Refugees ( UNHCR ) estimates that globally over eighty million people are displaced or migrants . 2 This figure includes both those who have crossed national borders and those who are displaced within their country . Of refugees , 41 % are children under 18 ; 3 nearly the same proportion of adult refugees ( over 18 years of age ) are female ( 29 %) as male ( 30 %).
Many people die during their journey , particularly if they take boats across the Pacific or the Mediterranean or have to travel long distances through deserts or difficult terrain . In addition , migrants are at risk from people who exploit their lack of power and economic and personal vulnerability . Many migrants are sexually abused and trafficked , and very few have access to protection , help or support . On arrival , as a result , many migrants have experienced severe stress before or during their journey .
To claim asylum as a refugee , migrants must be able to prove that they will be in danger if they return to their home country . They may also be required to describe the abuses they have experienced . Some but by no means all will have documents ( from their home countries or from voluntary organisations they have met during their journey ) that confirm the human rights violations they report .
Those who seek asylum will include people who have been exposed to various forms of abuse , including sexual violence , sexual exploitation , torture , human trafficking , slavery-like situations , and extreme humiliation . The incidents in question may have occurred before they fled their country or during their journey .
Non-migrants are exposed to sexual violence too , including trafficking and abuse . This manual focuses particularly on violence that occurs in war , conflict or in the context of migration , but it can be relevant to people who work with survivors in other contexts .
Sexual violence has always been a particular problem in war , where it is frequently used as a weapon . Women are the main targets of this form of violence . 4 Not until the 1990s , however , did the international community address seriously the issue of sexual abuse of women during armed conflict . 5 Since then , important initiatives , including security resolutions in the UN and other national and international measures , have been taken to prevent and deter it .
Less work has drawn attention to sexual abuse of boys and men , although it clearly occurs on a significant scale .
This manual begins to address that deficit . We want to strengthen awareness and understanding of sexual violence and abuse against boys and men in war , conflict and during migration , and its consequences for individuals and society . In addition , we want to describe what can be done to support people who have been exposed to such violence . The main theme of the manual is therefore sexual violence against boys and men , with a particular focus on its occurrence during armed conflict and in the context of migration .