Araştırma Makalesi

Sexual Violence During the Kosovo War (1998–1999): Strategy, Trauma, and Long-Term Societal Consequences

Cilt: 13 Sayı: 4 23 Temmuz 2026
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Sexual Violence During the Kosovo War (1998–1999): Strategy, Trauma, and Long-Term Societal Consequences

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This article examines the strategic use of sexual violence by Serbian forces against ethnic Albanians during the Kosovo War (1998–1999) and its long-term consequences for survivors and society more than two decades later. Sexual violence functioned as a weapon of war aimed at disrupting the social fabric of ethnic Albanian society through the systematic targeting of men, women, and children. Drawing on survivor testimonies, legal documents, and secondary sources, the study explores the psychological trauma, social stigmatization, and barriers to reintegration experienced by survivors, highlighting how these factors continue to affect post-war recovery, reconciliation, and social cohesion in Kosovo. A comparative perspective with Rwanda and Bosnia is used to situate the Kosovo case within broader patterns of war-related sexual violence and its intergenerational effects. Documentary analysis was selected because the subject concerns historical events that cannot be directly observed and because survivor testimonies, legal documentation, and institutional reports constitute the principal available sources of evidence. Primary materials include survivor testimonies from human rights organisations and legal records from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Findings indicate the need for comprehensive support systems, stronger legal accountability, and societal transformation to address ongoing trauma and facilitate healing. The study argues that sexual violence in Kosovo was not incidental but a deliberate strategy of warfare aimed at terrorizing the ethnic Albanian population and undermining social structures in line with broader ethnic cleansing objectives. More than two decades after the war, survivors continue to face psychological distress, social exclusion, and economic hardship, with growing evidence of intergenerational transmission of trauma.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Kaynakça

  1. Allen, B. (1996). Rape warfare: The hidden genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia. University of Minnesota Press.
  2. Amnesty International. (2000). Kosovo (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia): The challenge to fix a system that fails victims of torture.
  3. Askin, K. D. (1997). War crimes against women: Prosecution in international war crimes tribunals. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers.
  4. Askin, K. D. (2003). Prosecuting wartime rape and other gender-related crimes under international law: Extraordinary advances, enduring obstacles. Berkeley Journal of International Law, 21(2), 288–349. Brownmiller, S. (1975). Against our will: Men, women and rape. Simon & Schuster.
  5. Card, C. (1996). Rape as a weapon of war. Hypatia, 11(4), 5–18. Clark, J. N. (2014). International trials and reconciliation: Assessing the impact of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Routledge.
  6. Danieli, Y. (1998). International handbook of multigenerational legacies of trauma. Plenum Press.
  7. Dukagjini. (2025, July 23). Më dhunuan me rend tre policët serbë – E mbijetuara e dhunës seksuale rrëfen tmerrin gjatë luftës. https://www.dukagjini.com/me-dhunuan-me-rend-tre-policet-serbe-e-mbijetua-ra-e-dhunes-seksuale-rrefen-tmerrin-gjate-luftes/
  8. Dukagjini. (2025, July 29). U dhunova në xhami – E mbijetuara e dhunës seksuale tregon tmerrin që përjetoi. https://www.dukagjini.com/u-dhunova-ne-xhami-e-mbijetua-ra-e-dhunes-seksuale-tregon-tmerrin-qe-perjetoi/

Ayrıntılar

Birincil Dil

İngilizce

Konular

Yakınçağ Tarihi (Diğer)

Bölüm

Araştırma Makalesi

Yayımlanma Tarihi

23 Temmuz 2026

Gönderilme Tarihi

17 Nisan 2026

Kabul Tarihi

23 Temmuz 2026

Yayımlandığı Sayı

Yıl 2026 Cilt: 13 Sayı: 4

Kaynak Göster

APA
Zhitia, S. (2026). Sexual Violence During the Kosovo War (1998–1999): Strategy, Trauma, and Long-Term Societal Consequences. Akademik Tarih ve Düşünce Dergisi, 13(4), 1-20. https://izlik.org/JA36FT53NW
AMA
1.Zhitia S. Sexual Violence During the Kosovo War (1998–1999): Strategy, Trauma, and Long-Term Societal Consequences. ATDD. 2026;13(4):1-20. https://izlik.org/JA36FT53NW
Chicago
Zhitia, Skender. 2026. “Sexual Violence During the Kosovo War (1998–1999): Strategy, Trauma, and Long-Term Societal Consequences”. Akademik Tarih ve Düşünce Dergisi 13 (4): 1-20. https://izlik.org/JA36FT53NW.
EndNote
Zhitia S (01 Temmuz 2026) Sexual Violence During the Kosovo War (1998–1999): Strategy, Trauma, and Long-Term Societal Consequences. Akademik Tarih ve Düşünce Dergisi 13 4 1–20.
IEEE
[1]S. Zhitia, “Sexual Violence During the Kosovo War (1998–1999): Strategy, Trauma, and Long-Term Societal Consequences”, ATDD, c. 13, sy 4, ss. 1–20, Tem. 2026, [çevrimiçi]. Erişim adresi: https://izlik.org/JA36FT53NW
ISNAD
Zhitia, Skender. “Sexual Violence During the Kosovo War (1998–1999): Strategy, Trauma, and Long-Term Societal Consequences”. Akademik Tarih ve Düşünce Dergisi 13/4 (01 Temmuz 2026): 1-20. https://izlik.org/JA36FT53NW.
JAMA
1.Zhitia S. Sexual Violence During the Kosovo War (1998–1999): Strategy, Trauma, and Long-Term Societal Consequences. ATDD. 2026;13:1–20.
MLA
Zhitia, Skender. “Sexual Violence During the Kosovo War (1998–1999): Strategy, Trauma, and Long-Term Societal Consequences”. Akademik Tarih ve Düşünce Dergisi, c. 13, sy 4, Temmuz 2026, ss. 1-20, https://izlik.org/JA36FT53NW.
Vancouver
1.Skender Zhitia. Sexual Violence During the Kosovo War (1998–1999): Strategy, Trauma, and Long-Term Societal Consequences. ATDD [Internet]. 01 Temmuz 2026;13(4):1-20. Erişim adresi: https://izlik.org/JA36FT53NW

 

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