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Date: April 23, 2024 Tue
Time: 9:38 pm
haiti
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haiti
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118 total results foundAuthor: Pierre, Yves-Francois Title: Lost Childhoods in Haiti: Quantifying Child Trafficking, Restaveks, and Victims of Violence Summary: This report presents the findings of a survey on human rights violations, with an emphasis on child trafficking, abuse, and violence in Haiti. Details: Port-au-Prince, Haiti: U.S. Agency for International Development/Haiti Mission: Washington, DC: Pan American Development Foundation, 2009. 77p. Source: Year: 2009 Country: Haiti Keywords: Child Abuse Shelf Number: 117590 |
Author: Smucker, Glenn R. Title: The Uses of Children: A Study of Trafficking in Haitian Chidlren Summary: This study documents a series of insidious forms of child abuse affecting Haitian children in their own country and in the neighboring Dominican Republic. It presents evidence of trafficking within Haiti and across the border. Details: Port-au-Prince, Haiti: USAID/Haiti Mission, 2004. 166p. Source: Year: 2004 Country: Haiti Keywords: Child Labor Shelf Number: 111165 |
Author: Prest, Stewart Title: Upheaval in Haiti: The Criminal Threat to Canada: A Backgrund Study Summary: This report attempts to ascertain the current extent of any criminal Haitian-Canadian nexus, evaluate its likely evolution, and assess its probable impact on Canada, with a particular emphasis on the Montreal region. Details: Ottawa: Carleton University, 2005. 32p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2005 Country: Haiti Keywords: Corruption (Haiti) Shelf Number: 119233 |
Author: International Crisis Group Title: Reforming Haiti's Security Sector Summary: Operations led by the UN peacekeeping mission (MINUSTAH) largely disbanded armed gangs in the slums of Haiti's cities, but progress has been undermined by persisting crime, political instability and natural disasters. Reforming Haiti's Security Sector , the latest report from the International Crisis Group, examines the difficulties in strengthening the justice sector and establishing an operational and sufficiently staffed police force - two crucial elements for the country's future stability and development. Making decisive and swift headway with security sector reform (SSR) is a vital part of any durable solution to Haiti's political and economic, as well as security problems", says Bernice Robertson, Crisis Group's Haiti Senior Analyst. "The process to create a 14,000-strong Haitian National Police (HNP) by 2011 must be speeded up". The fall of Prime Minister Jacques-Adouard Alexis during last April's protests, the drawn-out negotiations between President Rena Preval and parliament over his successor and new Prime Minister Michele Pierre-Louis' political difficulties have put Haiti's fragile governance once again under severe strain. Drug traffickers, organised criminals and corrupt politicians have mobilised the population for their own benefit and a procession of hurricanes in August and September has caused enormous damage to Haiti's physical infrastructure. HNP vetting needs to be concluded, the number of police cadets has to be increased and officers should receive further training in specific skills, including anti-kidnapping, riot control, counter-drug, border control, forensics and intelligence gathering and analysis. Special crime chambers ought to be created to try serious offenders, and the inhumane prison conditions have to be improved quickly. MINUSTAH should maintain its present military component but increase the number of international police, and deploy UN civil affairs and police personnel with special experience in border control to assist HNP units along the frontier with the Dominican Republic. "Haiti urgently needs a professional HNP as a prerequisite and bulwark if the new government is to move the country, with MINUSTAH and donor help, toward stability", says Markus Schultze-Kraft, Crisis Group's Latin America Program Director. "But it also needs a justice system capable of upholding the rule of law and programs that provide swift, visible relief to families enduring extremely harsh living conditions and natural disasters". Details: Brussels, Belgium: International Crisis Group, 2008. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: Latin America/Caribbean Report No. 28: Accessed August 30, 2010 at: http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/latin-america/haiti/28_reforming_haiti_s_security_sector.ashx Year: 2008 Country: Haiti Keywords: Drug Trafficking Shelf Number: 119709 |
Author: International Crisis Group Title: Haiti: Prison Reform and the Rule of Law Summary: Haiti's overcrowded, understaffed and insecure prisons are powder kegs awaiting a spark. Any explosion of violence or mass prisoner escape could undermine recent steps by the government and UN peacekeepers (MINUSTAH) to combat urban gangs and organised crime. The immediate needs are to ensure that the most dangerous prisoners, including newly arrested kidnap suspects, are held in maximum security cells; there are more guards to protect and ensure minimum care for prisoners; and a fast-track government/donor-financed plan to build more secure prisons begins. As President Rene Preval's government nears the end of its first year, failure to respond with greater urgency and resources to the prison crisis not only would complicate police and justice reform but could add to national insecurity. Details: Port-au-Prince/Brussels: International Crisis Group, 2007. 11p. Source: Internet Resource: Latin America/Caribbean Briefing No. 15: Accessed September 2, 2010 at: http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/latin-america/haiti/b15_haiti_prison_reform_and_the_rule_of_law.ashx Year: 2007 Country: Haiti Keywords: Prison Overcrowding Shelf Number: 119729 |
Author: International Crisis Group Title: Haiti: Justice Reform and the Security Crisis Summary: Violent and organised crime threatens to overwhelm Haiti. The justice system is weak and dysfunctional, no match for the rising wave of kidnappings, drug and human trafficking, assaults and rapes. If the efforts of the last three years to establish the rule of law and a stable democracy are to bear fruit urgent action is needed. Above all the Haitian government must demonstrate genuine political will to master the problem. But the international community also has a major support role. The immediate need is to establish, staff and equip two special courts, one a domestic criminal chamber to handle major crimes, the other a hybrid Haitian/international tribunal to deal with cases of transnational, organised crime that the country can not tackle on its own. Crime has surged in Haiti since courthouses and prisons were looted in the lead-up to former President Aristide's departure in 2004. Judicial incompetence and corruption are widespread, partly due to inadequate pay, infrastructure and logistical support. The legal code is antiquated, judges are not independent, case management is poor and indigent defendants rarely have counsel. The state cannot guarantee security for its citizens or rights for defendants and the court system is virtually incapable of conducting trials. The results of this include prolonged pre-trial detention, lack of due process and a near total absence of public confidence in the criminal justice system. Since 2004 donors have begun again to assist with justice reform in Haiti, having largely ceased assistance in 2000. Haiti's ministry of justice has approved a comprehensive plan for better coordination of Haitian and international justice reform activities. If the reforms are to become reality, the government must demonstrate new political will, donors must provide support and financial resources must match ambitions. Details: Port-au-Prince/Brussels: International Crisis Group, 2007. 15p. Source: Internet Resource: Latin America/Caribbean Briefing No. 14 Year: 2007 Country: Haiti Keywords: Criminal Justice Administration, Reform of Shelf Number: 119730 |
Author: Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti Title: Our Bodies Are Still Trembling: Haitian Women's Fight Against Rape Summary: This report focuses exclusively on the crisis of rape and other violence against Haitian women and girls. The report describes the prevalence of rape in displacement camps, and the failure of the Haitian government, the United Nations, and other members of the international community to mount an effective response. The report also gives voice to the many grassroots women leaders who are fighting for their right to live free from violence. Details: Boston: Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti, 2010. 43p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 2, 2010 at: http://ijdh.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Haiti-GBV-Report-Final-Compressed.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Haiti Keywords: Rape (Haiti) Shelf Number: 119731 |
Author: Dziedzic, Michael Title: Haiti: Confronting the Gangs of Port-au-Prince Summary: Although ostensibly criminal in nature, the gangs of Port-au-Prince were an inherently political phenomenon. Powerful elites from across the political spectrum exploited gangs as instruments of political warfare, providing them with arms, funding, and protection from arrest. Beginning in 2006 and reaching its culmination in February 2007, the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) conducted a series of successful military and police operations against armed gangs, based in sanctuaries in Cité Soleil and other urban slums, that had terrorized the populace. The campaign resulted in the arrest of principal gang leaders and some eight hundred of their followers. UN operations followed a public announcement by Haiti’s president, René Préval, that the gangs must “surrender or die,” and a private request to the United Nations to take armed action. Préval’s call for action came after efforts to negotiate with the gangs proved futile. Antigang operations involved the Haiti National Police (HNP), the country’s only security force. HNP support for, and direct engagement in, these operations was essential to their success. Haitian police SWAT teams arrested most of the gang leaders. Although the UN assaults resulted in civilian casualties and extensive property damage, the great majority of Cité Soleil residents surveyed believed that the UN crackdown was justified. If MINUSTAH had not been willing and able to confront the gang threat, the likely consequences would have been the collapse of the Préval administration and the failure of the UN mission. The United Nations must be capable of mounting assertive operations to enforce its mandates, and it can succeed in such operations under the proper conditions if it summons the necessary resolve. MINUSTAH’s success in confronting the gang threat suggests that the conditions needed for successful mandate enforcement include unity of effort among mission leadership, local buy-in and support, actionable intelligence to guide operations, effective employment of Formed Police Units (FPUs), integrated planning of military, police, and civilian assistance efforts to fill the void left by the displacement of illegal armed groups, and holistic reform of, and international support for, the legal system. Details: Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2008. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Special Reprot 208: Accessed October 12, 2010 at: http://www.usip.org/files/resources/sr208.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Haiti Keywords: Gangs Shelf Number: 119927 |
Author: Berg, Louis-Alexandre Title: Crime, Politics and Violence in Post-Earthquake Haiti Summary: Crime and violence are on the rise in Port-au-Prince due to prisoner escapes during the earthquake. Youth gangs and other armed groups are regaining strength in the most vulnerable neighborhoods and spreading to other areas of the city. In the tent camps around Port-au- Prince, displaced people—especially women — remain vulnerable to crime. These factors have contributed to an increasing sense of insecurity. As political tensions rise in the run-up to elections, armed groups, criminal enterprises and vulnerable youth could once again be mobilized by political forces to fuel violence or disrupt the political process. Gangs and their involvement in criminal and political violence are deeply rooted in Haitian politics, and fueled by widespread poverty, inadequate police presence, government weakness, and social and economic inequities. Prior to the earthquake, criminal violence had begun to decline due to a combination of political reconciliation, law enforcement operations and investment in marginalized neighborhoods. These fragile gains have been reversed since the earthquake and public confidence in the police has been shaken. Directing resources toward mitigating violence while addressing the underlying sources of crime and violence should remain a priority in post-earthquake reconstruction. Details: Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2010. 4p. Source: Internet Resource: Peace Brief, no. 58: Accessed October 18, 2010 at: http://www.usip.org/files/resources/PB%2058%20-%20Crime%20Politics%20and%20Violence%20in%20Post-Earthquake%20Haiti.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Haiti Keywords: Gangs Shelf Number: 119996 |
Author: Doucey, Marie Title: Gender and Human Security in the Haitian-Dominican Border Zone Summary: The border shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic (DR) is a North-South 391 km porous and neglected piece of land. Its vulnerability to various forms of traffcking and smuggling defnitely poses a risk to the safety of the area at a national, binational and regional level. Security in Haiti is a recurrent topic for researchers and policy analysts. The violence in Port-au-Prince's slums and the challenges faced by the security sector since the 1990's have been extensively studied. However, the border zone has rarely been explored from a security point of view, and, so far, there is no report1 that captures the dynamics and tensions related to gender and human security on either side of the Haitian-Dominican border. This research paper seeks to fill that gap and expose relevant findings that can help us understand a complex region, which since the earthquake has become an area of interest to many researchers and policy-makers. Details: Santiago, Chile: Global Consortium on Security Transformation, 2010. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: New Voices Series, No. 8: Accessed November 10, 2010 at: http://www.securitytransformation.org/images/publicaciones/New%20Voices%20Series%208.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Haiti Keywords: Border Security Shelf Number: 120078 |
Author: Barnes, DeEtta Lachelle Gray Title: Drug Trafficking in Haiti Summary: This thesis examines Haiti’s role in international drug trafficking, how it impacts Haiti’s political and economic development, and how Haiti and the United States are combating the drug trade. The thesis argues that Haiti’s geographic location, political culture, illegal immigrants, entrepreneurial class and weak institutions have made it a major transshipment point for drugs to the United States from South America. Haiti’s weak democratic institutions, dysfunctional judicial system and fledgling police force present South American drug traffickers with a path of little resistance. Drug trafficking has contributed to violence, corruption, political instability, poor economic development and lack of democratic consolidation in Haiti today. Finally, the thesis examines Haiti and the United States’ efforts to combat drug trafficking in Haiti. Although Haiti has made steps to adhere to the measures the UN drug convention set forth, Haiti’s counternarcotics initiatives have suffered due to a long political crisis between the executive and legislative and economic instability. Despite the lack of a bilateral counternarcotics agreement between the U. S. and Haiti, the two countries cooperate and the DEA maintain a permanent staff of seven agents in Port-au-Prince. Details: Monterey, CA: Naval Postgraduate School, 2002. 71p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed July 29, 2011 at: http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf&AD=ADA404648 Year: 2002 Country: Haiti Keywords: Drug Trafficking (Haiti) Shelf Number: 122228 |
Author: Title: Keeping Haiti Safe: Police Reform Summary: Haiti’s porous land and sea borders remain susceptible to drug trafficking, smuggling and other illegal activities that weaken the rule of law and deprive the state of vital revenue. Post-quake insecurity underscores continued vulnerability to violent crime and political instability. Overcrowded urban slums, plagued by deep poverty, limited economic opportunities and the weakness of government institutions, particularly the Haitian National Police (HNP), breed armed groups and remain a source of broader instability. If the Martelly administration is to guarantee citizen safety successfully, it must remove tainted officers and expand the HNP’s institutional and operational capacity across the country by completing a reform that incorporates community policing and violence reduction programs. The recent elections were only a first step toward determining the future of the country’s reconstruction and development. The real work now requires the political leadership – executive and legislative alike – to make meaningful efforts to address fundamental needs. Key to this is identification of common ground with the political opposition, grass roots communities and business elites, in order to reinforce a national consensus for transforming Haiti that prioritises jobs-based decentralisation, equal protection under the law and community security. President Michel Martelly declared Haiti open for business in his 14 May inaugural address, but a functioning, professional HNP is a prerequisite to move the country forward. Police reform has made significant strides but is far from complete after nearly five years. HNP deficiencies, along with the desire of Martelly supporters to restore the army and nationalistic opposition to the continued presence of the UN peacekeepers (MINUSTAH), contribute to proposals for creating a second armed force. Serious questions surround that problematic notion. If it is pursued, there must be wide consultation with civil society, including grassroots and community-based organisations, and particularly with victims of the old army’s abuses. But first it is paramount to continue strengthening the HNP, by: •completing recruitment, including of women, training and full deployment; •building police integrity by expediting the vetting process for all active duty officers and staff, including creating an appeals structure, so as to rid the force of those who do not meet standards because of human rights violations or criminal activity and to certify those who do, and by taking immediate action to suspend and if appropriate prosecute officers found to be involved in any serious crimes; •revising the reform plan to focus on clearly defined areas for improving the quality of security the HNP provides and building community confidence, such as the training and strengthening of specialised units, crime investigation, border patrol and community policing, while UN police (UNPOL) more actively mentor those efforts; •adopting an organic law for the state secretariat for public security that clarifies its role and those of the other executive branch bodies with responsibilities for the HNP; and •linking police reform with the reconstruction efforts currently coordinated by the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC), by deploying better trained police to the provinces as economic decentralisation proceeds. Details: Brussels: International Crisis Group, 2011. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Latin America/Caribbean Briefing N°26: Accessed September 10, 2011 at: http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/latin-america/haiti/B26%20Keeping%20Haiti%20Safe%20-%20Police%20Reform.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Haiti Keywords: Law Enforcement Shelf Number: 122681 |
Author: Amnesty International Title: Aftershocks: Women Speak Out Against Sexual Violence in Haiti's Camps Summary: The January 2010 earthquake devastated Haiti. Since the earthquake, the specific needs of girls and women living in camps relating to the prevention of and response to gender-based violence have been inadequate. The risk of rape and other forms of gender-based violence in Haiti's camps has increased dramatically in the past year. This report highlights the protection needs of women and girls in camps against the background of research undertaken by Amnesty International and other organizations on violence against women and girls after the earthquake. Details: London, UK: Amnesty International, 2011 Source: Internet Resource, AMR 36/001/2011: Accessed on December 8, 2011 at: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AMR36/001/2011/en/57237fad-f97b-45ce-8fdb-68cb457a304c/amr360012011en.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Haiti Keywords: Disasters Shelf Number: 123533 |
Author: Maguire, Robert Title: Providing Justice in Haiti Summary: •In spite of the Haitian government’s stated priority of improving rule of law, a Haitian court’s decision not to prosecute former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier for crimes against humanity has cast doubt on the sincerity of that commitment. •The failings of Haiti’s judicial system are well-known, but historically reform efforts have been ineffective. Improved provision of justice is critical for the creation of conditions for stability and the eventual withdrawal of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). •Modernizing Haiti’s antiquated legal and penal codes are an essential component of rule of law reform. Some progress is being made toward this end. •A greater emphasis is needed on coordinating efforts among international donors and improving interaction with Haitian counterparts to achieve progress on judicial reform. This report is based on the panel presentation and the views expressed at a public forum hosted by USIP’s Haiti Program on February 15, 2012 entitled “Justice for Haiti.” The panel included Ugo Solinas, senior political affairs officer in the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations; Joel Danies, deputy coordinator for Political Affairs & Office Director in the U.S. State Department Office of the Haiti Special Coordinator; Mark Schneider, vice president of International Crisis Group; and Vivienne O’Connor, senior program officer in USIP’s Rule of Law Center. Details: Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2012. 4p. Source: Peace Brief No. 122: Internet Resource: Accessed April 28, 2012 at http://www.usip.org/files/resources/PB-122.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Haiti Keywords: Administration of Justice (Haiti) Shelf Number: 125094 |
Author: Burt, Geoff Title: From Private Security to Public Good: Regulating the Private Security Industry in Haiti Summary: Since the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti the demand for private security in Haiti has surged, says a new report [PDF] from the Centre for International Governance Innovation, a Canadian think tank. The study finds that while many countries rely heavily on private security companies to protect people and property, Haiti stands out for its heavy use of private contractors while providing little effective government oversight. Indeed, the security companies’ biggest clients include international organizations like the U.N., Western embassies and NGOs. But while international efforts have emphasized building and strengthening the Haitian infrastructure, the police force remains under staffed with 10,000 officers in a country of 10 million. About 12,000 guards work for private security firms. The report, “From Private Security to Public Good: Regulating the Private Security Industry in Haiti,” observes that the growth in private security has been driven by “the critical lack of public police personnel,” leading to a 7 to 8 percent anticipated annual growth rate for private security firms. And while private security guards, often armed with shotguns or handguns, are now a commonplace sight in Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince, private security firms are a surprisingly recent presence in Haiti. The report urges the Haitian government to impose laws stipulating the roles of private security companies, create strict guidelines for the licensing and storage of firearms, and provide mechanisms for the state to oversee the industry. Details: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada: The Centre for International Governance Innovation, 2012. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 19, 2012 at: http://www.cigionline.org/sites/default/files/Paper_no9.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Haiti Keywords: Policing Shelf Number: 125694 |
Author: Kolbe, Athena R. Title: The Economic Costs of Violent Crime in Urban Haiti. Results from Monthly Household Surveys, August 2011- July 2012 Summary: Crime and victimization are amongst the most pressing concerns cited by Haitian citizens today. Surveys conducted on a monthly basis between August 2011 and July 2012 indicate that violent crime is increasingly common, particularly in the densely packed `popular` zones of Haiti’s largest urban centers. Paradoxically, in spite of increased international investment in restoring the capacities of the Haitian National Police, ordinary Haitians struggle to access basic policing services. This Strategic Brief is the second of a series that features findings from longitudinal surveys using random sampling methods. The assessment is focused principally on households residing in urban areas of Port-au-Prince, Les Cayes, Cap Haitien, Gonaives, St. Marc, Jacmel and Leogane. All respondents were randomly selected and surveyed about their experiences with crime, their quality of life, and their ability to access basic services such as health care. Taken together, these surveys also demonstrate the serious economic costs of insecurity amongst ordinary Haitians. The findings of the Strategic Brief are: • The crude murder rate for Port-au-Prince increased from 60.9 to 76.2 murders per 100,000 between February and July 2012, with residents of “popular zones” being 40 times more likely to be murdered than other urban dwellers. • The costs of a physical or sexual assault on a household member amounts to roughly 20 per cent of the household’s annual income while a murder can leave households with expenses that are 5.5 times the annual average annual income. • Children are particularly vulnerable to adverse outcomes after the victimization of a household member. When compared with children from households not experiencing crime, victimized children were more likely to be sent to live with other families as restaveks (unpaid domestic servants), to experience food insecurity, and to be forced to withdraw from school. • Funeral and burial costs averaged USD $4,958.70. Nearly all of the households surveyed took out loans to pay for the costs of the funeral; the interest charged on loans from moneylenders and morticians ranged from 50-150 per cent. • Reports of police bribes increased between A A ugust 2011 and July 2012. Nearly 25 per cent of victims of physical assaults and 19 per cent of victims of property crime said they were asked for or paid a bribe to police to facilitate the progress of their case. • More than half of sexual assault victims and household members who tried to report the crime to the police complained that officers refused to make a report or tried to dissuade the victim or family members from doing so. Roughly 12 per cent of sexual assault victims reported paying or being asked for bribes by police; the average bribe given was 1,209 gourdes (SD: 744.3 gourdes), about USD $30. Details: Rio de Janeiro: Igarape Institute, 2012. 13p. Source: Internet Resource: Strategic Note 2: Accessed March 20, 2013 at: http://igarape.org.br/wp-content/themes/igarape_v2/pdf/Strategic_Note_2.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Haiti Keywords: Costs of Crime Shelf Number: 128045 |
Author: Kolbe, Athena R. Title: Haiti's Urban Crime Wave? Results from Monthly Household Surveys August 2011 - February 2012 Summary: Haiti exhibited a dramatic escalation in criminal violence with Haitians reporting declining confidence in police institutions during the last six months (August 2011 to February 2012). For the first time since 2007, the incidence of violent crime and victimization has shown a consistent increase, and confidence in public institutions appears to be dropping quickly. Random household surveys conducted on a monthly basis between August 2011 and February 2012 indicate that violent crime is increasingly common, particularly over the past few months in the densely packed ‘popular’ zones of Haiti’s largest urban centers. This assessment is based on a longitudinal survey using random sampling methods. Specifically, households in the urban areas of Port-au-Prince, Les Cayes, Cap Haitien, Gonaives, St. Marc, Jacmel and Leogane were randomly selected and surveyed about their experiences with criminality and faith in public institutions. The survey sought to measure their exposure to insecurity and opinions regarding future safety. Collectively, these surveys demonstrate an increasing dissatisfaction with the government of Haiti after five years of growing confidence as well as fears that political uncertainty and turmoil will increase crime. The preliminary findings of the assessment are: • The number of reported homicides across all urban settings increased considerably between November 2011 and February 2012. Half of the reported murders occurred during armed robbery or attempted armed robbery. While Port-au-Prince’s overall homicide is low in comparaison to other Caribbean cities, this nevertheless represents a rate of 60.9 per 100,000, one of the highest recorded rates since 2004; • Property crime increased dramatically between October 2011 and February 2012. These property crimes often entailed the theft of modest amounts of cash and personal assets such as mobile phones; • Residents of low-income popular zones were more likely to be victims of crime than others. For instance, in January 2011, residents of these areas were 20 times more likely to be subjected to a property crime, 18 times more likely to be physically assaulted and 27 times more likely to be sexually assaulted than residents in wealthier and less densely populated areas; • Complaints of police misconduct, including being asked for bribes and sexual harassment by uniformed officers, increased during the study period. For the first time since 2007, overall support for the Haitian National Police is on the decline with residents expressing concerns that police are unable or unwilling to protect them from crime. Since November 2011, there has been a marked deterioration in public support for the police. Details: Rio de Janeiro: Igarape Institute, 2012. 9p. Source: Internet Resource: Strategic Note 2: Accessed March 20, 2013 at: http://igarape.org.br/wp-content/themes/igarape_v2/pdf/Strategic_Note_1.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Haiti Keywords: Homicides Shelf Number: 128046 |
Author: d’Adesky, Anne-Christine Title: Beyond Shock: Charting the landscape of sexual violence in post-quake Haiti: Progress, Challenges & Emerging Trends 2010-2012 Summary: Beyond Shock provides a comprehensive report about the broad and sectorial field progress made by frontline providers of services to sexual violence survivors since Haiti’s historic January 2010 earthquake. The report also looks at the shifting landscape of actors, both established and new, Haitian and foreign, who have raced to respond to the crisis. It highlights groups, individuals, programs, and approaches that are making a difference in the field and captures emergent trends in this landscape. It offers hope for the future while revealing a very difficult situation in the present. A major focus of the report is an examination of access to holistic services for victims. Beyond Shock examines progress in the areas of security, housing, reporting, research, post-quake health care, legal justice, prevention, education, advocacy, and the impact on vulnerable populations, as well as the role of men and boys, and what has been learned about perpetrators. Beyond Shock addresses the big-picture questions many have asked since the flurry of news reports about rape in Haiti in early 2010. How bad is the problem of sexual violence in Haiti and how is it changing? Has the situation improved? How do we measure this progress? The report both confirms and challenges prior findings on gender-based violence (GBV) and rape in Haiti. It reveals that less than 1% of international bank funding has been dedicated to fighting sexual violence, limiting an otherwise robust and expanding effort by grassroots groups and Haiti's government to fight gender-based violence. It reveals specific gender aftershocks, including a post-quake wave of early unwanted pregnancy, and subsequent abortions, in adolescents linked to sexual violence and survival sex – that have been overlooked by the media and relief groups. The report identifies youth and economic vulnerability, along with gender, as the broad risk factors for sexual violence. Specific factors include lack of housing for women-headed households and poor families with adolescent girls, lack of safe housing for GBV victims, rising food insecurity, and a 2012 surge in urban violent crime and gang activity – all reflections of a worsening economic picture that impacts on both genders and is a key engine of sexual violence. The economic situation has been exacerbated by chronic natural disasters, including hurricanes Sandy and Isaac, and a cholera epidemic. Beyond Shock documents how Haitian civil society has coped and led despite herculean obstacles. The report offers a portrait of the rebuilding of Haiti’s feminist movement and profiles grassroots women’s and GBV leaders that provide a range of voices, perspectives, and reflections on the post-quake period. Report Team: Beyond Shock was produced by Haitian and US members of the PotoFanm+Fi coalition, a post-quake advocacy group that champions Haitian women’s voices, leadership, and recovery in Haiti. The report was coordinated and written by veteran journalist and author Anne-christine d’Adesky, who has family roots in Haiti. She was assisted by Haitian journalists and local partners of PotoFanm+Fi. A number of Haitian scholars and professionals in technical sectors provided expert review of the report. Haitian author Edwidge Danticat wrote the foreword to the report. Photographer Nadia Todres contributed a special photo essay about Girls in Haiti’s camps. PotoFi Survey: Beyond Shock builds upon new research on sexual violence and pregnancy in over 2000 Haitian adolescents and families by PotoFanm+Fi’s pilot PotoFi Haiti Girls Initiative (“PotoFi”), a parallel participatory field research project begun in October 2011 with seven main Haitian local partners in the Port-au-Prince and Jacmel zones. Details: Haiti: PotoFanm+Fi, 2012. 228p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 25, 2013 at: http://potofi.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/beyond-shock-abridged-version-haiti-gbv-progress-report-nov-2012.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Haiti Keywords: Child Prostitution Shelf Number: 128829 |
Author: Kolbe, Athena R. Title: Revisiting Haiti´s Gangs and Organized Violence Summary: Though a preoccupation with organized violence has dominated much of the discourse on politics and development in Haiti, little research exists on Haiti’s urban gangs and insurgent groups. This paper examines urban gangs through intensive field research conducted over a number of years with both members of armed groups and residents of areas in which they operate. Drawing on a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, the paper sets out to examine whether Haiti ́s gang-related violence constitutes a “war” using criteria embedded in the Geneva Conventions. Advancing the debate, this study finds that there are surprising convergences in the views and experiences of armed group members and Haitian civilians. Details: Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brazil: HASOW (Humanitarian Action in Situations other than War), 2013. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Discussion Paper 4: Accessed June 21, 2013 at: http://www.hasow.org/uploads/trabalhos/102/doc/923593528.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Haiti Keywords: Gang Violence Shelf Number: 129120 |
Author: Lunde, Henriette Title: The Violent Lifeworlds of Young Haitians: Gangs as livelihood in a Port-au-Prince ghetto Summary: Seven months after the forced departure of elected president Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 2004, the ghettos in Port-au-Prince erupted in a violent uprising costing thousands of lives. The tension simmered for seven months until the use of force against demonstrators by the interim government caused it to blow up. The sudden outburst of massive organized violence came as a surprise to the interim government, as well as to the UN peacekeepers. Could what happened in 2004 happen again today? By analyzing the social structures facilitating the rapid mobilization of armed resistance in the Port-au-Prince ghettos, together with the incentives for local youth to join armed groups and participate in the fighting, this report points to important parallels between post-Aristide and post-earthquake Haiti. Examining these factors raises questions such as how best to address both the security challenge and the living conditions for marginalized urban youth in present-day Haiti. Details: Oslo, Norway: Fafo, 2012. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: The Haiti Youth Project: Accessed June 21, 2013 at: http://www.fafo.no/pub/rapp/10149/10149.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Haiti Keywords: Violence Shelf Number: 129122 |
Author: MADRE Title: Struggling to Survive: Sexual Exploitation of Displaced Women and Girls in Port au Prince, Haiti Summary: Struggling to Survive draws on the analysis of both primary and secondary sources. Primary sources consisted of interviews conducted with individuals with direct experience or knowledge of survival sex in Haiti, as well as interviews or focus groups with service providers, government officials, and experts concerned with the issue. Researchers also visited camps and neighborhoods where survival sex is reportedly occurring. Secondary sources included Haitian law, international human rights law, and international criminal law, as well as studies and reports published by humanitarian agencies, social science scholars, and human rights organizations relevant to the issue . Research for this Report focused on qualitative rather than quantitative data. In light of the significant stigmatization that surrounds the phenomenon of survival sex, surveys and other forms of quantitative data-gathering techniques were rejected as unlikely to reveal the contours of the problem. Instead, the research team conducted in-depth interviews using a semi-structured format aimed at capturing the complexities of survival sex in Port au Prince, Haiti. Data from these in-depth interviews were compared with data gathered through interviews with experts and service providers, as well as information from secondary sources. All of these sources were subjected to analysis under Haitian law, as well as international law and international best practice standards. Details: Port au Prince, Haiti: KOFAVIV;New York: MADRE, International Women's Human Rights Clinic, Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, and the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice 2012. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 22, 2014 at: http://www.madre.org/images/uploads/misc/1326210740_Haiti%20SE%20Report%20FINAL%20pub%20011012.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Haiti Keywords: Child Sexual Exploitation Shelf Number: 132115 |
Author: Gage, Anastasia J. Title: Short-Term Effects of a Violence Prevention Curriculum on Knowledge of Dating Violence among High School Students in Port-au-Prince, Haiti Summary: This study was carried out to determine whether a violence-prevention curriculum taught to students in grades 10-12 in one public and one private high schools in Port-au-Prince, Haiti would increased knowledge about dating violence. A one-group pretest-posttest study was carried out in November to December 2013. Students who took the exam prior to curriculum implementation and after the program was completed were assessed for knowledge of dating violence. The curriculum was an adaptation of the SAFE Dates Program and consisted of ten 50-minutes sessions that were taught over a period of five weekends. The curriculum consisted of interactive activities, games and role plays addressing the definition of dating violence, dating violence norms, gender stereotyping, conflict management skills and forms of support that may be provided to friends in abusive relationships. Bivariable analysis was conducted to determine whether the curriculum was associated with increased knowledge of dating violence. A total of 221 students completed both the pretest and posttest exams, of whom 32 were from the private school. Pretest levels of knowledge of dating violence were low. All eight measures of knowledge increased singificantly between the pretest and posttest in both schools. The mean score for knowledge of dating violence facts and myths increased from 5.2 at pretest to 8.4 at posttest out of a maximum of 10. Gains in knowledge of dating violence were higher among public school students than among private school students for some outcomes. Exposure to the curriculum increased knowledge of dating violence in the short-term. Details: Chapel Hill, NC: Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2014. 21p. Source: Internet Resource: WP-14-148: Accessed May 17, 2014 at: http://www.cpc.unc.edu/measure/publications/wp-14-148 Year: 2014 Country: Haiti Keywords: Dating Violence Shelf Number: 132390 |
Author: Seelinger, Kim Thuy Title: Safe Haven: Sheltering Displaced Persons from Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. Case Study: Haiti Summary: As part of its Sexual Violence Program, the Human Rights Center conducted a one-year study in 2012 to explore and improve understanding of the options for immediate, temporary shelter for refugees, internally displaced persons, and other migrants fleeing sexual and gender-based violence in countries affected by conflict or natural disaster. We define shelter flexibly. For example, it may be in the form of a traditional safe house, or a network of community members' homes, or other safe spaces coordinated by a base organization. Our aim was to generate research-based evidence to inform donors, policymakers, and international and local actors about types of relevant models, priority challenges, and promising practices. The study focused on three key objectives: 1. Identify and describe shelter models available to refugees, the internally displaced, and migrants fleeing sexual and gender-based violence. 2. Identify unique challenges experienced by staff and residents in these settings and explore strategies to respond to these challenges. 3. Explore protection needs and options for particularly marginalized victim groups, such as male survivors, sexual minorities, sex workers, and people with disabilities. The aim and objectives were the same across each of the studies, carried out in Colombia, Haiti, Kenya, and Thailand. Our research focused primarily on programs that served communities of refugees, migrants, and internally displaced persons, including those operating in a camp setting. We also studied mainstream shelters to identify protection options and innovations in urban settings. Study outputs include four country-specific reports and one comparative assessment that contain guiding considerations for the UNHCR and other stakeholders involved in the provision of protection to these populations. The Haitian landscape of shelters for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence changed quickly after the 2010 earthquake. Two major safe houses suddenly ceased to operate. One was the Centre Yvonne Hakim Rimpel, run by the Ministere a la Condition Feminine et aux Droits des Femmes (hereinafter Women's Ministry) and funded in part by Eve Ensler's V-Day. The other was a short-term emergency house run by the women's rights organization Kay Fanm. In their place, post-earthquake Haiti saw a proliferation of new shelter efforts supported by international donors, including several of the programs we visited. Our researchers conducted interviews with staff and residents in six shelter programs, including the following: - three traditional safe houses run by local women's rights groups; - one independent living arrangement program funded by a private US-based foundation; - one LGBT rights group that did not run a formal shelter, but which provided ad hoc access to a community host network; - one hybrid shelter space that consisted of dormitory space downstairs in the office of a women's rights organization. We also learned of other developing shelter options, such as temporary plywood housing, or "T-shelters," erected by various international groups in certain camps, an IOM project in Croix-des-Bouquets, and a safe house planned by the French Red Cross in conjunction with a local Haitian organization in Petit Goave. However, these emerging programs were not included in our study sample. Details: Berkeley, CA: Human Rights Center, University of California - Berkeley, School of Law, 2013. 110p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 13, 2014 at: http://www.unhcr.org/51b6e2b29.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Haiti Keywords: Domestic Violence Shelf Number: 133038 |
Author: Donais, Timothy Title: Vertically Integrated Peace Building and Community Violence Reduction in Haiti Summary: Gang-driven violence in the urban slums of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, has been a preoccupation of international peace-building efforts for the past decade, yet continues to pose a serious threat to peace and stability in the country. These communities have, in recent years, been the site of an ongoing series of experiments, involving a range of different actors, aimed at reclaiming them from armed gangs; however, the isolated and fragmented nature of these interventions has reduced their cumulative impact. This paper makes a case for greater coherence and coordination between bottom-up community violence reduction efforts and top-down police reform, based on a broader argument around the importance of "vertically integrated peace building." Based on field interviews with community leaders as well as officials from both the UN and the Haitian government, this paper suggests that, in the public security realm as elsewhere, the careful integration of top-down and bottom-up efforts represents an important avenue for strengthening state-society relations, increasingly recognized as a crucial component of any sustainable peace-building process. Details: Waterloo, ON, Canada: Centre for International Governance Innovation, 2014. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: CIGI Papers No. 25: Accessed October 15, 2014 at: http://www.cigionline.org/sites/default/files/no25_0.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Haiti Keywords: Gang Violence Shelf Number: 133667 |
Author: University of Miami School of Law, Immigration Clinic Title: Aftershocks: The Human Impact of U.S. Deportations to Post-Earthquake Haiti Summary: Haiti still reels from the devastating effects of the January 12, 2010 earthquake that killed up to 300,000 people, rendered one in seven Haitians homeless, and wreaked $9 billion of damage in a country whose 2009 GDP was only $7 billion. The United States recognized the enormity of the crisis and granted Temporary Protected Status to eligible Haitians. Excluded from protection are individuals with certain criminal convictions (one felony or two misdemeanors). Over the past five years, the United States has forcibly returned approximately 1,500 men and women, including those with only minor criminal records, mothers and fathers of U.S. citizen children, people with severe medical and mental health conditions, and others. The result has been utterly devastating to deportees in Haiti and the families they leave behind in the United States. This report details the experiences of deportees - who sometimes refer to themselves as "strangers in a strange land" - and their U.S.-based family members. The report argues that the United States violates the fundamental human rights of Haitian nationals and their family members when it deports them to post-earthquake Haiti without due consideration of the deportees' individual circumstances and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Haiti. Details: Miami: University of Miami School of law, Immigration Clinic, 2015. 92p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 19, 2015 at: http://www.law.miami.edu/clinics/pdf/2015/haiti-report.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Haiti Keywords: Immigrant Deportation Shelf Number: 134647 |
Author: Norwegian Church Aid Title: Exploiting Inequalities: Conflict and Power Relations in Bel Air Summary: Once a buzzing middle-class neighborhood of artists and intellectuals, Bel Air is today an impoverished neighborhood with a reputation for chronic instability, controlled to a large extent by gang leaders and criminals. Less known and researched than its infamous neighbor Cite Soleil in the Haitian capital city of Port-au-Prince, Bel Air represents an interesting case study of the complex structural and proximate factors that - individually and collectively - explain the state of fragility in this urban hotbed. Taken together, these factors offer a new understanding of the destabilizing consequences that the urban violence in Bel Air could lead to at the local, national and even international levels. Through the process of rapid urban migration, the densely populated and increasingly impoverished neighborhood Bel Air came to be strongly associated with former President Aristide's Lavalas movement. Aristide drew heavily upon the existing neighborhood associations or baz to safeguard his power, following in the footsteps of a long history of Haitian presidents who employed local armed groups to solidify their power. Embattled by the economic elite who felt their interests threatened by his pro-poor rhetoric, Aristide was blamed for arming the base structures and creating the paramilitary phenomenon responsible for the acute increases in violence. Violence had begun to decline following political reconciliation efforts and violence reduction strategies, combined with the actions of the UN Stabilization Mission and NGOs to implement law enforcement operations, beginning in late 2006. However, since the January 12, 2010 earthquake, the area known as Greater Bel Air has experienced an upsurge in violence, peaking in 2012. This conflict analysis for Greater Bel Air examines the driving factors of conflict, key actors, "connectors and dividers" and gender dimensions of conflict. The overall purpose is to improve the effectiveness of future peacebuilding programs in Greater Bel Air, by ensuring that they are addressing key driving factors of conflict. A specific objective for Norwegian Church Aid is to systematize and make explicit the information and insights gathered from a wide range of informants and organizations working on conflict resolution and violence reduction in Greater Bel Air, and to create a baseline upon which further programming can be developed. The conflict analysis is primarily based upon a desk study of existing analyses, academic research and other studies, combined with updated information gathered through interviews with key informants and focus groups. Key informants were identified among stakeholders from civil society, the private sector, local/national government including the police, the United Nations, national and international NGOs, religious leaders and peace practitioners. 46 interviews and six focus groups, made up of 8 - 13 participants from different sectors of society and from different sub-areas of Great Bel Air, were carried out over a two week period in July- August and one week in November 2013. Greater Bel Air and Haiti provides a unique context for understanding violence as it is a country that has not undergone war, and yet it is a situation where cyclical violent conflict has become entrenched in the sociopolitical life of Haitian society. A country born out of the world's first successful slave revolt, the roots of violence and resistance to injustice run deep, dating back to the system of slavery and the legacy of structural injustice perpetuated by this economic model. The disparities of power and wealth between the impoverished urban masses and the elite have often been marked with violence. Pervasive political, economic and social tensions are played out through local level violence between individuals and small groups, largely centered in Haiti's popular neighborhoods, but are often linked level turmoil, political and economic crises. Details: Ption Ville, Haiti: Norwegian Church Aid Haiti, 2014. 63p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 4, 2015 at: https://www.kirkensnodhjelp.no/her-jobber-vi/haiti/exploiting-inequalities/ Year: 2014 Country: Haiti Keywords: Neighborhoods and Crime Shelf Number: 135902 |
Author: Singh, Raju Jan Title: Guns, Books, or Doctors? Conflict and Public Spending in Haiti: Lessons from Cross-Country Evidence Summary: Haiti's economic development has been held back by a history of civil conflict and violence. With donor assistance declining from its exceptional levels following the 2010 earthquake, and concessional financing growing scarce, Haiti must learn to live with tighter budget constraints. At the same time, the United Nations forces that have provided security in the past decade are scaling down. Against this backdrop, this paper explores the conditions under which public spending can minimize violent conflict, and draws possible lessons for Haiti. Drawing on an empirical analysis of 148 countries over the period 1960-2009, simulations for Haiti suggest that increases in military spending would be associated with a higher risk of conflict, an observation in line with Haiti's own history. Greater welfare expenditure (education, health, and social assistance), by contrast, would be associated with lower risk of conflict. Details: Washington, DC: World Bank Group, 2016. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Research working paper; no. WPS 7681. : Accessed June 1, 2016 at: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2016/05/23/090224b084356212/1_0/Rendered/PDF/Guns00books00o0oss0country0evidence.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Haiti Keywords: Costs of Crime Shelf Number: 139260 |
Author: Burt, Geoff Title: Deportation, Circular Migration and Organized Crime: Haiti Case Study Summary: Like all OECD countries, Canada has a policy of deporting immigrants who have committed certain kinds of crime back to their countries of origin. This pattern of circular migration - immigration to Canada followed by deportation - has unique implications for the development of transnational organized crime. In some cases, criminal deportations have facilitated the development of transnational organized crime networks, which later threatened the security of the deporting country. This report examines the impact of deportations from Canada to Haiti on crime trends in both countries and analyzes the threats to public security in Canada. Canada's policy on criminal deportation must balance a number of competing factors. It must prioritize the safety of Canadian society while acknowledging the wide-ranging impacts of deportation on immigrant communities in Canada and the stability and security of the country accepting the deportees. Haiti suffers from widespread instability and a lack of law enforcement capacity. As a long-standing development partner of the Canadian government, the impact of deportations on crime trends in Haiti is a significant concern. While there is limited evidence that organized crime groups located in Haiti are a threat to security in Canada, the country's geographical location next to the Dominican Republic - the largest transshipment point for drugs entering Canada - suggests that this threat could materialize in the future. Building on best practices developed in other contexts, the report concludes with a discussion of mitigation strategies to minimize the negative impacts of criminal deportation both in Canada and in Haiti, and an examination of ongoing policy issues relating to forced criminal deportation to Haiti. Details: Ottawa: Public Safety Canada, Research Division, 2016. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report: 2015-R031: Accessed September 30, 2016 at: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2015-r031/2015-r031-en.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Haiti Keywords: Alien Criminals Shelf Number: 140519 |
Author: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Title: Violence Against Children in Haiti: Findings from a National Survey 2012 Summary: The 2012 Violence against Children Survey (VACS) in Haiti is the first national survey of violence against children in the Republic of Haiti. Implemented in June of 2012 the VACS is a nationally representative household survey of females and males 13 to 24 years of age that is based on a three–stage cluster design that yields separate estimates of experiences of sexual, physical, and emotional violence prior to age 18 years for both females and males in Haiti. The survey incorporated standard enumeration areas, known as Section d'Enumération (SDE), as well as the internally displaced persons (IDP) living in camps/tent settlements resulting from the 2010 earthquake. There were a total of 2916 completed interviews: 1457 females with an overall response rate 85.6% and 1459 males with overall response rate 82.0%. The primary purpose of the survey was to estimate the (1) lifetime prevalence of childhood violence, defined as violence occurring before 18 years of age and (2) prevalence of childhood violence in the 12 months prior to the survey among 13 to 17 year olds. The survey included a short questionnaire for an adult in the household to build rapport with the family and to determine current socio-economics of the household. The respondent questionnaire for 13 to 24 year olds includes the following topics: demographics; socioeconomic status; parental relations; education; general connectedness to family, friends, and community; marital status; domestic servitude; displacement following the January 2010 earthquake; sexual behavior and practices; sex in exchange for money or goods; pregnancy; HIV/ AIDS testing; experiences of physical, emotional, and sexual violence; health outcomes associated with exposure to violence; and utilization and barriers to services. The findings from the survey indicate that violence against children is a serious problem in Haiti: 1 out of 4 females and 1 out of 5 males in Haiti have experienced at least one incident of sexual abuse prior to the age of 18 years. In addition, almost two-thirds of both females and males experienced physical violence prior to 18 years by an adult household members or authority figures in the community and approximately one-third experienced emotional violence during childhood (i.e., prior to turning 18) by an adult household member. The results of this survey have significant implications for the design and implementation of Haitian specific prevention and response programs and policies to address abuse and violence against children. The 2012 VACS Haiti would not have been possible without the partnership and collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Interuniversity Institute for Research and Development (INURED), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Multi-Sectoral Task Force known as the Comité de Coordination (CC), and Together for Girls Partnership. The guidance and creation of the CC, which includes representation from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, Ministry of Public Health and Population, Ministry of Justice and Public Security, Ministry of Women's Affairs and Women's Rights, Institute of Social Welfare and Research, Brigade for the Protection of Minors, and other key governmental and non–governmental partners, was critical to the survey’s success. KEY FINDINGS Prevalence of Violence against Children Sexual violence (sexual abuse and exploitation) experienced in childhood: One out of 4 females aged 13 to 24 years in Haiti experienced at least one incident of sexual abuse before turning 18 years of age. Among males in the same age group, 1 out of 5 experienced at least one incident of sexual abuse prior to the age of 18. Among those who experienced at least one incident of sexual abuse prior to age 18 years, 69.5% of females and 85.4% of males had multiple incidents (i.e., two or more incidents) of sexual abuse. The most common form of sexual abuse experienced by both females and males before the age of 18 was unwanted sexual touching, followed by unwanted attempted sex. Of those who had their first sexual intercourse prior to age 18, 1 out of 5 females and 1 out of 10 males experienced their first sexual intercourse as unwilling, meaning that they were forced or coerced to engage in sexual intercourse. In the 12 months preceding the survey, nearly 1 out of 5 females and 1 out of 10 males aged 13 to 17 years experienced at least one incident of sexual abuse. About 4% of females and 7% of males received money, food, gifts, or other favors in exchange for sex prior to age 18 years. Physical violence experienced in childhood: Almost two-thirds of both females and males aged 18 to 24 years in Haiti experienced physical violence by adult household members or authority figures in the community, such as teachers, prior to the age of 18 years. Approximately one-third of females and males aged 13 to 17 years experienced physical violence in the 12 months prior to the survey. Ninety percent of females and 85.7% of males aged 13–17 years perceived that their most recent experience of physical violence by an adult household member or authority figure in the past 12 months was intended as disciplinary action or punishment. Emotional violence experienced in childhood: Approximately one-third of both females and males in Haiti experienced emotional violence by an adult household member prior to turning 18 years of age. Nearly thirty percent (27.8%) of females and 16.2% of males aged 13 to 17 years experienced emotional violence by an adult household member in the 12 months preceding the survey. Overlap of Sexual, Physical, and Emotional Violence in Childhood Sexual, physical, and emotional violence commonly overlapped in childhood in Haiti. One-third of females and one out of 4 males aged 13 to 24 years experienced multiple types of violence prior to age 18. Females were significantly more likely to experience multiple forms of violence during childhood than males. Perpetrators of Violence against Children Perpetrators of childhood sexual abuse: Boyfriends or romantic partners followed by friends or classmates, neighbors, and strangers were the most frequent perpetrators of first incidents of child sexual abuse. Among males of similar age, friends or classmates followed by girlfriends or romantic partners were the most frequently reported perpetrators of first incidents of childhood sexual abuse. More than three quarters of females and approximately one-third of males who experienced sexual abuse prior to age 18 reported that the perpetrator of their first incident of abuse was at least 5 years older than they were at the time of the incident. Perpetrators of childhood physical violence: Among 18–24 year olds who experienced physical violence before turning 18 by an adult household member or an authority figure in the community, approximately 6 out of 10 females and males experienced at least one incident of child physical violence by a mother and/or father. In the same group more than 8 out of 10 females and males that had experienced physical violence had at least one incident of physical violence that was perpetrated by a teacher, more commonly a male teacher. Similar patterns of perpetration were observed among 13–17 year olds who experienced physical violence in the 12 months prior to the survey. Perpetrators of childhood emotional violence: Among 18–24 year olds who had any incidents of emotional abuse prior to age 18, approximately 4 out of 10 females and males experienced at least one incident of child emotional violence by a mother. Furthermore, approximately one-third of both females and males in this same group experienced at least once incident of child emotional violence by a father. Among females 13–17 year olds who had any incidents of emotional abuse in 12 months prior to the survey, more than half experienced emotional violence by a mother. Context of Childhood Sexual Violence Against Children Where the sexual abuse occurred: Almost 6 out of 10 of both females and males who had experienced sexual violence prior to age 18 indicated that at least one of their experiences of sexual abuse took place in their own home or tent, or the home or tent of the perpetrator. The most common location, however, for both females and males was their own home or tent. About 1 in 5, 18–24 year old females reported an incident occurred on a road. Among 13–17 year old females and males the most common location for the most recent incident of sexual abuse occurring during the last year was on a road. Childhood Domestic Servitude and Violence Childhood domestic servitude was significantly associated with experiencing sexual and emotional violence prior to age 18 among both females and males aged 18 to 24 years. Among 13–17 year olds, female domestic servants were significantly more likely than peers who were not servants to have experienced sexual and physical violence in the preceding 12 months, while emotional violence was more likely in both male and female domestic servants. Sexual Abuse Among Displaced Populations Approximately a quarter of 13 to 24 year olds were displaced or moved due to the earthquake. Not all of those who were displaced moved to camps. About 1 in 5 respondents lived in a camp or resettled area following the earthquake in 2010 for any period of time. Overall, displacement following the earthquake was not associated with experiencing sexual abuse subsequent to the earthquake among females aged 13–24. However, females aged 13–24 years displaced into or living in camps or tent settlements specifically, were significantly more likely to have experienced sexual abuse after the earthquake as compared to all females aged 13–24 years, displaced or not, who were not living in camps or tent settlements. Surprisingly, for males aged 13–24 displacement following the earthquake was protective of sexual abuse subsequent to the earthquake and living in camps or tent settlements was not associated with an increased risk of sexual abuse. Service Uptake for Violence Approximately 6 out of 10 females and 4 out of 10 males aged 18 to 24 years who experienced child sexual abuse prior to age 18 years told someone about an incident of sexual abuse. Only 1 out of 10 females and 1 out of 15 males who experienced sexual abuse prior to age 18 received any professional services of any kind, including medical, mental health, legal, or protection services, for the sexual abuse. Approximately 1 out of 10 females and males who experienced physical violence prior to age 18 received any professional services of any kind for an incident of physical violence. Health Outcomes of Sexual, Physical, and Emotional Violence Females aged 18–24 years who experienced any sexual abuse or any physical or emotional violence prior to age 18 were more likely to have been diagnosed or have had symptoms of a sexually transmitted infection (STI) as compared to those who did not experience any of these incidents. Furthermore, females who experienced child emotional violence were also more likely to have ever experienced suicidal ideation. Sixteen percent of females who experienced unwanted completed sex prior to age 18 became pregnant as a result of at least one of the incidents. Males who experienced any emotional violence prior to age 18 were more likely to ever experience suicidal ideation as well as to have been diagnosed with or have had symptoms of an STI as compared to those who did not experience emotional violence. Females aged 13–17 who experienced sexual abuse in the past year reported significantly higher rates of drinking alcohol, suicidal ideation, and diagnoses or symptoms of sexually transmitted infections as compared to those who did not experience sexual violence. In addition, females aged 13–17 who experienced physical or emotional violence in the past year were significantly more likely to report serious mental distress than those who did not experience either type of violence. The experience of emotional violence among females aged 13–17 was also significantly associated with suicidal ideation and having a diagnoses or symptoms of sexually transmitted infections when compared to those who did not experience emotional violence. Sexual Abuse and HIV/AIDS Testing Knowledge and Testing Behaviors Approximately two-thirds of females aged 18–24 years who experienced any sexual abuse prior to age 18 knew where to go for an HIV test, however, less than half were ever tested. Among males of similar age, half of those who experienced any sexual abuse prior to age 18 knew where to go for an HIV test and only 1 out of 10 were ever tested. Violence and Sexual Risk Taking Behavior The study examined the prevalence of sexual risk taking behaviors in the 12 months prior to the survey among 19 to 24 year olds and their association with childhood violence in order to ensure exposure to childhood violence preceded involvement in sexual risk taking behavior. Over a third (36.4%) of sexually active females aged 19–24 years who experienced child sexual abuse had multiple sex partners in the past 12 months compared to 29.4% of 19–24 year old females who had not experienced child sexual abuse. Females aged 19–24 years who experienced child physical violence were more likely to have received gifts, food, or favors in exchange for sex during the past 12 months compared to those who had not experienced child physical violence. Females aged 19–24 years who experienced childhood emotional violence were more likely to use condoms infrequently in the last 12 months compared to those who had not experienced childhood emotional violence. Attitudes towards Spousal Violence and the Role of Gender in Sexual Practices and Intimate Partner Violence Nearly half of all females and 2 out of 5 of males aged 13–17 years believed that a man is justified in hitting or beating his wife if she goes out without telling him, if she neglects the children, if she argues with him, if she refuses to have sex with him, or if she burns the food. More than half of females and males aged 13–17 years believed that it is men who should decide when to have sex, that men need more sex than women, that men need other women, that women who carry condoms are "loose", or that women should tolerate violence in order to keep their family together. Details: Port-au-Prince, Haiti: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014. 192p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 3, 2016 at: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/violence-haiti.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Haiti Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect Shelf Number: 144993 |
Author: Richard, Patrick Title: A Community-Based Intervention to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls in Haiti: Lessons Learned Summary: Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is highly prevalent in Haiti and constitutes a serious public health problem. Social norms promoting power imbalance between women and men and condoning VAWG are also widespread. Changing these norms and curbing the cycle of VAWG in Haiti is an important step toward ensuring healthier, more productive, and safer communities in Haiti. This report documents the lessons learned from a review of the planning, implementation, and evaluation of community mobilization interventions concerning VAWG in Haiti, namely the SASA! program by Raising Voices and the Power to Girls program by Beyond Borders. The methods used to develop this report consist of a review of literature on VAWG prevention programs, as well as qualitative data collection with key informants in Haiti. Findings from this analysis will contribute to the broader literature on adapting, testing, implementing, and evaluating evidence-based interventions in developing countries. Details: Washington, DC: Wilson Center, Latin American Program; Inter-American development Bank, 2018. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 31, 2018 at: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/a_community-based_intervention_to_prevent_violence-haiti_final.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Haiti Keywords: Community-Based Programs Shelf Number: 150987 |