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Abstract #157211
Audio (mp3) recordingAthena Kolbe, MSW, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Wayne State University, Division of Substance Abuse Research, 2761 E. Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, MI 48202, 313-577-4444, AthenaKolbe@wayne.edu and Royce Hutson, PhD, School of Social Work, Wayne State University, 4756 Cass Ave., Detroit, MI 48202.
In February 2006 a violent coup overthrew the elected government of Haiti. Using Random GPS Coordinate Sampling, 1260 households, accounting for 2,198 children, were surveyed about experiences with human rights violations in the 22 months after the overthrow of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Findings indicate that children were particularly at risk for human rights violations by political actors. More than half of the 35,000 estimated sexual assaults were against children ages 5-17, including a high number of rapes by members of the Haitian National Police and paramilitary groups associated with the disbanded Haitian army. Restaveks (children who work as unpaid domestic servants) were subjected to sexual assault by police officers at a higher rate than non-restavek children. Additionally, young people from households affiliated with a political party were significantly more likely to be subjected to illegal or arbitrary detentions by armed groups and government forces than children from households with no political party affiliation. Children were also victims of murder, physical assaults, and threats of physical and sexual violence. Human rights violations against children were committed by paramilitaries, government agents and common criminals, as well as foreign soldiers affiliated with the United Nations peacekeeping mission and the Multinational Forces (United States, France and Canada).
Learning Objectives:
- Describe rates of human rights violations against children in urban, post-coup Haiti.
- Articulate the process of Random GPS Coordinate Sampling and its use in human rights surveys.
- Discuss the ramifications of human rights violations on the mental, physical and social well-being of children.
Keywords: Human Rights, War
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.
The 135th APHA Annual Meeting & Exposition (November 3-7, 2007) of APHA