The Neglected Boys of War: Trapped in a Vicious Cycle of Slavery and Sexual Abuse

Sexual exploitation of children is one of the most pervasive human rights violations in the world. Sex trafficking has become one of the most profitable international crimes. The victims of sex trafficking are often induced into slavery under false pretenses, sold by family members or guardians, kidnapping and abductions, or debt bondage.
At international level, more attention has been paid to conflict-related sexual violence against women and girls than to the issue of sexual violence against men and boys. The 2018 Global Slavery Index ranks Afghanistan among the top 10 countries in the world with the highest prevalence of modern slavery¹ This paper examines the phenomenon, a form of sex slavery of young, vulnerable boys in Afghanistan. Bacha Bazi is a grossly underreported and the least prosecuted crime in Afghanistan. This article shows how the protracted armed conflict in Afghanistan has increased the vulnerability of adolescent boys to sex trafficking in the form of Bacha Bazi. The analysis will include the evolution of Bacha Bazi into a systematic war tactic by both parties in the conflict.