SEXUAL ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION OF BOYS IN SOUTH ASIA A ...

eing abducted by military leaders for dancing, and presumably sexual abuse. At the same
time, there are reports that the Taliban have strongly discouraged both the use of boys for
dancing and the traditional practice among some tribal groups of keeping boys as
‘mistresses’. Thus, we are greatly dependent on informal sources of information at the present
time, and research is needed to fully describe what appears to be rapidly changing situation of
the abuse and exploitation of boys in the country.
3.1.2 Sexual abuse of boys
Little information is available regarding the sexual abuse of boys in Afghanistan, and most of
it is informal. It is understood that among some ethnic groups, and to a lesser extent
throughout the country, sexual activity between men and boys is not uncommon. 93 While
affectionate behaviour between males and females in public is not tolerated, between males it
is openly demonstrated. 94 This is in part related to cultural mores that fiercely protect the
chastity of girls and women, limiting social interactions between the sexes. The
precariousness of family protection due to the armed conflict and the high number of
unaccompanied boys in migrant or in-country labour situations suggests that many Afghan
boys are highly vulnerable to sexual abuse.
Data on sexual abuse of boys come primarily from the capital, Kabul. Although statistical
data are lacking, information from secondary sources indicates that boys are more vulnerable
to sexual abuse than girls. 95 It appears to take place primarily in labour situations, in hostels
and during private festivities, as well as in public venues such as bus parks and hotels. Little
is known or discussed about sexual abuse in the home. The reputation and integrity of the
family are of the highest importance, precluding any discussion of domestic sexual abuse.
At the same time, there are precedents for ‘accepted’ sexual abuse of boys, and men’s use of
boys for sexual gratification is admitted and discussed. 96 While sex between older men and
boys among all classes has been reported, at a more ‘sophisticated’ level is the use of bacha
bereesh (boys without beards) by wealthy and powerful men. Warlords and military
commanders use such boys as status symbols as well as sexual partners. Historically and
currently, boys have been kept by wealthy patrons, often as members of the household, and
provided with gifts, clothing and other amenities, as girls are similarly kept in other
cultures. 97
Many of these boys enter into monogamous relationships with patrons as a result of their
occupations as dancing boys, performing at weddings and parties in female makeup and
dress. The institution, sometimes known as bacha baazi (boy play), is reported to be reviving
in the north of the country. Festivities such as marriages and parties require dancing
performances; given that tradition precludes females from performing, the institution of
dancing boys has prevailed in South Asia for centuries, in Pakistan and India as well as
93
Save the Children Sweden-Denmark (Slugget, C.), 2003, ‘Mapping of psychosocial support for girls and boys
affected by child sexual abuse in four countries in South and Central Asia’.
94
Ibid.
95
Ibid.
96
Ibid.
97
International Organization for Migration, 2008, ‘Trafficking in persons in Afghanistan: Field survey report’.
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