Soldiering and silences: witnessing child sexual abuse in Afghanistan

Based on interviews with United Kingdom veterans, this special commentary offers a new interpretation of war trauma. Few studies investigate the emotions soldiers experience when witnessing child sexual assault. During the Afghan campaign, personnel witnessed acts of rape by allies in the Afghan security services on boys—usually excused as the local practice of Bacha Bazi—and were directed not to intervene. This special commentary examines the effects of these actions on soldiers and the mission, highlighting how soldiers were impacted by what they witnessed but could not stop.