Also known as: Sexual Exploitation, Concubinage, Gender Violence, Sexual Abuse Under Slavery
Last updated: April 23, 2026
Sexual violence under slavery encompassed rape and assault, forced concubinage arrangements, sexual exploitation in exchange for marginally better conditions or the possibility of freedom for oneself and one's children, and the systemic denial of bodily autonomy and family formation among enslaved people. This violence shaped every dimension of colonial society - from demographic patterns and the growth of the free colored population to revolutionary dynamics and post-independence debates about morality, marriage, and national identity.
This concept is a dimension of the daily life of enslaved people in Saint-Domingue.
Sexual violence as a specific tool of control that shaped women's resistance
This concept captures an aspect of daily life on the Saint-Domingue plantation.
Sexual violence in slavery is the specific context of the institution's gendered violence.
Sexual violence was systematically used against enslaved women.
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"Sexual Violence." Rasin.ai, 2026. https://rasin.ai/connections/concepts/sexual-violence. Accessed 2026-05-05.