Wartime sexual violence is rape or other forms of sexual violence committed by combatants during an armed conflict, war, or military occupation. This type of violence is often committed as spoils of war, but in the case of ethnic conflict, the phenomenon has broader sociological motivations. During periods of armed conflict, cases of sexual violence may encompass a range of behaviors, including gang rape and rape with the use of objects. It is distinct from sexual harassment, sexual assaults and rape committed amongst troops in military service.