Paper On Sexual Assault

Sexual assault is an ongoing problem in the U.S military. But there is a large number of soldiers who will admit that during their time in the service they have been sexually assaulted but did not report. Any unwanted sexual contact should be reported; these soldiers should receive justice without being afraid of what might happen to them and their career. Not reporting sexual assaults is putting others in danger of being a victim, and is encouraging these assailants that their actions is acceptable and it’s not.

In “The Invisible War,” it is noted that “women who have been raped in the military have a PTSD rate higher than men who have been in combat” (The Invisible War, 2012). The impact that military sexual assault has on victims is tremendous. Both physical and mental trauma are common, and they play a significant role in how victims of sexual assault are able to return to their daily lives.

Major General Dennis Laich went on camera revealing why senior officers do not report the abuse. Partly because they do not want higher command to view them incapable of supervising their platoons. Filmmakers reached out to different Marine Veterans who stated they were punished for disclosing the assaults. Ziering and Dick want the audience to see the inconsistency the military is displaying. Building on the emphasis that factual proof is the basis for the argument. Staff Sergeant Stace Nelson recalled an incident in which he witnessed a fellow officer belittle a rape victim while subsequently dismissing her case. Department of Defense records show that out of every 3000 people guilty of rape, only 175 of them will do jail time. On a more alarming note, many of the 175 sent to jail will serve less than 30 days. 800 of those cases will never be investigated(Ziering and Dick The Invisible War). In most cases the offenders often maintain their rank while others are even promoted. This can lead an audience to believe the military has been covering up for the issues at hand. Due to the increase of incidents over the years it can be implied that future offenders will not face punishment either. With numbers has high as 300 victims per offender the need to tackle the issue is greater than ever(Ziering and Dick The Invisible War).

Whether or whether not women speak up, doesn’t change the fact that it is happening in the military. Women in general deal with the effects of sexual trauma, but military women may have to re-live it on a day to day basis. As quoted in the article, perpetrators are typically other military personnel, and victims often must continue to live and work with their assailants daily (para. 5). Because of the seriousness of MST, each VA hospital now has a designated coordinator to oversee MST screening and treatment (para. 5). The authors purpose is ultimately to study the VHA’S MST program. It provides the opportunity to investigate the screenings for sexual violence (para. 2). It is very important that women with MST are able to get some type of help, and medication for the after effects of the traumatic experiences they endured while in the

Sexual assault among our service women is an increasing issue in the United States today. The female soldiers who are being forced to endure such an excruciating and demeaning crime are afraid, like other victims of assault, to speak out against their perpetrators. In a field led by mainly men who are supposed to be protecting the citizens of this country, they are tearing down the ones around them. The term for sexual assault among service members is Military Sexual Trauma. “Any attempt of sexual activity against one’s will, whether on/off the military base, or while on/off duty, is considered MST (Department of Veterans Affairs, 2012)”.

This paper explores the military sexual assault victims not often spoken about; many more men were victims of assault in 2013 than women. Because the military is overwhelmingly male, the number to men and women reporting Military Sexual Trauma are about equal. The frequent occurrence of sexual assault in the military is staggering. The Department of Defense RAND “estimates that 4.9% of active duty women and 1% of active duty men experienced a sexual assault in the year prior to being surveyed. These rates suggest that about 20,300 Service members (10,600 men; 9,600 women) experienced a sexual assault in Fiscal Year 2014” (Department of Defense, 2015). Same sex rape seems to be more common in the military than in the civilian population,

Military Sexual Trauma- States to sexual assault or constant other forms of sexual harassment throughout military service.

Nearly 20,000 military members reported that they experienced some form of sexual assault in 2014 (Morral et al, 2015, p. 9). While top military commanders tout the increase in sexual assault reports as proof that congressionally mandated updates to reporting policies are working, the actual number of sexual assaults may be higher. Many military members have faced retaliation from their coworkers if a report is made, which keeps reporting numbers down. Additionally, reporting numbers may be inaccurate as victims of sexual assault face mental difficulties after their traumatic experience, which could cause them to lose their jobs. In order to protect military members from sexual assaults, retaliation, and the metal effects of sexual assault,

“More than 70 members of the US Military encounter coerced and abusive sexual contact, aggravated sexual assault or are raped every day. That's three every hour” (Chemaly). This numeric data is terrible, and should not be tolerated in any type of society or agency. Male servicemen are also assaulted and raped in the United States Military, however it is obvious that woman are raped and assaulted more than men, since men are usually not

Women are a great strength and function unit in the United States Military today. The issues of sexual assault are affecting women serving in the battlefield which feminists would be concerned. The U.S. servicewomen in the military who have returned from war, the quantity of sexual assault they are forced to endure has not only been amplified, but disregarded and not picked up by military officials and fellow soldiers. Sexual assault is well-defined and occurs when a woman is not interested engaging, but forced upon to have a sexual activity with the perpetrator that could to lead rape and other unwanted sexual contact. But one question is to be inquired, is Sexual Assault on military women a scorching subject would the American public consider investigating and labeling it as a national issue? These sources offer different perspectives revolving around the issue. The first source explores US servicewomen experiencing with military sexual trauma that associates Sexual assault. Second perceives how Intimate partner violence known as IPV affects active duty women in the military. Thirdly, the New York Times article describes how sexual assault is arising that gets the attention from Washington D.C to settle the situation. Lastly, truthout.org elaborates military sexual assault is a greater concern than combat.

In 2011, out of the nearly 1.4 million active duty force, 14.5% were women, which is approximately 203,000.

Sexual assault is a continued and rising problem in our society and women especially, should learn ways to reduce their risks of becoming an assault victim.

PURPOSE. This memorandum is to identify fully qualified personnel to fill positions of significant trust within the Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) Program. SHARP Program promotes sexual assault prevention through increased awareness and training, provides advocacy services and resources for victim care. The selected person will work as unit’s program management, prevention, response, and training functional areas.The SHARP Foundation Course (80-hour certification) provides instruction for military and civilian collateral duty SARC and VA at the battalion level and below. The identified personnel will must undergo both a centralized background screening and local screening, including a behavioral health interview.

In the United States rape and sexual assault is a very common offense. The rate of reported complete rape or assault in the U.S. in 2004 was between 3% and 4% for men. The rate reported for women is 11% in 2007. (Turchik & Wilson). These are only the rates that were reported. The number would be much higher if every single person that was either raped or sexually assaulted reported it. The rates would also be higher for males if they weren’t too ashamed to report the rape. A lot of people don’t even believe that it’s possible for a male to get raped or sexually assaulted. In 2007 the rate of reported complete rape or sexual assault in the military was 1%-12% for men and 9.5%-33% for women. (Turchik & Wilson). The rates reported are much higher

The writer’s professional counseling background in the Military was to provide guidance to victims of sexual assault and sexual trauma that combined with chaplain services