Rape In The Military Essay

473 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Leadership in the military

While these strong reforms and programs have been making a positive impact on the experiences of sexual assault victims, they still find problems of rape culture within the military that need to be addressed. While programs and reforms might be strong on paper, their actual effectiveness will depend on the leadership within the military and the culture that persists. While many military leaders such as Secretary Hagel and General Odierno have come out in strong support for victims and call for changes in the military, other members of leadership prove a lack of attention or care for the issue. In the past year there have been some examples of this attitude. rough a rescreening of military personnel in sensitive positions of trust ordered by …show more content…

The former head of the Air Force Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Once faced allegations of sexual battery in 2013. An Army sergeant at Fort Hood, who was the coordinator of the post’s sexual assault harassment prevention program, faces 21 charges in a prostitution ring case (Paresh 2014). Reforms and programs to prevent and respond to sexual assault can only be as effective as the leadership that runs them and the culture that surrounds the issue of sexual assault. When some leadership not only treat sexual assault casually but also sometimes commit the crime, victims will continue to not report. SVC also reports pushback from commanders and prosecutors, claiming that they have been excluded from hearings and denied access to crucial information (Clark 2014). Others have also reported being threatened with retaliation when they challenge higher-ranking officers (Biesecker & Dalesio 2014). Rape culture that permeates through leadership and through the ranks within the military must be reduced and eventually eliminated in order for victims to truly feel comfortable

Show More
Related

  • Aberdeen Proving Ground Investigation

    917 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1996, Captain Derrick Robinson, Sergeant Delmar Simpson, and Sergeant Nathanael Beech were arraigned for their suspected involvement in one of the biggest sex scandals the United States Military had seen. According to CNN, between these three men, charges of rape and adultery were pending in a huge case of sexual misconduct against female soldiers at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland (CNN, 2996). Following this incident, the United States Military took it upon themselves to open a telephone hotline to encourage the reporting of similar harsh crimes. Furthermore, the spike in reporting influenced extensive research to examine the prevalence of rape against women soldiers in the U.S. Military (Titunik, 2000). This paper will explore the dynamics of rape against women soldiers in the military and the research done on its prevalence.

    Read More

  • Documentary, The Invisible War, Features Heroic War Heros

    803 Words  | 2 Pages

    Military records show over 20 percent of female veterans have been sexually assaulted (Ziering and Dick The Invisible War). As well as being assaulted, these women are then told no further action will be taken. 33 percent of military women do not report their sexual assault because the person to report to was a friend of the rapist (Ziering and Dick The Invisible War). Those who do come forward are punished for making such allegations. As the film continues, it begins to show overwhelming evidence of lack of punishment for the offenders....

    Read More

  • Sexual Assault in the Marine Crops

    1941 Words  | 4 Pages

    The infamous 1991 Tailhook convention prompted congressional inquiry and investigation into the occurrence of sexual harassment throughout the armed services. The findings of the investigating body opined that the scale of sexual harassment and assault that took place at the Tailhook convention was so large that it constituted a “one of the kind of event.” Of greater concern, was the question of leadership and culture. “The attitudes that permitted it to occur are not isolated. Rather, they are so widespread in the services that basic, cultural change will be necessary to limit the harassment.” To achieve cultural change, the committee proposed the following tools: 1) lea...

    Read More

  • Military Sexual Trauma among US Servicewomen during Deployment

    696 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the surveys they have referenced in the article, it displays military sexual trauma increases among women during and after military deployment of unwanted sexual contact in recent years. The authors have recruited and conducted of twenty-two US servicewomen telephone interviews from May 2011 to January 2012 to participate a qualitative study with or without their MST experiences. They asked the participants questions regarding about MST during deployment and other factors which are disturbing their reporting and accessing to services against the perpetrators. The issues of sexism, high stress levels, and failed military leadership contributing factors which put these servicewomen in jeopardy of MST. Some of the interview women said that servicewomen do not report MST due to lack of support from peers, unreliable confidentiality, stigma, and other barriers. The interviewees feel more comfortable opening to medical care services after deployment in the United States that grips with sexual assault cases than throughout deployment around the world. The participants have suggested to improving the MST services: by increasing awareness, prosecution, investigation, cultural shift, and independence service providers. The interviewees recognized that Military se...

    Read More

  • Women´s Responsibility in the Military: The Right to Fight

    1232 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are some opponents of the ban of women fighting in combat that say that having women and men together in war may lead to women accusing the men of sexual harassment, and it can happen, and it has before. All women that fight in war claim that it is a problem happening persistently, not stopping. It happened to a female soldier in the navy. She claimed she was being sexually harassed by shipmates. She reported one man that just would not stop harassing her and then she waited for him to be brought to justice. Some people say that they have seen commanders “look away” when women reported being sexually harassed, meaning that ...

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Military Sexual Assault

    726 Words  | 2 Pages

    Article 120, UCMJ, is rape and sexual assault generally. The manual for courts-martial provides a very detailed and informative definition of what Sexual Assault is. The goal of this article is not to regurgitate that definition for you, but simply to make you aware of some of the common themes and similarities seen in past military sexual assault cases, provide some clarity on the two reporting options and finally to make you aware of some of the resources available to you in the event you become a victim of sexual assault. Many military sexual assault cases share two prominent characteristics; the consumption of alcohol and lack of clearly given consent. The unfortunate and tragic truth is sexual assaults still occur within our ranks. However, we can mitigate our chances of becoming a victim by educating ourselves, being aware of common themes and staying proactive in the prevention of this despicable crime.

    Read More

  • Military Sexual Assault Essay

    1478 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sexual Assault in the military has become an uprising problem. Within the military community, the term sexual assault carries a meaning that includes everything from violent sexual acts such as rape and forcible sodomy, to assault with intent to commit rape, unwanted sexual touching or attention and being a witness of the crime and not reporting it. Although most believe those who commit such heinous crimes are usually a person or persons with a violent record, violence is not a prerequisite for sexual assault. Once a service member becomes a victim of sexual assault, they become much more than a victim of just the crime itself. They fall victim to their own thoughts, never being able to trust their chain of command again, jeopardizing careers

    Read More

  • Comparisons Between The Hunting Ground And The Invisible War

    856 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the documentary, Sgt. Myla Haider states that the U.S. Military approach to sexual assault is designed to "help women get raped better." The chain of command forces officers to report their rape to their superior, who in many cases may be their rapist. Then, victims are penalized for alleging sexual assault since their reports diminish the performance ratings of the squadron and are viewed as a nuisance. Victim blaming is so prevalent in the military that the victim may be charged with adultery while the attackers go unpunished. The Supreme Court even substantiated this view by ruling sexual assaults as an "occupational hazard." While all sexual assault survivors face emotional distress, military victims often show stronger signs of depression. The military operates on a family mentality so when a coworker or commander violates the victim, they lose trust in their work and become so traumatized that they cannot function as a productive member of society. In addition, military survivors are more likely to contemplate suicide since their entire world seems to have violated. Having a reputation as a sexual assault victim ruins their career in the military by making them seem vulnerable so victims will not report assaults as a defense mechanism or out of fear of being dishonorably discharged by their

    Read More

  • Rape and Sexual Assault in the Military

    1105 Words  | 3 Pages

    The purpose of this essay is to discuss the issue of rape and sexual assault in the military. The number of attacks for rape and sexual assault in the military are at an all-time high. Women have recently been allowed to fight on the front line. While this may be a huge achievement for women-kind, for this woman, it is a very scary thought. I am a junior at Texas Academy of Biomedical Sciences; a school geared towards students wishing to enter the medical field. I may be forced to join the military one day if a war breaks out and women are needed to protect the country. I would be happy to serve my country if I did not have to be scared of my fellow soldiers. Rape and sexual assault are major issues in the military and have been for many years without much effort to decrease the attacks. I am suggesting that unless the rape and sexual assault issue is fixed, the amount of people joining the military, specifically the women, will decrease greatly.

    Read More

  • Sexual Trauma In The Military Essay

    644 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sexual trauma is a serious problem not only in the military but in society. It is defined as sexual harassment or sexual assault and can happen at any time. Although there are treatment plans to help deal with the experience there is still a harsh stigmatism surrounding sexual trauma. Loss of professionalism and the possibility of being diagnosed with a personality disorder, are two of the consequences of reporting sexual trauma in the military. A lot of thoughts go through your mind after something like this happens.

    Read More

  • Sexual Assault In The Military

    496 Words  | 1 Pages

    Jared Wright tells how when in the military he was assaulted by leaders and other members of the platoon as a newbie. The discussed how these individuals held him down and showed how they were superior to him not only the one time, but throughout his entire experience being deployed. The actions of the NCOs depict that of male individual that feel like they need to express how dominant they are to other in a lower position by doing certain this just because they feel threaten. Furthermore, in her interview Anu Bhagwati discusses how the military uses the number of rape cases to try and limit women from joining the military by declaring that rape within the military is only a women’s issue. Those in power within the military reinforce the feminist and the sociological theory on rape uses it to keep women in a certain place in society by inadvertently encouraging gender roles. Clearly, rape in the military in not just a woman’s issues as stated by Anu Bhagwati more than half reported rape cases in the military are from men and enforcing these stereotypes prevents fighting this issue to take full

    Read More

  • Trauma In Military Women Essay

    1780 Words  | 4 Pages

    Additionally, already, 15 % of female Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who have gone to the VA for care have tested positive for Military Sexual Trauma. But even these troubling figures may not be telling the whole story; experts estimate that half of all sexual assaults go unreported. Lastly, Paul reports that special DOD "task force" on sexual assault in the military was created almost 4 years ago, however these programs haven’t been

    Read More

  • Violence: The Role Of Domestic Violence In The Military

    330 Words  | 1 Pages

    Domestic Violence has been going on within the military for quite some time and now it can no longer be hidden or overlooked by higher authority of the military. Domestic violence within the military forces can be a complicated problem, because laws for a service member may differ from that of a civilian personnel. Although, domestic violence is a tragic issue that is taken very serious worldwide, laws exist to protect those affected by this violent crime. Due to many deployments and other circumstances that takes a service member away from their families, as a result violence is increasing in our military forces. Consequently, this visibility has caused the Department of Defense to take notice of an issue that was once known as the best

    Read More

  • Sexual Assault In The Military

    1425 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sexual assault is a prevalent issue in today’s society. According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, sexual assault is any type of forced or coerced sexual contact and/or behavior that happens without consent. This includes (attempted) rape, sexual harassment, or threats. It is stigmatized, defamed, and victims are often looked upon as lesser human beings. This backwards view of rape in our culture is extended into all aspects of our life, even in well-respected aspects of our lives such as the military.

    Read More

  • Homosexuality In The Military Essay

    1774 Words  | 4 Pages

    I am writing this research paper on one of the most debatable issues in the history of the United States of America. The issues are whether or not gays should be allowed to serve openly in the military or should they stay in the closet. Society has mixed feelings about this subject. Some people think that by gays serving in the military it causes harm and some people think it does not cause any harm. Some feel that this issue is a big distraction and that it may make other soldiers feel uneasy. Therefore, many people believe that the military should not accept openly homosexuals. Throughout history homosexual behavior has been considered a criminal offense according to civilian and military law. Engaging in homosexual activities had been grounds for discharge from the United States military since the Revolutionary War. When the military added psychiatric screening to its induction process, it added homosexuality as a disqualifying trait. In 1993, new laws and regulations on homosexuality and United States military service came into effect reflecting a compromise in policy. The policy that came into effect on December 21, 1993 was the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. This official United States policy was enforced on homosexuals who served in the United States military. Under this policy military members were not to be asked about nor discuss their sexuality. If you were gay, you had to keep it to yourself and not tell anyone while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Also, you could not ask people if they were gay.

    Read More

More about Rape In The Military Essay

Open Document