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Essays on sexual violence in the military
Sexual violence in the us military essay
Sexual violence in the us military essay
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In today’s society, there is a hidden ideology of patriarchy within men thinking that they are the dominant sex all over the world. That they can do it better, and that women should be allowed to do certain jobs or life styles, like joining the military. This is where “command rape’” in a way came from, men trying to keep their power and show women or men their dominance over them. Most of the time when a woman does or wanted to report a rape inside and outside of the military she is looked down at, threatened if they do said anything, or even blamed for it happening.
For many years, the problem of sexual abuse within the military was kept quiet and dismissed. Now people are trying to fight back to the point where they tell their stories of what has happened to them, and how the
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When reading “Why #passMJIA? 50 Facts About Sexual Assault in the US Military” it explains that the current structure of how these problems are dealt with are just not working. As of today, all sexually assaults reports and trials happen within the military and with high ranking officers making the discussion. The generals are allowed to overturn the verdicts in their favor which is then the final word. This is where many victims get discharged and are left homeless and suffering from PTSD because of the events. When you have a superior officer that is sexually assaulting recruits, who do the recruits go to? They are supposed to report it to their chain of command, but when it is the same people committed the crime, then they feel like they have no one to go. Like in the instance where a young woman said "I was repeatedly drugged and raped by
In Kirby Dick’s influential documentary “The Invisible War,” filmmaker Kirby Dick uses pathos, ethos and logos to gain information and supplementary details to make his point that there is an epidemic of rape in throughout the DOD (Department of Defense) and the fact that military sexual trauma (MST) in the United States military goes unheard, mostly unpunished and needs to be addressed at a higher level.
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.
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....
In addition, they would dismiss the claims of sexual assault as they would even reverse a verdict of it. It reveals how little the military cares for the women in the
Picture this. You are heading off to college to begin the next chapter of your life. It is a moment you have always been waiting for. You are past the high school drama, and are ready to start taking classes that will allow you to obtain a degree in something you have always been passionate about. It’s your first week on campus and you are invited to a party being hosted by a group of upper classman. You show up to the party and immediately are handed a red cup with what you know is something you shouldn’t be drinking. You take a sip anyway and soon start talking to that guy in the corner who at first seems friendly, but soon begins to take advantage of you. Just like that everything changes. This is a situation millions of people face every
The common story from victims who report being raped, according to a Military Rape Crisis Center worker, is that they were “met with disbelief and skepticism, blamed for the crime, and disposed of one way or another,” (Kitfield). Until the military stops re-victimizing the victims it will never be able to completely eradicate rape from the ranks.
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...
Despoil in the military occurs more often than many civilians believe. It is very important
Military Sexual Trauma, also known as MST. What is it and why is it important? MST refers to psychological trauma resulting from a sexual assault or repeated, threatening harassment experienced during military service (pg. 3). Now, let us take a moment and think about the relevance of this subject? When we think of our women in combat, what do we see? We see strong and courteous females. But have we ever thought about what could be lurking underneath all that armor?
In September 2011, the United States lifted the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy (DADT), which restricted gay, lesbian, and bisexuals from openly serving in the military. This was the first time in American history in which people of every sexual orientation could serve openly (“11 Facts About,” n.d.). This was a momentous occasion for some and not so much for others. For those military members that had served in secret and those members that were firmly against gays and lesbians, this repeal had different meaning. Both groups contained members that have served in the military for years and were products of the Former President Bill Clinton’s 1993 “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. For many soldiers of this era, communication issues arose due to a pre-existing mentality, learned rules and regulations in services reinforced for two decades and the general cultural within combat related fields.
I am suggesting that the prosecution of rapists and sexual assaulters should be handled by civilian courts instead of by the military’s own system, like it is currently being handled. This would allow for the attackers to be fairly judged and obtain a formal punishment that they deserve. It is no secret that the military has in the past made up rules as they go concerning rape. No formal punishment is given and most cases are not even considered for trial. This utter lack of concern for the rape and sexual assault victims will dissuade future soldiers from joining the army and the other branches of service. Soldiers will be more scared for their safety from their fellow soldiers than by being killed by the common enemy.
Sexual assault in the military has become one of the most controversial of all issues that have been discussed over the years. The topic has received extensive media coverage and has contributed to multiple media scandals. According to a Newsweek report done in 2011, women are more likely to be assaulted by fellow soldiers than killed in combat. The Department of Defense estimates approximately 19,000 sexual assaults occur per year amongst military personnel. That number is stifling considering that in the last year only 1,108 troops filed for investigation, and of those only 575 cases were processed. Out of the 575 processed cases only 96 went to Court Martial. Obviously from the numbers, sexual assault is a serious issue in the military. Much like in the civilian world there is bias when it comes to the guilt or innocence of the attacker, as well as the validity in the accounts of the accuser. I believe that the system in place may inadvertently contribute to the continuous rise in sexual assaults and that if this system isn’t fixed quickly, it will be detrimental to the organization as a whole. Sexual assault has seriously negative impacts on service members and their families. That impact carries over to their work, limiting mission readiness, and undermining national security.
The US Military has proven over time that they are incapable of effectively dealing with the sexual assault problem that it faces. “The total number of reports of sexual assaults is up 11 percent over the previous year, and 70 percent over 2012, but officials said increased reporting is a sign of better confidence in the system. ”(Hlad) The US Military has created an environment that allows those who commit sexual assault to roam freely without any real fear of legal consequences; this can only be stopped if civilian court is allowed to handle and process all US Military sexual assault cases.
Feminists see the military system as another patriarchal institution of domination that values the masculine over the feminine. War usually exploits women and other marginalized groups.
There are many well established risk factors for experiencing sexual assault in the military. They range from low rank, female gender, active component service to premilitary sexual assault, however what is the direct effect of the military leaderships role in prevention of sexual assault? This study took a survey of 1337 army and air force servicewomen from March 2010 to December 2011, cataloging a variety of responses, but paying close attention to leadership behaviors. Questions asked about leadership attitudes to sexually suggestive remarks in the workplace, taking reports of sexual assault seriously, concern for ethical behavior, curtailment of sexual activities in living quarters, and lack of support for personnel seeking mental health