Rape In The Military Essay

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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

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