Military sexual trauma

Military Sexual Trauma (MST) is the term that the Department of Veterans Affairs uses to refer to sexual assault or repeated, threatening sexual harassment that occurred while the Veteran was in the military. It includes any sexual activity where someone is involved against her or his will – she or he may have been pressured into sexual activities (for example, with threats of negative consequences for refusing to be sexually cooperative or with implied faster promotions or better treatment in exchange for sex), may have been unable to consent to sexual activities (for example, when intoxicated), or may have been physically forced into sexual activities. Other experiences that fall into the category of MST include unwanted sexual touching or grabbing; threatening, offensive remarks about a person’s body or sexual activities; and/or threatening or unwelcome sexual advances.^[1] The Veteran Health Administration (VHA) has implemented mandatory screening for MST among all Veterans enrolled in the VHA and reported rates of MST are approximately 22% among female Veterans and 1.2% among male Veterans.^[2] Reported rates among U.S. Veterans returning from the recent wars in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom, OEF) and Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom, OIF) were found to be 15.1% among female Veterans and 0.7% among male Veterans who received services from the VHA.^[3] For a review of military sexual assault and efforts to address sexual violence within the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs see Turchik & Wilson (2010)^[4]

Department of Veterans Affairs

The Department of Veterans Affairs of the U.S. military has a program to assist victims of military sexual trauma.^[5]

Department of Defense Response

In 2005 the Department of Defense formed the Sexual Assault and Prevention Response Office. SAPRO is responsible for the oversight of Department of Defense (DoD) sexual assault policy. The Department of Defense is committed to the prevention of sexual assault. The Department has implemented a comprehensive policy to ensure the safety, dignity and well being of all members of the Armed Forces. The department release an annual report to the United States Congress on the numbers of reported sexual assault in the four military branches and the military academies.^[6]

Command rape

Since the beginning of the Iraq War, the term "command rape" has been used to refer to a victim being promised protection from imminent danger in exchange for having sexual relations with a commanding officer, usually when the commanding officer has life and death decisions over their victim.

Recent Events

On 13 December 2010, the American Civil Liberties Union joined other groups in filing suit for the release of American military records on sexual abuse.^[7]

See also

• Effects and aftermath of rape
• Psychological trauma
• Rape crisis center
• LaVena Johnson
• War rape

References

1. ^ "http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/msthome.asp". http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/msthome.asp. Retrieved 2010-12-06. 
2. ^ Kimerling R, Gima K, Smith MW, Street A, & Frayne S. (2007). The Veterans Health Administration and military sexual trauma. American Journal of Public Health, 97(12), 2160-2166.
3. ^ Kimerling R, Street AE, Pavao J, Smith M, Cronkite R, Holmes TH, et al. (2010). Military-related sexual trauma among Veterans Health Administration patients returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. American Journal of Public Health, 100(8), 1409-1412.
4. ^ Turchik, J. A., Wilson, S. (2010). Sexual assault in the military: A review of the literature and recommendations for the future. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 15, 267-277.
5. ^ "Military Sexual Trauma Program". Archived from the original on 2007-07-30. http://web.archive.org/web/20070730100125/http://www1.va.gov/wvhp/page.cfm?pg=20. Retrieved 2007-12-31. 
6. ^ http://www.sapr.mil
7. ^ Jamail, Dahr. "Rape rampant in US military." Al Jazeera, 21 December 2010.

External links

• List of Rape Crisis Centers nearest to U.S. military bases
• Report on sexual assault in the military by the United States Department of Defense (large document)

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