Experiences of Sexual Harassment, Stalking, and Sexual Assault During Military Service Among LGBT and Non‐LGBT Service Members

Abstract

Sexual victimization, including sexual harassment and assault, remains a persistent problem in the U.S. military. Service members identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) may face enhanced risk, but existing research is limited. We examined experiences of sexual harassment, stalking, and sexual assault victimization during service in a sample of LGBT and non‐LGBT active duty service members. Service members who identified as LGBT (n = 227 LGB, n = 56 transgender) or non‐LGBT (n = 276) were recruited using respondent‐driven sampling for an online survey. Logistic regression models examined the correlates of sexual and stalking victimization. Victimization was common among LGBT service members, including sexual harassment (80.7% LGB, 83.9% transgender), stalking (38.6% LGB, 30.4% transgender), and sexual assault (25.7% LGB, 30.4% transgender). In multivariable models, LGB identity remained a significant predictor of sexual harassment, OR = 4.14, 95% CI [2.21, 7.78]; stalking, OR = 1.98, 95% CI [1.27, 3.11]; and assault, OR = 2.07, 95% CI [1.25, 3.41]. A significant interaction between LGB identity and sex at birth, OR = 0.34, 95% CI [0.13, 0.88], suggests an elevated sexual harassment risk among male, but not female, LGB service members. Transgender identity predicted sexual harassment and assault at the bivariate level only. These findings suggest that LGBT service members remain at an elevated risk of sexual and/or stalking victimization. As the military works toward more integration and acceptance of LGBT service members, insight into victimization experiences can inform tailored research and intervention approaches aimed at prevention and care for victims.

“Even If the Policy Changes, the Culture Remains the Same”: A Mixed Methods Analysis of LGBT Service Members’ Outness Patterns

“…As evidenced by a sister study, half of LGBT service members interviewed in 2016 continued to fear that the military environment, at both the institutional and interpersonal level, was not yet LGBT inclusive, despite repeal of LGBT bans (McNamara et al, 2020). Furthermore, a recent study found that LGBT service members are at heightened risk of sexual harassment, assault, and stalking than their non-LGBT counterparts (Schuyler et al, 2020).…”

Acceptance matters: Disengagement and attrition among LGBT personnel in the U.S. military

“…Further information on study design, recruitment, and procedures can be found in McNamara et al and Schuyler and Klemmer. 21,22,37 The Human Protection Office of the U.S. military and the institutional review boards at the University of Southern California and University of California, Los Angeles, granted ethical approval for this study.…”

“…Other publications from the broader research project describe collection of these items in detail. 21,22,40 Analyses Data cleaning and analyses were completed using Stata version 15.1. 41 Analyses included χ 2 tests to estimate percentages and identify differences between groups (sexual orientation, gender, age, race, partnership status, education level, rank, branch of service, years of service, and deployment history) for further exploration in regression analyses and multinomial logistic regressions to calculate relative risk ratios and adjusted R2.While assessing for missingness in the data, the LGBT Climate Inventory was found to have 8% missingness; multiple imputation was used to impute mean scores for observations missing this measure.…”

“…13 In addition to or as a result of these policies, LGBT SMs are found to be at an elevated risk of sexual and stalking victimization and perceive lower acceptance of LGBT and other minority groups in service. 22,23 Ultimately, this lack of perceived belonging among LGBT SMs may affect social and task cohesion within the ranks, negatively affect military performance, and result in negative impacts on health and career outcomes. [24][25][26] Theoretical approach Drawing on social identity theory, this article connects LGBT SMs' self-categorization and perceived group membership with inter-group relationships driven by unit cohesion and organizational commitment.…”

Providing Care to Survivors of Military Sexual Trauma

“…2 Additionally, people who are non-gender conforming and members of the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) community are at disproportionate risk of these experiences. 3,4 People who have experienced MST often share that although they prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country and comrades, they never prepared to be harmed by a "brother or sister in arms," whom they were trained to trust with their life. Some survivors report that an insufficient or even detrimental institutional response when reporting MST was as distressing as the initial trauma.…”