Sexual Assault in the Military

Needs of Male Sexual Assault Victims in the U.S. Armed Forces

“…Finally, some researchers have proposed that low rates of male sexual assault reporting in the U.S. military may be related to a perceived code of silence regarding these experiences and concern that reporting may be seen as betraying one's unit, particularly if the perpetrator or perpetrators are part of the unit (Castro et al, 2015). It is also notable that sexual assault is one of the few events that is exempt from military guidance to resolve conflict "at the lowest possible level."…”

“…Nonetheless, male sexual assault victims continue to be underrecognized and underserved for a variety of reasons (Castro et al, 2015;Turchik and Edwards, 2012). During our interviews, we asked civilian experts and military service providers their thoughts about how the general population and general military population perceived male victims of sexual assault.…”

“…Military service providers mentioned victim concerns about possible disciplinary actions for collateral misconduct (e.g., underage drinking prior to the assault) and emphasized worry about the impact of reporting on military careers. 5 Private areas typically include buttocks, inner thigh, breasts, groin, anus, vagina, penis, or testicles.xx Needs of Male Sexual Assault Victims in the U.S. Armed Forces Among U.S. servicemen, stereotypes about masculinity, including views of men as sexually assertive and powerful, and men's beliefs in male sexual assault myths may hinder reporting and help-seeking among victims (Castro et al, 2015;Morris et al, 2014). The military service providers we interviewed noted that military victims' selfblame, embarrassment, and shame are significant barriers to reporting and connecting them to services, and the providers identified embarrassment as a particularly potent barrier for male victims.…”

Masculinity, Organizational Culture, Media Framing and Sexual Violence in the Military

“…Sexual violence is broadly defined by scholars to include rape, sexual assault, sexual aggression, and sexual harassment (Castro et al 2015;Sexual Violence 2017;Zaleski 2016;Jozkowski 2015). Sexual assault occurs within the U.S. Military affecting the lives of 9-13 percent of servicewomen and one to two percent of servicemen, annually (Holland et al 2014).…”

“…Scholars have documented the prevalence of rape culture in media from video games (Anderson and Bushman 2000), advertisements (Capella et al 2013), social media (Zaleski et al 2016) and print news (Franiuk et al 2008). Rape culture is not only present in forms of media but can also exist within institutions and organizations and has been documented within military culture (Castro et al 2015;Cheney et al 2014;Kasinsky 1998;Lohman 2015).…”