So, what is RMST, anyway? It’s risk of Military Sexual Trauma, which is rampant in the nation’s armed forces. Sexual assault in the military may be, as declared in this trailer for the film “The Invisible War,” the American military establishment’s greatest cover-up.
The numbers are shocking: Among veterans using VA health care, approximately 23% of the women reported experiencing sexual assault in the military.
Sexual assault of military personnel takes place in a context in which intimate partner violence (IPV) is also elevated. For example,
- Among women veterans, 39% report having experienced IPV at some point in their lives.
- Among active duty women, 30% to 44% report having experienced IPV during their lifetimes.
- Estimates of IPV committed by veterans and active duty servicemen range between 13.5% and 58%– which the Veteran’s Administration says is up to three times higher than the rates seen among civilians.
The outcomes are also shocking. You probably know that many people in the armed forces develop PTSD. But did you know that a substantial number of those cases of PTSD and other disorders are the results of rape—not rape by enemy soldiers or enemy combatants but by fellow countrymen and women? Although the Department of Defense has initiated a number of programs designed to promote sexual assault awareness and prevention, the Military Rape Crisis Center, a survivor-run organization, indicates that there is a long way to go. See what victims face.
Now share your views: In a social political context in which there is no military draft/conscription but only an “all volunteer” military, and given a context in which the military industrial complex may see benefits in growing income disparity, what factors may be contributing to military sexual assault and domestic violence and what factors may increase the likelihood of those traumas resulting in PTSD? And come back and visit this Thursday to see a post on military sexual assault on men.