Posttraumatic Recovery and Military Sexual Trauma

Posttraumatic Recovery and Military Sexual Trauma
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Posttraumatic Recovery and Military Sexual Trauma
The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) defines military sexual trauma (MST) as sexual assault or repeated, threatening sexual harassment experienced by a service member during their tenure in the armed forces (Galovski, et al., 2022). It results from repeated sexual advances that are threatening, forced, or coerced sexual encounters, unconsented sexual encounters, inappropriate physical contact, inappropriate sexual comments, and blackmail for sexual favors. This problem remains far too common in the military department and it presents long-term impacts on service members’ livelihood (Frey-Ho Fung et al., 2022).
According to Frey-Ho Fung et al.(2022), the high prevalence of MST is attributed to the military’s organizational climate and culture, perceived as tolerant of harassment. Despite the high prevalence, most sexual harassment cases in the military service go unreported and unpunished, raising a major concern for military women considering that women in the military service are more vulnerable to sexual assault. One in three female veterans say they have experienced MST, compared to one in 100 male veterans (Bell et al., 2018). Research from 2021 estimates that over 20,000 military officers in the US experience unwanted sexual contact annually (Galovski, et al., 2022). Of those, approximately 13, 000 are women and 7500 are men (Galovski, et al., 2022).
In the sexual harassment report, the majority of survivors say that the perpetrator was someone in their command chain. Yet, some sexual assault cases in the military services go unreported because the officers fear that they would not be believed (Chivers-Wilson, 2016). They also fear retribution from their perpetrators and commanding officers. In cases where women report the issue and are investigated, perpetrators may walk free due to lack of evidence or get sentences that do not fit their crime (McKenzie et al., 2021). The MST experience results in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health disorders that may culminate in suicidal ideation. However, with treatment and support, survivors of MST can recover and lead fulfilling lives.
Male Survivors of MST
MST has been highly associated with women considering their vulnerability and prevalence. The fact that the military unit is a male-dominated department puts females at an increased risk of sexual victimization. However, sexual assault in the military is not just a women's issue. Men also experience sexual violence in the company of women. One review of reported rates of male sexual victimization found that approximately 1.1% of military men experience MST during their careers (Lofgreen et al., 2017). Prevalence ranged from 0.03% to 12.4% (Lofgreen et al., 2017).
The 2014 Rand Military Workplace Study (RMWS) surveyed male survivors of sexual assault and found that men in the military are also prone to sexual harassment (Lofgreen et al., 2017). Some male survivors reported to h...