...Sexual Assault Carolyn Sealy American Military University SOCI 404 Sexual Assault Sexual assault is a serious crime that is growing in the United States. Sexual assault affects everyone. This paper will address how sexual assault relates to the course in regards to socialization, the media, health, religion, deviance, family, and the workplace. I will pursue a critical analysis of this topic by researching statistics associated with the number of men and women who have been assaulted. I will also take a look at how society reacts to sexual assault from several angles. Reactions will be noted by men versus women as the perpetrator and men versus women as the victim. There are countless re that define, explain, and go into depth about sexual...
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...Military and Veterans Issues Over the past decade, reports and complaints from military schools, training exercises and home bases, has been filed for unfair treatment to veterans, military service members and civilians workers on sexual assault. Response to sexual allegation, it has been a slow process that needs to address accordingly. Constant delaying of responses to victim complaints, will leaves a since of distrust within the chain of command and the opportunity to bring the accused to justice. The U.S. military, for years, set policies in place to govern sexual assault, “zero – tolerance”, yet the abuse still goes undetected or unreported. There are helpful aids and support to reduce or elevate the rate of sexual assault victims to...
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...Sexual assault against female in the military Name: School: The power dynamics model is one that integrates the aspects of the power being utilized, the leader’s potential energy and the power that has already been mastered within the context of leadership. According to the theory, the potential power available to the leader emanates from the two-dimensional co-existence perpetuated among the people relating with one another. The theory maintains the position that, a person’s aggregate power is evident from their ability to influence the conduct of the others, especially the led. According to the theory, the sources of energy include authority, which legitimizes the control of one individual, over another or others, due to the nature of their social structure. In some settings, power is exercised in a downwards or upwards style. In the case of a military situation, power is used to a downwards form (Younts & Mueller, 2001). The theory also emphasizes the necessity of some level of coercion, which is legitimized, legalized and viewed as force or influence. In the case of the military situation, the DOD reported that more than 25,000 crimes of a sexual nature were committed by the members of the U.S army (Department of Defense, 2012). Despite the fact that military structures are known to boast of integrity and extreme discipline, the power structure appears to perpetuate a culture of sexual abuse. Based on the theoretical outlook of the power dynamics theory, the...
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...Sexual assault against female in the military Name: School: The power dynamics model is one that integrates the aspects of the power being utilized, the leader’s potential energy and the power that has already been mastered within the context of leadership. According to the theory, the potential power available to the leader emanates from the two-dimensional co-existence perpetuated among the people relating with one another. The theory maintains the position that, a person’s aggregate power is evident from their ability to influence the conduct of the others, especially the led. According to the theory, the sources of energy include authority, which legitimizes the control of one individual, over another or others, due to the nature of their social structure. In some settings, power is exercised in a downwards or upwards style. In the case of a military situation, power is used to a downwards form (Younts & Mueller, 2001). The theory also emphasizes the necessity of some level of coercion, which is legitimized, legalized and viewed as force or influence. In the case of the military situation, the DOD reported that more than 25,000 crimes of a sexual nature were committed by the members of the U.S army (Department of Defense, 2012). Despite the fact that military structures are known to boast of integrity and extreme discipline, the power structure appears to perpetuate a culture of sexual abuse. Based on the theoretical outlook of the power dynamics theory, the...
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...Practices in our Society that Normalize or Excuse Rape. Brianna Burke Sociology of Women Dr. King June, 20, 2013 Abstract Rape Culture views are based on attitudes and practices in our society that normalize or excuse rape. Society excuses rape because it has come to the belief that sex is an act of male domination and female submission. Although we have laws against rape they do not appear to be a main focus point. Society seems to minimalizes rape to the point of not caring, in some cases making the victims seem to be at fault. Because it seems that the repercussions of the rapist are not as tough as they should be, rapists repeat their actions without fear of severe punishment. The average sentence for convicted rapists was 11.8 years, while the actual time served was 5.4 years. In the US because of our rape culture, rape in the military became a major problem in recent years, even up until this problem was publicized. When first brought into the public’s eye the military didn’t seem to be taking rape seriously. Rape is not just a nightmare for military women but for men as well. Rape seems to be more main stream than some might think. Society more often than not are blaming the victims, the proof is in a recent 12-minute video of young men in Steubenville, Ohio, joking about the brutal, extended gang rape of a 16-year-old girl. According to one study of 16,000 Americans, 17.6% of women report having been victims of rape or attempted rape at some time in their lives...
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...fellow soldiers. According to interviews with women in the military who have returned from war, the amount of sexual harassment they are forced to endure has not only increased, but has been written off by officials and fellow soldiers. An act of sexual harassment towards anyone should be dealt with and the abuser should be punished, not disregarded or hidden. These statistics and reports should be publicized, in order to prevent the perpetrator from violating another, and help women soldiers know they are safe to come forward with their allegations, instead of hiding in fear of her superior officers. According to the military, sexual assault is defined as “rape; nonconsensual sodomy; unwanted inappropriate sexual contact or fondling; or attempts to commit these acts” (Benedict 7). With such a substantial number of women joining the armed forces, these boundaries are being crossed more and more each day. Women today consist of fifteen percent of active duty forces, while a 2003 survey states that thirty percent of female soldiers were sexually assaulted by a fellow member of the military (Benedict 11). Not only are these women dealing with surviving attacks from insurgents, but now they have to worry about their “comrades” attacking them behind the supposedly safe walls of the bases. Caryle Garcia, a soldier in Baghdad, recalled of simple, everyday tasks that were made immensely difficult due to the sexual innuendos and inappropriateness of the men in their...
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...commonly falls in military psychology which comes under the subfields of psychology. Posttraumatic stress disorder occurs after you have been gone through a trauma. Trauma is a shock, it can be a horrible scary thing which you see or that happens to you. It can be Experience or witnessing of life-threatening events such as military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, paranormal visions, or physical or sexual assault in adult or childhood. These life changing situations may lead to this horrible psychiatric Disorder. The interesting fact here is most survivors of these traumas return to their normal lives with the time but some will carry the flashbacks, memories which cause side reactions and even their lives will be miserable with the time these are the people who develop PTSD. Some traumatic events that can trigger PTSD 1) Traumatic experiences following military combat 2) violent personal assaults such as sexual assault, physical attacks 3) torture 4) terrorist attacks 5) severe road accidents 6) being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness such as cancer 7) observing the serious injury or unnatural death of another person due to violent assault, accident, war, or disaster 8) unexpectedly witnessing a dead body or body parts 9) exposure to natural disasters such as earth quakes, Tsunamis After getting a general idea on PTSD, It is important to discuss in this topic Military and PTSD. when military soldiers encounter...
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...Women have been participating in wars for many years in different types of ways. In the past it was illegal for women to physically fight in the war but many found their way to help pitch in. Many women disguised themselves as men fighting in combat; some created organizations to support soldiers with forms of aid and donations of food and supplies, and others volunteered on a more personal status sending items to soldiers they knew. It is only recently that women have been considered to take part in direct physical combat which still holds strong oppositions. Women, who are enrolled in the army today, are still not equally treated. They are suffering from being sexually assaulted, discriminated against in high roles, and given poor primary and reproductive healthcare. There should be a change in the availability of opportunities for women in service, fair recognition of their hard work, and they should be given equal rights. Today women in the military face many unjust things one of the leading problems is sexual harassment. Military sexual trauma is the experience of sexual harassment or completed sexual assault during military service. This occurs in both male and females militants. Based on research from the National Virginia Military Sexual Trauma Surveillance Data, approximately one in five women veterans receiving universal screening at a Veterans Health Administration facility reported that they experienced military sexual trauma. In an overall survey they found...
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...article fully The article Sexual-Assault Cases in Military Rise Sharply written by Julian Barnes is written clearly. It’s easy to understand what the author’s point and what it is that she is discussing. She gives us numbers and statistical evidence that helps clarify any questions that we might have about “by how much” sexual-assault cases have risen by. Though the author’s topic is clear, she could have clarified it a little more by adding in why these sexual-assault cases are rising and talk about how the Pentagon is planning on fixing this serious issue. Accuracy: How accurate is this reading and how could we check on it? I believe that this article is very accurate. The author uses statistical evidence to state points and get thoughts across to the reader. Since the author of this article uses statistics and specific groups such as the Defense Department, and Pentagon, we can check the information through them. Precision: Should more specific details have been included in the reading? As stated in accuracy, the author uses statistics and specific groups regarding the sexual attack reports in the military, making this reading very specific and precise. My thoughts, however, is that the author could have made this article a little more precise by telling the reader about specific cases or even why these rates are on the rise. Relevance: Is this reading related to the topic at hand? The title of the article is Sexual-Assault Cases in Military Rise Sharply which obviously...
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...Why Women Should Not Have Combat Roles in the Military In January of 2013, the ban preventing female soldiers from having combat roles in the military was lifted (Harris). As of today, women are fighting on the front lines of war alongside men during a time when war is more brutal now than ever. As a soldier in the Army, it is my plan to one day go overseas and fight against the enemies of the United States. However, it frightens me to know I will be fighting alongside mothers, sisters and daughters, who are all sacrificing their lives to do a job that men have been doing since the beginning of time. There are many important jobs done by women in our military, and I know that is what makes our country special, but I do not think women should be allowed combat roles. The main reasons behind my argument are women are not physically or mentally suited for combat, the amount of tension and sexual abuse that results from women in combat, and the amount of other jobs that women can have in our military besides combat jobs. Women are simply not as physically equipped as men are for combat. A contributor to studyhealth.com said, "Men are over 30% stronger than women, especially in the upper body. Although many feminists cannot face this fact, females simply do not have the strength or endurance necessary to be, for example, effective combat soldiers." A combat soldier is required on average to wear between 88 to 102 pounds of gear, depending on the weather, on almost every...
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...Evolution of the Army Sexual Harassment Assault Response and Prevention program The Military must adapt their focus of training on sexual harassment and assault prevention. There is still a big problem DOD wide due to what the program focuses on. Since the DOD first realized the need for a program, there has been many changes to the focus of the training and message. The Department of Defense, as well as the army, has come a long way in training, preventing and reporting sexual harassment and assault. SHARP is still the Army’s number one priority to this day. People are constantly looking for new ways to better the number of sexual harassment and assaults. Looking at the history of the program as well as current statistics, the program...
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...Research Topic Sexual assault and rape culture have become a predominant issue around the world. Ranging from college campuses to small villages in Rwanda, women are being taken advantage of for the benefit of men. Sexual assault detrimentally affects women and their way of life. In the following paper, I will discuss political violence through sexual assault in two countries, The Democratic of Congo, and Darfur the region in Sudan; the statistics of sexual assault on college campuses in the United States; laws, policies, procedures, and human rights developed to address sexual assault and how they affect women; sexual violence in the workplace; and current events about sexual assault and the effect on women today. II....
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...Women at War Women have faced multiple struggles to gain equality. When it comes to women trying to fight for our rights in the country, the struggle is even tougher. Throughout history, women being involved in the military seemed to be more of a burden than anything. Even though women can help with military readiness, social change throughout the military and get the career advancement they have been dreaming of for so long, they have had a hard time convincing others differently. Others would see women being a part of the military as a risk factor, as they are not as physically strong as men or that women are to compassionate compared to men. Even with the extra stress from maternal and post-traumatic stress disorder, to being sexually assaulted, women did all they could to be a part of the military. Women may not be as physically strong and capable as men but having them in the military can strengthen intelligence operations. Throughout history women have been doing all they can to be a part of the military, even to the extent of dressing as men and creating a fake identity. Support for women being a part of the military was nonexistent until recent years when women have been accepted for roles in the military. Women have been a part of the war effort since the Revolutionary War, but in the early days of our nation they had to disguise themselves to serve alongside men. Deborah Samson Gannett, from Plymouth, Massachusetts, was one of the first American women soldiers. In...
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...Are women capable of serving in combat roles in the military psychologically? Kevin Carpenter BCOM/275 July 16th, 2012 Sandra Payne ABSTRACT According to an article in the Huffington Post women handle combat stress as well as men (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/08/women-combat-stress_n_873381.html). It is the purpose of this paper to show that psychologically women do not handle combat stress as well as men. Through research I will show that women have a higher chance of suffering from Military Sexual Trauma (MST) and have increased risk of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The definition of MST used by the VA is given by U.S. Code (1720D of Title 38). It is “psychological trauma, which in the judgment of the VA mental health professional, resulted from a physical assault of a sexual nature, battery of a sexual nature, or sexual harassment which occurred while the Veteran was serving on active duty or active duty for training.” Sexual harassment is further defined as “repeated, unsolicited verbal or physical contact of a sexual nature which is threatening in character.” In more concrete terms, MST includes any sexual activity where you are involved against your will (http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/military-sexual-trauma-general.asp ). PTSD as covered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs can occur after a traumatic event. A traumatic event is something terrible and scary that you see, hear about, or that happens to you like combat exposure...
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...Abstract The United States Military sends troops into combat operations all around the world. An increase of female soldiers being allowed into military occupational specialties that engage in combat operations has led to a growing number of military sexual trauma cases. Sexual trauma occurs in the male military population in fewer reported cases. Military sexual trauma contributes to a rise of mental health issues among our service members. Sexual trauma in the military creates unique challenges for service members because victims often work alongside their aggressors. This paper will examine what military sexual trauma is, how it affects our service members, prevention strategies, and treatment options for victims. Military Sexual Trauma...
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