The Price of Protecting The Homeland: Sexual Assault In The Military
By: Katy Cupido
Tags: Sex, Military, Sexual Assault, Government, Feminism

The Broken Military System

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Sexual assault thrives in broken systems like that of our military. Commanders are expected to prosecute sexual assault cases in the military, a ridiculous scenario and poor excuse for a fair trial. The equivalent of a football coach prosecuting its players. Nelson Agholor, Julian Edelman, Jalen Mills, Jordan Hicks, and James Harrison are just a few athletes who have been protected by the influence of the NFL, despite their assault and battery of women. Imagine how many more athletes would have been let off the hook for crimes against women if their coaches were the ones prosecuting their players. It would be a ridiculous scenario.

Would commanders be lenient if members of the military were shooting their own? No, they would not. Sexual assault disproportionally affects women, it is hard to argue against the assumption that this leniency is due to a sexist mentality that has infected the ranks. The system fails to prosecute assaulters and protect victims. Sexual assault causes major health effects and performance degradation.

“Sexual assaults are a major reason that female service members leave the military”(Castro, C.A., Kintzle, S., Schuyler, A.C. et al, p. 2)

and as a result of military-related sexual trauma, “many female veterans struggle to transition back into civilian life, with some ending up homeless” (Castro, C.A., Kintzle, S., Schuyler, A.C. et al, p. 2). The way the system handles these cases further traumatize these victims and abandons them despite their service.

Encouraging Sexual Assault

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Men who sexually assault women are psychologically unfit to defend and represent our country. Sexual assault in the military is a significant threat to military readiness and proves that the assaulter is psychologically unable to be part of a team. The government requires people to register as sex offenders to ensure the safety of community members. With this knowledge employers and people who look to rent or buy a house can make the best decision to ensure their safety and that of the people around them. Not registering as a sex offender is a crime. But the military fails to treat sexual assault in the same manner as the rest of our legal system and society.

The lack of repercussion for sexually assaulting someone might encourage aggressors. According to the New York Times many in Congress, argue that,

“military commanders are in the best position to understand individual cases, and that bringing in an outside prosecutor could tie their hands” (Philipps).

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However, sexual assault in the American military surged in the last two years, almost by a “50 percent increase in assaults on women in uniform,” (Philipps) according to a survey released in 2019 by the Defense Department. This increase happened even though victims are unlikely to come forward because they do not trust the system. This means that we can expect the number of victims to be even greater. Sexual assault cases are only rising under the leadership of commanders who are,

“being asked to practice law without a license,” (Philipps)

They are without a doubt unqualified to deal with these cases. Sexual assault victims in both members of the military and civilians face blame, dismissal, scrutiny, and incredulous questioning. Sexual assault is difficult to prove, however, conviction rates in the military are “10% or less” than an already failing system at home. While it is true that false accusations of sexual assaults happen, in “nearly 90% of the cases, the accusation are not false” (Castro, C.A., Kintzle, S., Schuyler, A.C. et al, p. 4) Prosecuting these perpetrators is difficult. Even more difficult in the military were the system has been designed in favor of attackers.

Fueled By Hyper-Masculinity

Due to the male-dominated leadership and structure, the power difference between men and women in the military plays an important role in sexual assault. Sexualized and gendered language within the military,

“including calling recruits ‘girls’ or ‘faggots’ as a form of motivation and various types of military slang — contributes to further psychological distance and objectification” (Castro, C.A., Kintzle, S., Schuyler, A.C. et al, p.2),

Commanders have also been subjected to this psychological grooming and it has likely affected their ability to prosecute sexual assault cases. Soldiers are taught to objectify other humans to,

“limit their empathy in an effort to make killing easier” (Castro, C.A., Kintzle, S., Schuyler, A.C. et al, p.2),

this teaching method has affected soldier to soldier relationships as well as the way leaders deal with the sexual assault that happens within their ranks. The military has also frowned upon service members going directly to their supervisors or higher-ups without first trying to resolve issues themselves. This means that sexual assault victims are at a disadvantage when they come forward because, by military standards, they are doing something wrong by coming forward and reporting the assault to the higher-ups.

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Historically in warfare, “women have been regarded as rewards for the winning side as a method of maintaining morale — sexual resources to which men are entitled.” (Castro, C.A., Kintzle, S., Schuyler, A.C. et al, p.2,). Let’s remember the way the military has interacted with women for years, “Some countries have actively provided sex workers to US military personnel as a token of friendship” (Castro, C.A., Kintzle, S., Schuyler, A.C. et al, p.2). The ability to rape and kill has been a military tradition. This norm has seeped into our military. One sexual assault victim described

“feeling perceived by some men as though participating in sexual activities as part of her obligation as a woman in the army.”(Castro, C.A., Kintzle, S., Schuyler, A.C. et al, p.3)

This echoes the entitlement military men have felt they had over women during wartime.

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Vanessa Guillen died, not protecting her country but being betrayed by it. When we allow the military to operate outside our prosecuting laws and practices, we fail women. The military’s purpose is for the protection of our country and it is funded by our country. Why then do we allow the military to operate in ways that do not reflect our laws? Commanders have been psychologically groomed to see women as lesser in the same way as men perpetrating sexual assault. Their judgment has been compromised. Commanders and military personnel are ill-equipped for this complex task and should hand these cases over to professionals who will do right by the victims and our country.

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works cited

Castro, C.A., Kintzle, S., Schuyler, A.C. et al. Sexual Assault in the Military. Curr Psychiatry Rep 17, 54 (2015). https://doi-org.proxy.wexler.hunter.cuny.edu/10.1007/s11920-015-0596-7

Philipps, D., 2020. ‘This Is Unacceptable.’ Military Reports A Surge Of Sexual Assaults In The Ranks (Published 2019). [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: <https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/02/us/military-sexual-assault.html#:~:text=The%20department's%20annual%20Report%20on,the%20previous%20survey%20in%202016.> [Accessed 25 November 2020].