Response to “Military Sex Assault Claims Rise After Pentagon Launches Campaign Urging Victims to Report”

(See the original article Judith is responding to here)

Although frightening, this headline is really good news, given the military’s long and shameful history of reporting and prosecuting sexual violence. This article speaks to the new initiatives created and how they are making a more open, less shaming culture for victims of sexual violence to report to their ranking officers. This has also created a dramatic increase of the amount of sexual violence reported in the military culture. 

The tragedy is that the abuse and violence has been happening all along. But now, soldiers feel more permission to report the sexual abuse. 

"There is still a misperception that this is a women's issue and women's crime," said Nate Galbreath, the senior executive adviser for the Pentagon's sexual assault prevention office. "It's disheartening that we have such a differential between the genders and how they are choosing to report." 

This article also highlights the efforts of the military to connect to and encourage men in the military to report when they are victimized. In 2012, around 14,000 men and 12,000 women reported that they were sexually abused. The study’s report emphasized their belief that low numbers of men are reporting their sexual abuse. The seeming disparity in the actual numbers reported is due to the overwhelming ratio of men to women in the military. 

They believe that the numbers are much higher for the male soldiers. One theory around their unwillingness to report is largely due to military culture. There is a commonly held belief that “it will make people think they are weak and will trigger questions of their sexual orientation. In most cases sexual orientation has nothing to do with the assault and it is an issue of power and abuse,” said Nate Galbreath. 

Rape and sexual violence is about power and control not about gender, sexuality or physical power. It is a very hopeful and positive shift in the US military that they are strong voices speaking out. The hope is now more victims will be able to be heard and get justice though the military court.

-Written by Judith Ierulli, MSW, LCSW


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Tools for Moving from Surviving to Thriving

Sexual violence is an abuse of power and control. It is a violation of the body, mind and soul. It renders a person powerless.

Sometimes, there is a single act of abuse, but often the horror is repeated over and over. Compounding this horror, the perpetrator is rarely the stranger lurking on the street but a person who is supposed to love us, take care of us… or just be able to respect our integrity as human beings.

Sexual abuse crosses all ages, gender, ethnic, religious and socio-economic lines.

We at Womencare are dedicated to understanding and supporting survivors on their journey to heal the wounds of abuse. We also acknowledge the flaws in our larger society, which often times makes survivors of abuse feel voiceless, shattered and somehow at fault.

Womencare has a series of workshops aimed at helping survivors give voice to what has happened to them.

These one-day, small group workshops educate, provide community, and offer a place for survivors to deepen their understanding of the impact of abuse.

I am honored to facilitate two of these workshops, one for women and one for men. Tools for Moving from Surviving to Thriving is designed to provide just that… in a safe environment where survivors of sexual, physical and emotional trauma can come together, be heard and work on the impact of the trauma in a concrete way.

I believe that awareness, understanding and education equal transformation.

-Judith Ierulli, MSW, LCSW, specializes in working with adolescent and adult survivors of sexual, physical and emotional trauma. Click here to read her bio on WomencareCounseling.com.

Please click here to read more about workshops at Womencare