(Koss, Gidycz and Wisiewski, 1987) Helen Benedict in a thought provoking and well-researched article had painted an even gloomier picture in the military where, as Department of Defense reports indicate, the incidence of rape is almost twice as much as that reported in civilian society and rape victims were mostly women working in junior ranks and having an average age of 21 years while their tormentors were mostly non-commissioned officers whose average age hovered around twenty eight. (Benedict, 2008) Perception of Women by a Common Soldier The cause for this alarming state of affairs possibly lies in the pernicious mixture of prevalent military culture, the demented psychology of the perpetrators and the nature of war that the Military is engaged in
These disclosures brought about sharp criticism from Congresswoman Jane Harman who declared that these statistics only bolstered the claim of critics that the military is unable or unwilling to properly handle this deep rooted malaise. (Gearan, 2009) Man Raping Man -- Another Serious Issue in U
In a study of incidences rape, Koss, Gidycz, and Wisiewski maintained that approximately 28% of female students have been subject to rape or sexual assault during their college days. (Koss, Gidycz and Wisiewski, 1987) Helen Benedict in a thought provoking and well-researched article had painted an even gloomier picture in the military where, as Department of Defense reports indicate, the incidence of rape is almost twice as much as that reported in civilian society and rape victims were mostly women working in junior ranks and having an average age of 21 years while their tormentors were mostly non-commissioned officers whose average age hovered around twenty eight
Moreover, as Madeline Morris has very aptly described in her seminal work that though drill instructors are officially prohibited to use racially demeaning epithets, they routinely use "pussy," "girl," "bitch," "lady" and "dyke" to demean and denigrate new recruits even when fourteen percent of serving forces consist of women. (Morris, 1996) The fact the malady has deeper roots has been unearthed by Carol Burke when she quoted the Naval Academy chant that demeans the entire female race beyond all norms of basic civility and makes the entire U
This perhaps is the reason why Pentagon also admitted that almost eighty percent of sexual abuse and rape cases never get reported. (Parker, 2007) Kaye Whitley, director of the Pentagon's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, said her office had received 2,923 reports of sexual assault across the military in the twelve months ending Sept
Surely no victim would truly and honestly come forward and put her entire abilities at the service of the commander if she has been victimized by that commander and had to surrender to his lust simply because he holds a superior position and has the power to not only destroy her career in the military but also make her the subject of public ridicule and insult. (Pickands, 2004) Attempts by the U
Among several suggestions made in the resolution the most pertinent is that commanders should be held personally responsible for all acts of rape that occur in their command and would have to justify each and every such case if they have been disposed of through non-judicial measures or departmental actions. (Ranjan, 2008) From what has been discussed above, it is quite obvious that no amount of legislation can actually improve the dismal scenario and any betterment can only happen if the military changes its attitude towards women
Experts suspect the weak economy and the increased stress levels it brings may be the spark that's causing more violence." (Segall, 2012) According to Macaluso there were approximately "2,000 protection from abuse filings in Montgomery County last year, up from 1,500
A truly fearless society can only be achieved when these sex offenders lead a peaceful and guilt free life after committing the worst crime. When such criminals take on life that is free from any kind of wrong doings then only it will serve the best interest of society (Corabian & Hogan, 2012)
Registries demand that the offender submit his fingerprints, photographs, DNA samples, as well as other basic information. The offenders are supposed to report to registry till the time they serve imprisonment and in case of non-compliance, the offenders might serve additional time (Griffin & Blacker, 2010)
Nevertheless, there are still a few loopholes in the system. For instance, Australia has no national website to track and report such cases and also, the country lacks any kind of national level system through which public could be intimated about such acts (James Vess, et al
Furthermore, it essentially means attempt and complete rape and any kind of blameworthy sexual conduct. Moreover, sex offense includes any kind of sexual misconduct committed against a child and an indecent sexual behavior towards a single person, in front of a public (Mackey & Levan, 2013)
The law required all victims to report any kind of crime related to sexual offense, or a serious offense against a child immediately to the local police. The offenders were asked to submit their local address, car registration number and frequent places they visit (Newburn, 2010)
Statistically, there was an increase of 46% in rape cases in 2008 as compared to 2004. Furthermore, there was an increase of 81% in child sexual offenses who were under 16 years of age for the same period (Umeda, 2010)
Together, these elements will illustrate the scope of the problem and the solutions for addressing it. (Monahan, 2011) The effects of sexual assault in the military The Women Armed Services Integration Act of 1948 opens the door for women to permanently serve as members of the military
These figures are showing that more women are serving in a variety of roles. (Patten, 2011) However, the reality is that there a sub-culture which refuses to see women as their equals
A commanding officer holds down a woman as he threatens her with a charge of adultery -- which would end her military career and send her to prison -- if she tells anyone." (Rosen, 2014) This is showing how a pervasive culture exists inside many units
The second article chosen for this paper, "Impact of Gender on Reactions to Military Sexual Assault and Harassment," runs along similar lines as the first article, but in a more general way. This article in the peer-reviewed journal Health & Social Work points out that sexual assault in the military can have a "negative effect on health and functioning" even several years or decades after the military service is completed (Bell, et al
Notwithstanding what happens to women because they were assaulted, as reported in Mother Jones an estimated 26,000 rapes and sexual assaults took place in the military in 2012, and just 1 in 7 victims reported these incidents. And only 1 in 10 rapes / assaults went to trial (Calvert, 2014)
The authors have conducted research in order to qualify the association between assault in the military and decreased satisfaction later in life. This research points to an interesting fact: women who have been sexually assaulted while serving their country in the military "…may be more traumatized than other forms of sexual violence" due to the fact that she was assaulted by a "trusted colleague" or a "close colleague" and there may have been a weapon involved (McCall-Hosenfeld, et al