Essay Example on Why Does the Number of Sexual Assaults Continue to Increase Throughout Your Army?

Sexual assaults within the army are usually sexual contact that is mostly characterized by the use of threats, abuse, force, and intimidation in instances whereby the survivors are unable to consent due to abuse of authority. The number of sexual assaults within my army has been increasing over time, and something needs to be done to curb the cases mainly associated with suicide. The increased record of suicidal cases in my army is a result of increased sexual assaults. The sexual assault rise is primarily affecting the new soldiers within the military, and the demographics show that those who suffer most are between the ages of 17-24 years. According to the reports, sexual assault in the military army has been rising steadily and higher among women than among men. Sexual harassment is likely to result in sexual assault in most cases. Several causes of the increased number of sexual assaults within my army have left behind many victims. Numbers of the military have faced sexual assault even though there many unreported cases.

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Sexual assaults occur due to three key factors that give the army the desire to sexually assault others based on false biological justifications, cultural influences and learned behavior (Powers et al., 2020). There are many preventative measures within my army against sexual assault that find the root cause of the action, which is likely to increase crime over time.

Researchers suggest that most of the perpetrators suffered sexual violence initially. Learned behavior is regarded as the third primary cause of sexual assaults within the military. Some of the person’s childhood based on the subject of sexuality is positively related to the acts of sexual assault behaviors. Some individuals are likely to develop an evil matter related to sexuality (Kirby, 2019). Expressive sexual intent is expected to develop among adolescents who face a negative influence on healthy sexuality through harassment or abuse. Therefore they are negatively affected, causing the army to indulge in sexual assaults. Rape culture is another cause of increased sexual assault in the military. In this context, sexual violence is prevalent and normalized in popular culture and media. In this type of culture, victims are accused, and individuals are objectified; hence, when they face sexual assaults, they fear reporting, making the crimes increase.

The current SHARP forum approach to training has reduced the risk of sexual assault and harassment sensitively. The program seems to be effective through implementing rules and regulations in the army to stop such sexual crimes (Street et al., 2016). The training is likely to reduce the number of cases related to sexual assault within the army since the program has a specific way to file any complaint. The victims can report any form of sexual assault for help. SHARP program is highly responsive to any case related to sexual assaults, and they handle every reported case seriously.

The combination of loneliness, stress, and high alcohol consumption levels is likely to result in sexual assault (Kimerling et al., 2016). A stressful environment in the army is expected to cause mental illness, which increases the acts of sexual assault. Since the primary causes of increased sexual assaults within the military are stress, loneliness, and high alcohol consumption, there is a need for effective policies and programs to stop sexual assault acts.

Sexual violence in the military can be ended by ensuring that the act's root causes are identified rather than preventing them from unknowingly. Since there are increased reports of sexual assault, there is a need for more programs, policies, and training to end sexual abuse. The military requires putting necessary measures to protect any victims and treat those that already suffer any mental illness due to sexual assaults.

Conclusion

Sexual assault is a serious behavior that has been increasing within the military over time. The SHARP report clearly shows the cause of the increase in the number of sexual abuse, which has left many victims. The primary reason for increased sexual assault within the military includes learned behaviors, cultural influences, and biological justifications. There is a need for effective training, programs, and policies to end sexual assaults in the army.

References

Kimerling, R., Makin-Byrd, K., Louzon, S., Ignacio, R. V., & McCarthy, J. F. (2016).Military sexual trauma and suicide mortality. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 50(6), 684-691. https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(15)00703-5/fulltext

Kirby, J. (2019). Pentagon report shows sharp rise in military sexual assaults. Vox. https://www.vox.com/world/2019/5/3/18528148/pentagon-military-sexual-assault-report-shanahan.

Powers, R. A., Moule Jr, R. K., Dodge, C. E., & Boggess, L. N. (2020). Structuring the invisible war: base and community influences on military sexual assault occurrence. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Cassandra_Dodge/publication/341061368_Structuring_the_Invisible_War_Base_and_Community_Influences_on_Military_Sexual_Assault_Occurrence/links/5f13c021a6fdcc3ed7153b5f/Structuring-the-Invisible-War-Base-and-Community-Influences-on-Military-Sexual-Assault-Occurrence.pdf

Street, A. E., Rosellini, A. J., Ursano, R. J., Heeringa, S. G., Hill, E. D., Monahan, J.,&Bliese, P. D. (2016). Developing a risk model to target high-risk preventive interventions for sexual assault victimization among female US Army soldiers. Clinical Psychological Science, 4(6), 939-956. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5279920/