Sexual Assault in Military: Causes, Training & Prevention - Essay Sample

Introduction

Sexual assault has been a critical aspect affecting most organizations across the world. Like other organizations, the military is highly affected by the issue (Childress, 2013). In 2012, about 26,000 military men and women were sexually harassed (Childress, 2013). Despite the introduction of several control approaches, sexual assault in the military continue to increase. The essay reviews the cause, training, and prevention of sexual assault in the military.

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Leading Factor

Environmental conditions that the military officers live in have been highlighted as the leading factor that influences soldiers to engage in sexual assault (Childress, 2013). Usually, working in conditions such as forest camps for a long period increases the chance of soldiers engaging in the offense. Power difference among members is another aspect that triggers an increase in sexual assault. Normally, junior soldiers are subjected to sexual harassment by their seniors (Childress, 2013). As such, senior officers take advantage of their position to sexually assault others who have no power. This approach is highly experienced among newly recruited officers who have little understanding of what happens within the organization. Additionally, economic reasons are another vital aspect that is linked to an increase in sexual assault (Childress, 2013). Most people that work in the military have a background that is associated with poverty (Orchowski et al., 2018). Therefore, working in the organization forms a path to their economic prosperity. Due to the concept, some members take advantage of and exploit others sexually.

Training System Failure

Even though the government of America has been striving to introduce ways to counter sexual assault in the military, the current training system does not offer effective techniques to reduce the issue. As such, the system lacks a formal evaluation, and this hinders the application of prevention programs (Orchowski et al., 2018). Therefore, it has become a challenge for the government to change the behavior and attitude of officers, which is a critical aspect of reducing sexual assault (Childress, 2013). The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) has not managed to mobilize and inform officers across the country on how to counter the issue (Orchowski et al., 2018). Generally, training creates a boundary that exists between senior and junior, and this hinders the connection between officers and SAPRO, thus affecting the reporting rate.

Prevention Approaches

Due to the increased rate of sexual assault, there is a need to establish prevention approaches. Education is one of the significant approaches that military leaders are supposed to introduce to enhance the reduction of sexual harassment (Orchowski et al., 2018). Through education, leaders will inform other officers of the impact of sexual assault and the ways they are supposed to deploy to control the issue (Orchowski et al., 2018). Additionally, education helps in creating awareness for all officers, thus changing their perception toward gender roles. Introducing awareness program during training is another prevention approach the military may deploy. The approach may train how officers are supposed to interact, thus reducing their issues associated with sexual temptations (Childress, 2013). Additionally, leaders are supposed to create a culture that respects other people’s status, thus preventing engaging in a sexual offense.

Conclusion

In conclusion, sexual assault in the military has been a critical issue. The issue has been triggered by environmental conditions, power differences, economic reasons, and much more. The current training does not have an effective approach to counter the issue. As such, leaders are supposed to inform others about how to overcome the issues by introducing education programs in the training sessions.

References

Childress, S. (2013). Why the military has a sexual assault problem. Frontline. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/why-the-military-has-a-rape-problem/

Orchowski, L. M., Berry-Cabán, C. S., Prisock, K., Borsari, B., & Kazemi, D. M. (2018). Evaluations of sexual assault prevention programs in military settings: a synthesis of the research literature. Military Medicine, 183(suppl_1), 421-428.
https://academic.oup.com/milmed/article/183/suppl_1/421/4959989.