Military Sexual Assault is a hard concept to understand. However, if the cases are put into numbers it is quite startling to see, but also makes it easier to comprehend. About 23%-30% of women have experienced sexual assault and or attempted sexual assault during their career in the military (Campbell 97). Campbell goes on to say that, about 50% of survivors who suffer from depression actually seek professional help (97). Conard states that, 80%-90% of MST cases go unreported and 97% of victims knew their attackers (282). In 2009, only 3, 230 incidents were reported, which is an 11% increase from 2008 and a 20% increase from 2007. 91% of the reported cases were females (274). Untreated victims can develop poor mental and psychological health,
…show more content…
She only remembers brief images of John on top of her, having sex with her. Sarah speaks with the sexual assault response coordinator on base and feels that she remembers that she did not consent. She reports the incident. A criminal investigation is opened. Sarah provides a statement and John in questioned. There are no other witnesses to testify, however several service members report that both parties had been drinking heavily that night. The investigators present the information to John and Sarah’s Chain of Command. After several previous occurrences involving accusations of sexual misconduct in the unit that went unpunished for numerous reasons, the commander feels pressure from his superiors to create a zero tolerance environment, rather than resolving these cases. The commander brings criminal charges on John and he is referred to a court-martial. The charges claim that John either had sex with Sarah by force or by threat, or he took advantage of her while she was unable to consent because she was severely intoxicated. Before the trial, John provides warning that he intends to claim that Sarah consented to the sex, or that even if she did not consent he had a reason to believe that she …show more content…
In DuBois’s story he speaks of a black man named John who killed a white man who was attempting to rape his sister, “his dark skinned sister struggling in the arms of a tall and fair-haired man… seizing a fallen limb, struck him with all the pent-up anger in his great black arm.” (DuBois 49-50). In the story black John was hung for killing white John even though he was purely defending his sister. This is similar to how victims are not treated with equality or respect and how the decision will go in favor of the attacker. Because John was black he was murdered rather than questioned about his side of the story. They white mob automatically assumed that white John’s murder was unprovoked and without logical reason. This is parallel to the way victims are treated in numerous sexual assault cases, because they usually women or they are attacked by an outranking officer they are not asked about their side of the story and they are constantly blamed for the attacks. Another example of this is in Wright’s novel, Native Son. He depicts a situation where Bigger Thomas, a black man, is being prosecuted for the rape and murder of Mary Dalton, a white woman. In the novel the reader knows that Bigger did in fact murder her, but he did not rape her, “He burned the body to get rid of evidence of rape!... He killed her because he raped her!... the central crime here is
She only remembers brief images of John on top of her, having sex with her. Sarah speaks with the sexual assault response coordinator on base and feels that she remembers that she did not consent. She reports the incident. A criminal investigation is opened. Sarah provides a statement and John in questioned. There are no other witnesses to testify, however several service members report that both parties had been drinking heavily that night. The investigators present the information to John and Sarah’s Chain of Command. After several previous occurrences involving accusations of sexual misconduct in the unit that went unpunished for numerous reasons, the commander feels pressure from his superiors to create a zero tolerance environment, rather than resolving these cases. The commander brings criminal charges on John and he is referred to a court-martial. The charges claim that John either had sex with Sarah by force or by threat, or he took advantage of her while she was unable to consent because she was severely intoxicated. Before the trial, John provides warning that he intends to claim that Sarah consented to the sex, or that even if she did not consent he had a reason to believe that she …show more content…
In DuBois’s story he speaks of a black man named John who killed a white man who was attempting to rape his sister, “his dark skinned sister struggling in the arms of a tall and fair-haired man… seizing a fallen limb, struck him with all the pent-up anger in his great black arm.” (DuBois 49-50). In the story black John was hung for killing white John even though he was purely defending his sister. This is similar to how victims are not treated with equality or respect and how the decision will go in favor of the attacker. Because John was black he was murdered rather than questioned about his side of the story. They white mob automatically assumed that white John’s murder was unprovoked and without logical reason. This is parallel to the way victims are treated in numerous sexual assault cases, because they usually women or they are attacked by an outranking officer they are not asked about their side of the story and they are constantly blamed for the attacks. Another example of this is in Wright’s novel, Native Son. He depicts a situation where Bigger Thomas, a black man, is being prosecuted for the rape and murder of Mary Dalton, a white woman. In the novel the reader knows that Bigger did in fact murder her, but he did not rape her, “He burned the body to get rid of evidence of rape!... He killed her because he raped her!... the central crime here is