Sexual Trauma In The Military

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Throughout this term, we have learned about the frequency of sexual assault among college students, mandatory reporting rules, institutional betrayal, and the many factors that influence a survivor’s choice of whether or not to report a crime. One of the biggest themes so far in class seems to be that education and transparency have the power to improve rules, laws, and public opinions. After the documentary regarding military sexual assault was released, some powers were taken away from commanding officers (Dick &Ziering, 2012). After campus climate surveys here at UO regarding sexual assault, the topic has gained much more attention. Throughout this term, I have learned that education and awareness is a vital step needed in order for laws …show more content…
While there have been many documented cases of universities engaging in institutional betrayal, it is not only limited to collegiate settings. Another environment that seems particularly prone to institutional betrayal concerning sexual assault claims is the United States military. Military Sexual Trauma (MST) is positively linked to suicidal ideation (Monteith et al., 2016). From the documentary we watched in class, The Invisible War, it was clear that many survivors of MST felt that the lack of action on behalf of the military to press charges felt like another colossal betrayal (Dick & Ziering, 2012). Because institutional sexual assault and institutional betrayal cause many serious health risks, it is vital educate people and institutions on how best to handle these …show more content…
Two years after the intervention, students will complete self-report questionnaires that assess their feelings of support, willingness to report violations, and instances of institutional betrayal and courage. The faculty and administration who participated will also be surveyed, and their feelings of responsibility and competency in regards to understanding university procedures will be assessed. The information gathered will be compared to results from past studies conducted at the University of Oregon, as well as to a control group of Oregon State University students and faculty who have not experienced the same informational discussions the UO students have. If the results show a positive link between participant’s reports of institutional courage, feelings of support, and willingness to report violations, the intervention can be used on a wider scale to bring about a change within universities regarding how sexual assault is dealt with at an institutional

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