25 Military
The Invisible War
Casualties of war rage beyond the battlefield. As ranks of women in the American military swell, so do incidents of rape. An estimated 30 percent of servicewomen and at least 1 percent of servicemen are sexually assaulted during their enlistment, not by the enemy, but at the hands of fellow soldiers. With stark clarity and escalating revelations, The Invisible War exposes a rape epidemic in the armed forces, investigating the institutions that perpetuate it as well as its profound personal and social consequences.
Tanner King Barklow, Amy Ziering, Independent Television Service, Rise Films, Chain Camera Pictures, Fork Films, . . . Canal+ (Producers), & Dick, K. (Director). (2012). The Invisible War. [Video/DVD] Ro*Co Films. Retrieved from https://video.alexanderstreet.com/watch/the-invisible-war
FACTS ON UNITED STATES MILITARY SEXUAL VIOLENCE
Statistics from the 2016 – 2021 DoD SAPRO Reports and their appendices/annexes, unless otherwise noted.
https://www.sapr.mil/reports Updated September 2022
Sexual Violence Remains Pervasive
- In FY21, close to 36,000 service members experienced sexual violence including 19,000 women and 16,600 men. The rate of wrongful sexual contact jumped by almost 35% from FY18 to FY21.
- In FY21, nearly 9,000 reports of sexual assault involving service members were received, a 13% increase from reports made in FY20.
Vast Majority of Cases Go Un-Reported
- In FY21, only about 1 in 5 service members reported their sexual assault to a Department authority.
Retaliation Is the Norm
- 67% of women who reported a sexual assault were retaliated against after coming forward.
- 64% of retaliation reports alleged that retaliators were in the reporter’s chain of command.
- A third of women who reported a sexual assault were discharged within a year of reporting, typically within 7 months.i
- 24% of these women received a less than fully honorable conditions discharge.ii
Little Trust and Satisfaction in System
- 66% of women believe the military will not protect their privacy, 60% of women believe the military will not ensure their safety, and 61% of women believe the military will not treat them with dignity and respect if sexually assaulted.
- For both men and women, one of the top two responses for why they did not report was thinking no action would be taken.
- 47% of women cited worrying about potential negative consequences from co-workers as a reason for not reporting.
- 48% of survivors reported dissatisfaction with the support they received from military-assigned Special Victims Counsel/Victims Legal Counsel.
Low Conviction and Prosecution Rates
- Despite a continual increase in unrestricted sexual assault reports since 2015, convictions have plummeted in the same timeframe.
- In FY 2021, of the 6,356 unrestricted reports of sexual assault, only 372 (6.0%) cases were tried by court martial, and just 176 (2.8%) offenders were convicted of a nonconsensual sex offense.
High Demand for VA Care
- App