Owens 2
Jaalyn Owens
Professor Weber
ENGL 1120
21 November 2021
Military Minded: Dealing with sexual assault in Our Ranks
Sexual assault in the military has continued to be an uphill battle for many commands to face. With cases like that of Army Specialist Vanessa Guillen brought to light and being made to face the criticism of public opinion, the reasons many military members don’t report incidents also began to resurface. Reports of sexual assault in the military often go under investigated or completely overlooked due to the negativity and hassle it could bring a command. Until a change in the military culture occurs, the handling of sexual assault will continue to be a tedious and painstaking process for victims seeking justice, and a possible motive for perpetrators to continue the abuse.
As a veteran myself, I have taken an interest in trying to advocate for equality and justice for my fellow active duty and veteran cohorts. I have a more personal reasoning for choosing this topic to discuss as I am also a survivor of assault during service. It is well known throughout the military that the mentioning of sexual assaults is very taboo and is usually reserved to more heinous incidents that can’t be contained. The smaller, more conceivable incidents are usually covered up and brushed under the rug, lest you be discharged for having some complications related to coping, or you try pushing the issue further.
Some issues I foresee with writing on this topic is allowing my opinion to get in the way of facts. Being so close to the issue I’m advocating for can cause a bit of bias on my part, so I will have to keep in mind that I must appeal to logic rather than emotion to properly inform my reader as to why this issue should be taken seriously. Also ensuring to include what things can be done to make the system of reporting more convenient and trusted by military members.
Works cited:
1.“A Commission Finds ‘Quite a Lot of Tolerance’ for Sexual Harassment in the Military.” NPR,
2 July 2021, www.npr.org/2021/07/02/1012374201/a-commission-finds-quite-a-lot-of-tolerance-for-sexual-harassment-in-the-military.
2. Rough, Jill A., and David J. Armor. “Sexual Assault in the U.S. Military: Trends and
Responses.” World Medical & Health Policy, vol. 9, no. 2, 2017, pp. 206-224. OhioLINK Electronic Journal Center, doi:10.1002/WMH3.228.
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