Military Rape in the US - Essay Example

? Military Rape Military Rape Introduction Sex crimes have been historically on the rise in the United s for decades. It has grown to be a potential issue that creates great social tension in the American society. When some sexual crimes involve willing partners the other involves crime forcefully perpetrated on unwilling and helpless victims. Military rape is one of the increasingly common sexual crimes which challenges the dignity of the military profession as a whole. Referring to the studies of scholars like Brownmiller, traditionally it was considered as the right of a winning army to rape the women of the conquered. However, today female soldiers working in the US military are also extremely vulnerable to sexual molestations mostly by their male counterparts (Whitten, 1999). As a result of the increasing rate of the military rape, today young people, particularly female candidates are reluctant to join the army (Nantais & Lee, 1999). This paper will specifically discuss the intensity of military rape in the US with particular reference given to various elements of sexual behavior. This will also discuss four different theories like the feminist theory, the cultural pathology theory, the strategic rape theory, and the biosocial theory in order to identify the root causes of military rape. Background Rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment that occur during military service are generally termed as Military Sexual Trauma (MST) by the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA). The term ‘wartime rape’ indicates mass wartime rape rather than isolated examples of rape by individual soldiers. Admittedly, there are no reliable statistical data on wartime rape due to pressures from superior officers and the reluctance of victims to come forward. Reports indicates that increases in the frequency of wartime rape might range from an estimated 300% to 400% by the end of the World War II (Gottschall, 2004). While analyzing the available statistics relating to the number of cases reported, it seems that military rape has been becoming a mounting challenge to the US army. According to some estimates, more than half a million people have been raped while serving the US army; and nearly 100,000 cases of military rape have been occurred within the past seven years (Koss, 2004). Although both men and women in the military are exposed to sexual harassments, women are the major victims of unwanted sexual behaviors. To illustrate, a 1996 Department of Defense survey conducted on 90,000 active duty members (including men and women) revealed that 55 percent women reported unwanted uninvited sexual attention or behaviors whereas the same was reported by only 14 percent men; and the survey also indicated that 78 percent women and 38 percent men experienced one or another form of sexual harassment or sexual assault (Koss, 2004). Unfortunately, many of these cases go unreported due to various reasons, and a significant percent of the reported cases fail to go to full trial or investigations. A recently published report indicates that “only 3 to 4 percent of cases reported to the Army Criminal Investigation Division proceed all the way through the system to court martial” (Koss, 2004). Evidently, this situation points to the sexual behaviors of military personnel which can increase the rate of military rape. A Detailed Study As discussed already, the incidence of military rape has been significantly increasing over the last decade. Many of the female soldiers who took part in the Iraq war reported that they were raped by their male counterparts. Some studies point out the possibility that one out of every four women that serve the military will have to face some form of sexual assault within the time span of their careers (Kitfield, 2012). (Details of this citation not found in the proposal you sent. So not included in the reference list). According to Pentagon reports, over 19,000 sexual assaults occur in the US military annually and this data include the cases of both the genders. Many of the military rape cases remain unreported or unresolved, because sometimes the offenders are the high ranked military officers to whom such a case is to be reported. Elements of sexual behavior include fantasy, symbolism, ritualism, and compulsion. Psychological studies indicate that some negative influences of these elements are the major causes leading to abnormal behaviors like sexual assaults or sexual harassments (Chapter 1). It has been observed that ritualism reaches almost to the point of addition in many sex offenders; and compulsion also greatly influences sex offenders (Chapter 1). In short, when any of these four elements increasingly influence individuals’ sexual behavior, the condition is likely to lead to issues like sexual molestations (Chapter 1). (details of this book not given. Pls fix it. On the ref. page also). While evaluating the mass military rape, it seems that many factors contribute to the sexual offense. Theories such as the feminist theory, the cultural pathology theory, the strategic rape theory, and the biosocial theory try to address the root causes of wartime rape. According to the feminist theory, military rape is not viewed as crime of sexual passion but as a crime motivated by a male’s desire to dominate the females. The cultural pathology theory indicates that sociocultural factors of a country are particularly responsible for persuading its soldiers to perpetrate wartime rape. However, this theory fails to give an understanding of the phenomenon as a whole. The strategic rape theory presents the idea that the wartime rape is just another ordinance like bombs, bullets, or propaganda that a military force can employ to achieve its strategic objectives. “Wartime rape is a coherent, coordinated, logical, and brutally effective means of prosecuting warfare” (Gottschall, 2004). Finally, the biosocial theory states that sociocultural factors cannot have a great influence on military rape and a soldier’s decision to rape is wholly controlled by genetic variables. In this perspective, military rape is influenced by reflex and hence it is inevitable. This theory is sometimes identified with the “pressure cooker” model of wartime rape. According to the pressure cooker model, every man has instincts for sexual aggression that are restrained under normal conditions (peacetime). However, these instincts are released like the vented gas of a pressure cooker during the chaotic wartime. Furthermore, use of drugs and other intoxicating substances like alcohol notability contributes to the ferocity of the military rape. A recent study on military personnel revealed that up to three quarters of the rape happen when the victim inebriates (Koss, 2004). How to Address the Issue? Reinstatement and promotion of core military values such as honor, courage, and service is the primary policy to address the issue of military rape. Scholars in this field recommend for the enforcement of zero-tolerance policies in an attempt to abolish the evils of military rape. However, stiffer punishments such as job termination would be the ultimate solutions to address this issue. For this, victims must be willing to come forward to complain against rape perpetrators officially. In addition, officers concerned must give the victims strong support so as to relieve them from external pressures. There should be a special mechanism for rape victims to complain against perpetrators or to reach higher authorities easily. It is also advisable for military personnel, particularly women, to minimize the use of alcohol and other intoxicating substances. Finally, this issue can be reduced to some extent by frequently changing the duties of soldiers. Conclusion From the above discussion, it is clear that military rape has become a threatening issue in the US army and it persuades potential female candidates to keep themselves away from entering this profession. Military rape cases have significantly increased over the last few decades that one out of every four women serving the military is likely to face some form of sexual aggression during the course of their military career. High level ritualism and compulsion are the major elements influencing this type of unwanted sexual behavior. Biosocial theory gives some meaningful information regarding military rape as well as mass wartime rape. Government intervention is essential to curb Military Sexual Trauma so as to preserve the dignity of military profession. References Gottschall, J. (2004). Explaining wartime rape. The Journal of Sex Research, 41(2), 129-136. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/215278367?accountid=8289 Koss, M. P. (2004). Friendly fire: Rape and sexual harassment within the U.S. military. PsycCRITIQUES, 49(4), 437-439. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/004388 O'Hara, J. (1998, Jun 01). Nantais, C & Lee, M. F. (1999). Women in the United States military: Protectors or protected? The case of prisoner of war Melissa Rathbun-Nealy. Journal of Gender Studies, 8(2), 181-191. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/215278367?accountid=8289 Whitten, R. C. (1999). "By force of arms: Rape, war and military culture". Journal of Political and Military Sociology, 27(1), 170-172. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/206657802?accountid=8289 Chapter 1. Sex Behaviors and Crimes in the United States. Given text book (PDF) Read More