Module 7 Crisis Intervention - Research Paper Example

Sexual Assault in the US Military In almost 3,200 female military personnel reported sexual assault in the USA. There are actually many more, or over three (3) times more of such incidents because, according to the Department of Defense, 86% don’t report the matter to their superiors out of fear that their career will be jeopardized (Watson, Julie 2012). The very recent, August 2012, YouTube Series was said to be realistic in the presentation of sexually assaulted females in the military. It was approved by the government for the purpose of discouraging future sexual assaults in the military.

The reasons for not reporting sexual assaults, although those violated wanted to, also included minor punishments for those military men who would be found guilty by the military court. This was the impression kept in the military. Their superiors might not even report the incident in order to seek justice for the victim. In the military, it is said that the commanding officers serve as the judge. To initiate the investigations and change policies in the military, over a dozen complaints were filed in 2011 alone.

Reflecting on these widespread cases of sexual assault in the military, one would have to consider the various possible root causes. If these were not in the military, the victims can simply file their complaint by first reporting the assault to the police force, who will in turn document the incident in preparation for a legal case against the attacker. However, the assaults taking place in the military are different. If the victims complain and their superiors do nothing about it, they can become a laughing stock in the military.

There were reports about sexual assaults done not by just one man but by several men. Yet nothing might be done to bring the case to justice. One probable reason could be due to the fact that the commanding officers themselves would be found partly guilty of mismanaging the behaviour of their soldiers. If the soldiers are kept busy doing some things productive, there won’t be opportunities to be idle and tempted. What the victims can do is to avail of free consultations online in order to take full control of the emotions and anger while finding ways to bring the matter to justice.

This refers to getting psychological advices as well as legal advices even while in the military, with the condition that such advices are not from outside of the United States, for the purpose of keeping military matters confidential at least to foreigners. That is if the government will eventually allow military personnel to access online sources. On the part of the officers of the military, there should be sufficient education about how to handle situations like sexual assault. One example is by educating the military men about the consequences of raping their female counterparts.

They should be expelled or at least suspended for a prolonged period of time, without pay during the time of their suspension from public services. If the problems of men seem to be the absence of an outlet for their sexual urges, they should be made aware of the acceptable options. And for the female side, if they are determined to prevent sexual assault, their standard operating procedure is to automatically report the matter not only to their commanding officers but also to their free consultation online connections.

As a matter of fact, even before an incident happens, they can communicate their worries or anxieties about the possibility of suspicious military men abusing them, at least to psychologist consultants and legal consultants online. And government ought to grant them freedom of communication for personal matters like this. A list of sample online resources for free consultations is shown in the appended page after references.ReferencesWatson, Julie (2012). Military Sexual Assault is Focus of YouTube Series.

Associated Press. August 12, 2012. Web. Accesed August 13, 2012.Appendix1.International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) – Resources: Online Crisis Intervention Services A. Support for Emotional Health: Big White Wall < http://www.bigwhitewall.com/> B. CrisisChat.org – for people who just want to talk while under stress < http://www.crisischat.org/> 2.