Sexual Assault Training in the Military: Evaluating Efforts to End the “Invisible War”

Abstract

Sexual assault is an insidious problem in the United States military. In 2005 the Department of Defense (DoD) created the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, which centralizes responsibility for sexual assault training. However, this training initiative has undergone little evaluation by outside researchers. Addressing this need, we analyzed responses from over 24,000 active duty personnel who completed the 2010 DoD Workplace and Gender Relations Survey. We assessed whether sexual assault training exposure (None, Minimal, Partial, or Comprehensive) predicted accurate knowledge of sexual assault resources and protocols. Using a social-ecological framework, we investigated whether institutional and individual factors influenced Service members' training exposure and judgment of training effectiveness. According to our results, exposure to comprehensive training predicted lower sexual assault incidence and superior knowledge. However, comprehensive training differed as a function of military branch, rank, gender, and sexual assault history. Judgments of training effectiveness also varied across these dimensions. Our results highlight the importance of considering context, gender, and victimization history when evaluating institutional efforts to end sexual violence. The DoD's 2010 annual report on military sexual assault concluded that "most Active Duty members receive effective training on sexual assault" (p. 104). Our results cast doubt on that assertion.

Needs of Male Sexual Assault Victims in the U.S. Armed Forces

“…The armed services provide annual SAPR training to servicemembers, and some research suggests that the training increases knowledge of available support services and protocols (Holland, Rabelo, and Cortina, 2014). However, SAPR training may focus on female sexual assault victims and male perpetrators.…”

“…In the published literature, researchers have advocated for education that would dispel myths about sexual assault against men (Turchik and Edwards, 2012) and have encouraged inclusion of examples of male sexual assault survivors in educational materials (O'Brien, Keith, and Shoemaker, 2015). The U.S. military services provide annual SAPR training to all service members (see, for example, DoD, 2013), and it appears to increase knowledge of available support services and protocols (Holland, Rabelo, and Cortina, 2014). In the past, these annual trainings focused heavily on female sexual assault victims and male perpetrators, but they now include male-specific sexual assault scenarios, and DoD is working to develop "learning objectives to improve Servicemembers' understanding of male sexual assault" (DoD, 2016b, p. 11).…”

“…In the published literature, researchers have advocated for education that would dispel myths about sexual assault against both men and women (Turchik and Edwards, 2012) and have encouraged inclusion of examples of male sexual assault survivors in educational materials (O'Brien, Keith, and Shoemaker, 2015). The U.S. military services provide annual sexual assault prevention and response training to all servicemembers (see, for examxxii Needs of Male Sexual Assault Victims in the U.S. Armed Forces ple, DoD, 2013), and it appears to increase knowledge of available support services and protocols (Holland, Rabelo, and Cortina, 2014).In our interviews, we queried the perceived efficacy of outreach efforts. Most service providers who responded to this question indicated that they believed that the outreach campaigns were effective.…”

The Willingness of Military Members to Seek Help: The Role of Social Involvement and Social Responsibility

“…While rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide statistics have dominated the news (Tanielian & Jaycox, 2008), other problem behaviors like substance abuse and various risk-tasking behaviors have also increased (IOM, 2013;Martin & Sherman, 2009). In addition, as in the other service components, the AF continues to face the serious challenges of military sexual trauma (MST) and family maltreatment (Holland, Rabelo & Cortina, 2014;Smith Slep, Foran, Heyman & Snarr, 2010).…”

Masculinity, Organizational Culture, Media Framing and Sexual Violence in the Military

“…Sexual assault occurs within the U.S. Military affecting the lives of 9-13 percent of servicewomen and one to two percent of servicemen, annually (Holland et al 2014). According to Holland and colleagues, these estimates are significantly under-reported (Holland et al 2014). The military has been working to reduce sexual violence since the highly publicized Aberdeen Proving Ground case in 1996.…”