I don't want to sound sexist or anything, nor to I wish to seem anti-women. But often times when we discuss women's issues we often hear the phrase, "If this kind of thing happened to men..." or "If men had to go through this..." indicating that if men felt any particular investment in issues like abortion, contraception, or rape they'd probably be more inclined to act for the greater good in these issues. Sadly, when it comes to the issue of sexual assault in the military, where over 50% of the victims are men, that is certainly not the case.
Recently a lot of attention has been given to the issue of Military Sexual Trauma (MST for short), but very little has been said on even the most liberal outlets about how most of the victims are men. Perhaps because many of us, even us liberals, have a tendency to see sexual assault as a "woman's issue". A friend sent me an article from GQ that was certainly more eye opening to me than anything that has been reported. The article, "Son, Men Don't Get Raped" (some of which I quote here) features testimony from men who have been assaulted, and tells of the physical and psychological damage that the assault does to them.
The moment a man enlists in the United States armed forces, his chances of being sexually assaulted increase by a factor of ten. Women, of course, are much more likely to be victims of military sexual trauma (MST), but far fewer of them enlist. In fact, more military men are assaulted than women—nearly 14,000 in 2012 alone. Prior to the repeal of "Don't ask, don't tell" in 2011, male-on-male-rape victims could actually be discharged for having engaged in homosexual conduct. That's no longer the case—but the numbers show that men are still afraid to report being sexually assaulted.
Military culture is built upon a tenuous balance of aggression and obedience. The potential for sexual violence exists whenever there is too much of either. New recruits, stripped of their free will, cannot question authority. A certain kind of officer demands sex from underlings in the same way he demands they pick up his laundry. A certain kind of recruit rapes his peer in a sick mimicry of the power structure: I own you totally. "One of the myths is that the perpetrators identify as gay, which is by and large not the case," says James Asbrand, a psychologist with the Salt Lake City VA's PTSD clinical team. "It's not about the sex. It's about power and control."
That last sentence, "It's not about the sex. It's about power and control" is very important to remember. Because most people mistakenly believe that sexual assault, be it rape or pedophilia, is all about getting one's rocks off. In the military, control and discipline is very important, which adds to the terror and shame military personnel who are victims of MST must go through. In many cases, especially if the perpetrator is a superior officer (or is in good with one), victims often face retaliation both from their supervisors and their peers. If you're a man it's worse because of the hyper-masculine environment of the military. You're seen as less of a man (and may even be "accused" of being Gay) because "you let yourself be taken advantage of".
An overpowering shame prevents many enlisted men from reporting an assault - a sense that they must somehow be complicit in what has happened to them. Straight men often question their own sexual orientation, while gay men may struggle to find intimacy in relationships because they don't trust other men (or their own judgement). Telling the secret ruptures families and friendships. So does not telling.
The rape of a male soldier has a particular symbolism. "In a hypermasculine culture, what's the worst thingyou can do to another man? Force him into what the culture perceives as a feminine role," says Asbrand of the Salt Lake City VA. "Completely dominate and rape him."
Often times these assaults lead to self-destructive behavior and attempted suicides. Furthermore, victims are twice as likely to develop PTSD from sexual assault than from combat.
Military sexual trauma causes a particularly toxic form of PTSD. The betrayal by a comrade-in-arms, a brother in whom you place unconditional trust, can be unbearable. Warrior culture values stoicism, which encourages a victim to keep his troubles to himself and stigmatizes him if he doesn't. An implacable chain of command sometimes compels a victim to work or sleep alongside an attacker, which can make him feel captive to his suffering and deserving of it.
The testimonies in this article are heartbreaking, to say the least. What is particularly frustrating is that neither congress nor the military has done much about this issue, nor, it seems, do they want to.
In March, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York sought to pass the Military Justice Improvement Act, a bill that would strip commanders of the power to determine whether to prosecute sex assaults. The MJIA would instead delegate that power to independent military prosecutors. The bill won a narrow majority in the Senate but fell short of the votes required to beat a promised filibuster.
At the same time, Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri offered a competing bill that MST-victim advocates attacked because it seemed to reaffirm the status quo. Worse, it didn't address victims' fears of a Kafkaesque bureaucracy that, to put it mildly, deters reporting. "You know McCaskill's bill ain't gonna work," says MST victim Michael Matthews, "because the Pentagon likes her bill."
McCaskill's bill passed unanimously, while Gillibrand promises to revive her bill later in the year. Meanwhile, 38 men a day are being sexually assaulted in the military. They, along with their female counterparts, are victims not only of their attackers, but of a military culture that values silence and protection of the establishment over action and healing.
Please read this article. I guarantee you it is certainly an eye-opener.
GQ Longform - "Son, Men Don't Get Raped", by Nathaniel Penn