In a recent report released a few days ago, 26000 members are experiencing ‘unwanted sexual contact,’ which includes attempted rape, rape, and unwanted sexual touching. Of this estimate, about 12100 are a woman and 13900 are men. Omen is mostly prone to these assaults. However, members are striking because cases against men are often overlooked. From the data obtained, women and men enduring sexual assault are greater than in the past year, but only a few choose to report what happened. In my opinion, there is a need for change where every member is treated with respect and dignity, where all allegations are treated with seriousness, and where the privacy of victims is protected.
Several factors influence sexual assault in the military culture. First, there’s the value of performance, where leaders minimize claims against high performers because of the value placed on their performance. Second, there is a tendency to solve problems at the lowest level. Members are expected to solve conflicts within themselves, which can cause assaults being unreported and continuous harassment. Third, the military personnel’s movement for professional development allows perpetrators to take advantage of members who are new to the unit. Fourth, the military reporting system is complicated to a point where service members prefer to report privately because confidentiality can be difficult to maintain. To add to this, the military resilience-building programs that expect members to cope with situations prevent them from getting help. The restrictions on job assignments restrict women from promotion services because they are seen as invaluable compare t men. Additionally, barracks and dormitories are high-risk areas. They are not safe enough to prevent service members from sexual assault. In my view, efforts have to be undertaken to improve the safety of the members.