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As a female who has been in the Air Force for nearly two decades, I can tell you this isn't a huge issue and it's something that I don't worry about at ALL.
I'm not a victim blamer, so don't take it this way, but if she doesn't put herself in a position she has little to worry about. The vast majority of the sexual assaults that I'm aware of involve a drunk and vulnerable female, often who is passed out in the dorms or something along those lines. Women don't just get randomly assaulted in the middle of work day, while at work.
Sexual assault statistics are inflated, in my opinion, because if someone smacks my butt and I complain, the Air Force will log that as a sexual assault and it will raise the stats. In a normal city, the police wouldn't even take a report for that, so it doesn't raise statistics.
We get multiple sets of annual training on how to prevent sexual assault, as in have a "wingman" with you, call the police if you see something suspicious taking place, look out for each other, don't get black-out drunk, don't be alone with a man you don't know, make sure your friends made it home OK after the club/bar, etc. We also have extremely tough penalties for offenders.
Sexual assault is less than 1/2 in the military than it is on a college campus. Were you worried about her in College?
Have to agree with you as a person that spent over 20 years in the Air Force. The few times it happened, alcohol was involved.
I can't remember an air force female getting assaulted from just going about their business, but I can remember it happening to females walking back to their dorm room at night in college!
This thread is full of "I was in for umpteen years and never saw it". OR "leaders don't tolerate it"
Yes, there is a TON of training about it and there's a reason for that. Situational awareness is so important and bystander intervention is, too. But if you're with the ones you're supposed to trust the most, the ones you would protect with your life in the trenches, you can't imagine having to worry about being assaulted by one of them. Still, it happens.
Predators are everywhere but certainly your sister (and all of us) can take steps to protect ourselves. You can be drinking soda and have someone slip you something. But she should be vigilant in all scenarios, in or out of the military.
This can happen anywhere. Yes it happens in the military, too. And people in power are perps frequently. And men are victimized (by other men) frequently. It's a big military. Watch your back.
The reason there is a ton of training on sexual harassment and assault in the military is because the services are continually bringing in "unsocialized" recruits.
This was the mistake the services made in the 70s: They hit the social issues hard--racism and sexism. They set up programs to combat it and had fairly successfully (compared to the civilian sector) going into the 80s.
Then, determining that the problem was "solved," they dismantled those programs...forgetting that within another military "generation," all the socialized people would be retired and replaced by an unsocialized generation.
My younger sister who is in her 20s is set on joining the military in the next few months.
I'm concerned about sexual assault, and would like some input on what branches of the military would be the "safest" where that possibility would be minimized.
Thank you in advance
This is going to sound crass so please don’t be offended, but the potential for sexual assault exists in every branch of the military. And every other office, factory, warehouse, or public or private spot on this planet. Why aren’t you as concerned about any place that an assault could occur?
It’s great that you want to look out for your sister, but unless she intends to live in a bubble she is going to have to live her life like everyone else does.
I’m pretty sure your little sister is pretty smart about the ways to protect herself and will manage to do so.
The reason there is a ton of training on sexual harassment and assault in the military is because the services are continually bringing in "unsocialized" recruits.
This was the mistake the services made in the 70s: They hit the social issues hard--racism and sexism. They set up programs to combat it and had fairly successfully (compared to the civilian sector) going into the 80s.
Then, determining that the problem was "solved," they dismantled those programs...forgetting that within another military "generation," all the socialized people would be retired and replaced by an unsocialized generation.
Maybe this time they'd do better.
There are still sexual assault prevention and response programs. Those haven't gone away.
I provided actual sources and statistics showing the rate in the military is less than 1/2 the rate on college campuses.
OTOH:
Quote:
the Pentagon estimated that 32 percent of service members who experience sexual assault now report it, up from 25 percent in fiscal years 2014 and 2015.
We get multiple sets of annual training on how to prevent sexual assault, as in have a "wingman" with you, call the police if you see something suspicious taking place, look out for each other, don't get black-out drunk, don't be alone with a man you don't know, make sure your friends made it home OK after the club/bar, etc. We also have extremely tough penalties for offenders.
Do you notice that these are mostly about avoiding being raped oneself, or about making sure your buddies aren't targeted, rather than anything that addresses the causes of sexual assault? It's like hiding in a bomb shelter rather than defusing bombs...better than getting blown up, sure, but not a solution.
Do you notice that these are mostly about avoiding being raped oneself, or about making sure your buddies aren't targeted, rather than anything that addresses the causes of sexual assault? It's like hiding in a bomb shelter rather than defusing bombs...better than getting blown up, sure, but not a solution.
I think you are right with your intent but I dont think it is the job of the military to solve the cause of sexual assault. I think thats a much larger social issue that prevails in and out of the military.
I think you are right with your intent but I dont think it is the job of the military to solve the cause of sexual assault. I think thats a much larger social issue that prevails in and out of the military.
It is the job of the military to solve problems within the military.
A blizzard might dump snow over the whole state. It's not the job of the military to clear the streets downtown, but it's the job of the military to get the base runway cleared ASAP.
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