Sexual Harassment in Military Essay Example
Giannella 1
Gabrielle Giannella
Chris Vona
English110-065
May 14, 2007
Sexual Harassment in the Military:
Prevention, Assistance, and Statistics
Amidst the intensity, the struggles, and the pressures of war, it’s understandable that soldiers overseas may not always behave in accordance with social norms. This line, however, is crossed when that behavior is exaggerated to the point of abuse towards fellow soldiers. According to interviews with women in the military who have returned from war, the amount of sexual harassment they are forced to endure has not only increased, but has been written off by officials and fellow soldiers. An act of sexual harassment towards anyone should be dealt with and the abuser should be punished, not disregarded or hidden. These statistics and reports should be publicized, in order to prevent the perpetrator from violating another, and help women soldiers know they are safe to come forward with their allegations, instead of hiding in fear of her superior officers. According to the military, sexual assault is defined as “rape; nonconsensual sodomy; unwanted inappropriate sexual contact or fondling; or attempts to commit these acts” (Benedict 7). With such a substantial number of women joining the armed forces, these boundaries are being crossed more and more each day. Women today consist of fifteen percent of active duty forces, while a 2003 survey states that thirty percent of
Giannella 2 female soldiers were sexually assaulted by a fellow member of the military (Benedict 11). Not only are these women dealing with surviving attacks from insurgents, but now they have to worry about their “comrades” attacking them behind the supposedly safe walls of the bases. Caryle Garcia, a soldier in Baghdad, recalled of simple, everyday tasks that were made immensely difficult due to the sexual innuendos and inappropriateness of the men in their platoons. She explained in an interview, “Every time you bend down,
Gabrielle Giannella
Chris Vona
English110-065
May 14, 2007
Sexual Harassment in the Military:
Prevention, Assistance, and Statistics
Amidst the intensity, the struggles, and the pressures of war, it’s understandable that soldiers overseas may not always behave in accordance with social norms. This line, however, is crossed when that behavior is exaggerated to the point of abuse towards fellow soldiers. According to interviews with women in the military who have returned from war, the amount of sexual harassment they are forced to endure has not only increased, but has been written off by officials and fellow soldiers. An act of sexual harassment towards anyone should be dealt with and the abuser should be punished, not disregarded or hidden. These statistics and reports should be publicized, in order to prevent the perpetrator from violating another, and help women soldiers know they are safe to come forward with their allegations, instead of hiding in fear of her superior officers. According to the military, sexual assault is defined as “rape; nonconsensual sodomy; unwanted inappropriate sexual contact or fondling; or attempts to commit these acts” (Benedict 7). With such a substantial number of women joining the armed forces, these boundaries are being crossed more and more each day. Women today consist of fifteen percent of active duty forces, while a 2003 survey states that thirty percent of
Giannella 2 female soldiers were sexually assaulted by a fellow member of the military (Benedict 11). Not only are these women dealing with surviving attacks from insurgents, but now they have to worry about their “comrades” attacking them behind the supposedly safe walls of the bases. Caryle Garcia, a soldier in Baghdad, recalled of simple, everyday tasks that were made immensely difficult due to the sexual innuendos and inappropriateness of the men in their platoons. She explained in an interview, “Every time you bend down,