Posted on Nov 3, 2015
"Gay" rape in military under reported by Pentagon. What does everyone think of this?
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Far more military men are being raped by other men than is reported by the Pentagon because of the stigma attached to such sexual assaults, says a new study by the American Psychological Association.
“Rates of military sexual trauma among men who served in the military may be as much as 15 times higher than has been previously reported, largely because of barriers associated with stigma, beliefs in myths about male rape, and feelings of helplessness,” the APA said in releasing its findings Tuesday.
The Defense Department issues a biannual report on sexual assaults. Based on Internet emailed surveys it found that more men than women, in pure numbers, are sexually assault victims. Women make up about 14.5 percent of the 1.4 million active force.
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“We know that there is under reporting among men and women and hope that this special issue will help to bring awareness and treatment for those that serve and protect us,” said the issue’s co-editor, Michi Fu, a clinical practitioner. “I personally wanted to pull together scholarship after hearing of reports of military sexual trauma being so much more prevalent than in the general population.”
Researchers said that even though the Pentagon survey, done most recently by the Rand Corps, is anonymous, men still are reluctant to disclose they were raped. The APA came to this conclusion by surveying a random group of 180 combat veterans, which led them to believe that the sexual assault rate is 15 times higher.
The rapes come at a cost to the men and the nation according to another survey of 2,042 veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
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“Male veterans who reported being sexually assaulted while serving their country suffered more severe symptoms of PTSD and depression, had higher rates of suicidal thoughts and were more likely to enroll in outpatient mental health treatment than those who were not assaulted,” the researchers found.
In 2013, the Pentagon reported that for one ear, 26,000 service members were the victims of sexual assaults, 14,000 of them men.
If the APA findings are based on one year, then the true number for military men is 210,000 sexual assaults per year.
“Rates of military sexual trauma among men who served in the military may be as much as 15 times higher than has been previously reported, largely because of barriers associated with stigma, beliefs in myths about male rape, and feelings of helplessness,” the APA said in releasing its findings Tuesday.
The Defense Department issues a biannual report on sexual assaults. Based on Internet emailed surveys it found that more men than women, in pure numbers, are sexually assault victims. Women make up about 14.5 percent of the 1.4 million active force.
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“We know that there is under reporting among men and women and hope that this special issue will help to bring awareness and treatment for those that serve and protect us,” said the issue’s co-editor, Michi Fu, a clinical practitioner. “I personally wanted to pull together scholarship after hearing of reports of military sexual trauma being so much more prevalent than in the general population.”
Researchers said that even though the Pentagon survey, done most recently by the Rand Corps, is anonymous, men still are reluctant to disclose they were raped. The APA came to this conclusion by surveying a random group of 180 combat veterans, which led them to believe that the sexual assault rate is 15 times higher.
The rapes come at a cost to the men and the nation according to another survey of 2,042 veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
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“Male veterans who reported being sexually assaulted while serving their country suffered more severe symptoms of PTSD and depression, had higher rates of suicidal thoughts and were more likely to enroll in outpatient mental health treatment than those who were not assaulted,” the researchers found.
In 2013, the Pentagon reported that for one ear, 26,000 service members were the victims of sexual assaults, 14,000 of them men.
If the APA findings are based on one year, then the true number for military men is 210,000 sexual assaults per year.
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 13
So, but this "gay" rape is worse than regular rape? But that begs another question? Since when does rape have two different meanings? I thought rape was rape.
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Under-reported? Of this there is no doubt. Rape & Sexual Assault is under-reported in general. We know this. The question is by how much.
The article implies by 15 times. Then says:
"The APA came to this conclusion by surveying a random group of 180 combat veterans, which led them to believe that the sexual assault rate is 15 times higher."
You cannot get valid statistical information of a force that is 1.4 MILLION strong from a survey of 180 people. 180 people... Let that sink in.
Now, once that has sunk in, let's end this "gay" rape garbage. It's either Male on Male, Male on Female, Female on Male, Female on Female, or "uncategorized" (for lack of a better term since I'm pissed). Dividing it into "Straight" and "Gay" RAPE is the most heinous pile of crap I have heard all day. I cannot express the anger I am feeling right now that a "Journalist" thinks rape can be defined by the sexuality of the attacker and or the victim. It #$&^$* rape.
Now, back to the APA. In theory they should know how to produce qualitative work, however nothing surprises me any more. Of course more males in the military are being sexually assaulted quantitatively. There are 6x as many men in the military as there are women (13x in the USMC). That means that if men are assaulted at 15% (7% in USMC) the rate as women, the numbers would be quantitatively equal. Since Predators tend to be "equal opportunity" when it comes to violent crimes, this is not a surprising issue.
The article implies by 15 times. Then says:
"The APA came to this conclusion by surveying a random group of 180 combat veterans, which led them to believe that the sexual assault rate is 15 times higher."
You cannot get valid statistical information of a force that is 1.4 MILLION strong from a survey of 180 people. 180 people... Let that sink in.
Now, once that has sunk in, let's end this "gay" rape garbage. It's either Male on Male, Male on Female, Female on Male, Female on Female, or "uncategorized" (for lack of a better term since I'm pissed). Dividing it into "Straight" and "Gay" RAPE is the most heinous pile of crap I have heard all day. I cannot express the anger I am feeling right now that a "Journalist" thinks rape can be defined by the sexuality of the attacker and or the victim. It #$&^$* rape.
Now, back to the APA. In theory they should know how to produce qualitative work, however nothing surprises me any more. Of course more males in the military are being sexually assaulted quantitatively. There are 6x as many men in the military as there are women (13x in the USMC). That means that if men are assaulted at 15% (7% in USMC) the rate as women, the numbers would be quantitatively equal. Since Predators tend to be "equal opportunity" when it comes to violent crimes, this is not a surprising issue.
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Cpl (Join to see)
I think one would need to ask in what narrative would the information/article benefit? I agree with you on the context Rape=Rape.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
Cpl (Join to see) I got a tad (and by a tad I mean extremely) "ranty" above, because it's a crap article, with a crap headline. It's designed to incite against a specific community by using specific terminology which is irrelevant to the discussion of Rape & Sexual Assault. I don't know if it specifically a narrative or just plain ignorance but it falls into the realm of "stupid or liar" when you get to that level.
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I have never had any experience that was even close to anything forced upon me in the military, sexually or through hazing. That said, I don't think its fair to pin this on the Pentagon. I think its most likely that the Soldier affected by this is not likely to report it.
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