Sexual assault experiences vary for active duty military women depending on their relationship to the perpetrator

Eliezer, D., Hilbert, A. J., Davis, L. H., Hylton, K., Klauberg, W. X., Hurley, M. M., ... & Galbreath, N. W. (2020). Sexual assault experiences vary for active duty military women depending on their relationship to the perpetrator. Journal of Family Violence, 35, 325-338. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-019-00085-9

Preventing sexual assault is an ongoing topic of discussion among military policy makers and clinicians, yet little research has focused on these experiences specifically among active-duty Service members. Using a sample of active-duty women (N = 1,230) who had experienced sexual assault in the past 12 months, the study analyzed differences in sexual assault experiences (e.g., type of sexual assault, location, support after reporting) based on the women’s relationship to the perpetrator (i.e., intimate partner, friend/acquaintance, stranger, not specified). The results showed that most women were assaulted by someone they knew. Further, women assaulted by an intimate partner were also more likely to report sexual harassment before and after the assault and to struggle to garner support from military leadership and victim advocates after reporting.

DOI