Military Sexual Trauma

In simplest terms MST could be defined as any unwanted sexual advances towards a male or female serving in the military that causes duress or distress. Does MST really exist? The answer is a resounding yes. According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs roughly 1 in 5 woman and 1 in 100 men identified with having some form of MST during routine screening when seeking services through the Veterans Administration. However, not everyone who identifies with having MST in some form requires or seeks those services. In 2005 the US Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) indicated that there were 2374 reports of claimed sexual assault of service personnel, of which 2047 were unrestricted and 327 were restricted. In 2010 SAPRO indicated there were 3158 reports of claimed sexual assault of service personnel, of which 2410 were unrestricted and 748 were restricted.

Although these reports may be statistically significant, they also could be misleading. The reports appear on the outset to indicate an overall increase in MST, but this is not necessarily the case. The report indicates an increase of “reporting” of claimed sexual assaults which could be due to a number of factors such as an increase in people joining the military or a decrease in those who were hesitant to report MST. Because many times MST goes unreported due to a lot of different factors, any increase in reporting should be welcomed to help get rid of the problems associated with reporting MST. Within the military, people often rely on each other in various ways and often have to work together for long periods of time. Any type of breakage of military unwritten codes or culture is met with scrupulous resistance due to the high demand for solidarity among and within groups of solders. This is problematic for the victim of MST for it could create anxiety, tension, stress and possibly poor psychological well being which ultimately could result in a trauma related lasting disorder such as chronic Post Traumatic Stress. Regardless, MST is a recognizable and continued problem in the armed forces.

What can those who suffer from MST do about it?
There are treatments and resources available for MST victims. There are some therapeutic treatment options that have been shown to be affective for those who suffer from MST such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Exposure Therapy (EP), and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.

There are also resources available for services for MST:

Make the Connection

After Deployment

Department of Veterans Affairs

VA Medical Facility Finder

My Duty (for active military)

DOD Helpline

Women Veterans Health

Military Sexual Trauma Podcasts

My Military Education

VET WOW

Gift From Within