The right to be protected against assault, specifically, the one of sexual type, s one of the basic rights of individuals, yet this right is regularly violated in military settings. Due to the rigid structure and the established hierarchy in the U.S. Army, the instances of sexual harassment and assault are often silenced to cover up for those in the leading positions, as well as to secure the public image of the military. Consequently, a large number of army members, primarily, women, face the threat of sexual assault regularly.
The absence of legal repercussions for the cases of sexual harassment or even assault is one of the main factors causing the specified problem to remain in the military setting. Research points to the fact that the army hierarchy prioritizes the statements of those that are in the positions of power, simultaneously devaluing the reports of those that are in subordinate positions (Dobbin and Kalev, p. 12259). Multiple sources report that, despite the best efforts made by appropriate bodies, the threat of a sexual assault remains a part of the grim reality in the U.S. military (Morral et al, p. 16). In addition, the factor of inequality between the sexes combined with gender stereotypes leads to the setting where abusive behaviors toward women are highly probable.
One could argue that the current approach to training the needed qualities and fostering the required behaviors in army members is supposed to make a difference and contribute to change. However, so far, very little effect has been observed, which can be attributed to the rigid hierarchy within the army (Morral et al, p. 24). Therefore, the existing approach toward reducing the instances of sexual harassment and assault is rather ineffective since it fails to adders the core of the problem. It will also be crucial to ensure that the said organizations have the opportunity to prevent sexual assaults on women in the military as well. The preventive strategies will have to include better supervision, regular communication with female Army members, and a consistent feedback channel.
However, the existing situation cannot be considered entirely hopeless. With the reconsideration of the current system of values, communication, and hierarchy within the army, one will be able to reduce the cases of sexual misconduct in the army. Namely, the reporting system has to be improved tremendously by allowing the assaulted parties to contact the corresponding services and victim centers directly. Thus, the cases of sexual misconduct will be documented appropriately without the unnecessary bureaucracy, hence the drop in the threat of the specified cases being underreported. In addition, the need to shape the current army values has to be acknowledged (Dobbin and Kalev, p. 12558). Though it would be naïve to assume that the Army members will change their attitudes toward women and gender stereotypes after an introduction to the concept of gender equality, shaping the values on which serving in the military is based is expected to shape the behaviors accordingly. Moreover, the gradual introduction of appropriate values and standards will help to shape army members’ perspectives in the long term.
The flaws in the reporting system combined with the specifics of the army hierarchy and the skewed values create an environment in which the instances of sexual assault are very difficult to investigate, which contributes to their occurrence. However, with a gradual change in people’s attitudes, as well as the introduction of additional resources that women can use to ensure their security, such as better communication with respective services and organizations, one can expect a positive change.
Works Cited
- Dobbin, Frank, and Alexandra Kalev. “The Promise and Peril of Sexual Harassment Programs.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 116, no. 25, 2019, pp. 12255-12260.
- Morral, Andrew R., et al. Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment in the US Military: Volume 5. Estimates for installation-and command-level risk of sexual assault and sexual harassment from the 2014 RAND Military Workplace Study. Rand Corporation, 2018.