R@pe in the military?!?! *trigger warning*

[ape descendant]

OMFG I read this article and RAGED!!

http://www.newsweek.com/2011/04/03/t...ret-shame.html

[Despanan]

This explains so much.

[Saya]

I was actually having a convo about this the other day, and I started thinking that when you're in military roles, particularly involved in combat, there's the issue of anomie going on. I'm googling "anomie military" and it looks like studying social problems in the military with the framework of anomie has been done already, and it does not at all make it okay, but given the condition of anomie and the reluctance to address the issue, and particularly when so many other problems like suicide are plaguing the military, I think no matter how much they say they're going to get a band-aid solution, something radical has to change before it gets better.

[Despanan]

It's R.APING TIME!!!

[Saya]

Way to change the picture to make me look crazy.

[Despanan]

oh you mean him:

[IMG]http://iggyface.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/****_o_clock.jpg[/IMG]

Yeah, I hate this forum.

[Saya]

You can, you know, upload it to photobucket.

[CptSternn]

50,000 in just a few years? Considering there are only 300,000 active military and a transition rate of what 20%, that means statistically speaking you are more likely to get r@ped in the American military compared to an American prison.

[Solumina]

Except that most of those people were victims of long ago assaults, they were pretty clear that not all of those people going forward were active military, it even mentions later in the article that some of the people getting treatment were Korean War vets. I'm not trying to diminish how terrible this is but there is also no reason to make things seem even worse than they are.

[Fruitbat]

Originally Posted by Solumina

Except that most of those people were victims of long ago assaults, they were pretty clear that not all of those people going forward were active military, it even mentions later in the article that some of the people getting treatment were Korean War vets. I'm not trying to diminish how terrible this is but there is also no reason to make things seem even worse than they are.

Yeah because being r@ped is a walk in the park.

It doesn't matter if it happened last week or 50 years ago, it still damages the victim.

The only way I've lived with what happened to me was change the way I viewed it because otherwise I'd be in a graveyard otherwise.

AD thanks for the trigger warning... I could only get a few paragraphs into the article and then had to stop reading...

[Despanan]

Might I suggest, if you're so fragile, you avoid topics like this in the future? Sol was just putting the numbers in perspective RE: Sterrn's post.

I hate to pull a Kontan here, but either start a thread in whining or keep your damage to yourself FailBat. Getting badtouched doesn't give you the right to be a bitch, nor an attention whore. This thread isn't about you.

[Ben Lahnger]

I think you have to wonder if the numbers in the current military might not actually be higher due to unreported rrapes.

Beyond the stigma of rrape and the villainization of the victims in that system there's also the impact of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' which would leave victims in fear of being dishonorably discharged simply for admitting they'd engaged in a homosexual act (the non-consensual nature of that act would be nearly irrelevant in the political climate I've observed in the military in recent years.)

[Saya]

Absolutely. And this article was focused on male rrape, so it makes sense to look at it historically rather than suggest its a brand new problem. This has more on the lawsuit, and also talks about the women victims: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41598622/ns/us_news-life/

Men are far less likely to report a **** in the civilian world, when you have a rule like Don't Ask Don't Tell it'll only make that worse. And the prosecution rate in the military is far worse than civilian courts, so whats the point of reporting, I'm sure a lot of victims think.

[Solumina]

Originally Posted by Fruitbat

Yeah because being r@ped is a walk in the park.

It doesn't matter if it happened last week or 50 years ago, it still damages the victim.

The only way I've lived with what happened to me was change the way I viewed it because otherwise I'd be in a graveyard otherwise.

AD thanks for the trigger warning... I could only get a few paragraphs into the article and then had to stop reading...

Nobody is trying to diminish the significance of **** but it is a gross exaggeration to say that you are more likely to get ***** in the US military than you are in a US prison. I've put a great deal of time and effort into sexual violence prevention and I know that if you can't look objectively at the data then all you have to go on is emotional pleas. Emotional pleas don't change laws or policies, numbers do, and since there are people who will be fighting to undermine you every step of the way you have to make sure that your numbers are as valid, accurate, and verifiable as possible.

[Versus]

Originally Posted by Ben Lahnger

(the non-consensual nature of that act would be nearly irrelevant in the political climate I've observed in the military in recent years.)

Please elaborate.

[ape descendant]

Originally Posted by Fruitbat

Yeah because being r@ped is a walk in the park.

It doesn't matter if it happened last week or 50 years ago, it still damages the victim.

The only way I've lived with what happened to me was change the way I viewed it because otherwise I'd be in a graveyard otherwise.

AD thanks for the trigger warning... I could only get a few paragraphs into the article and then had to stop reading...

No problem, I figured a trigger warning would be appropriate in this case.

Sol did have a good case in trying to make sure that the numbers are as accurate as possible, overstatement is one of the best ways to loose an argument.

It is good to go over things and face them, this kind of thing sucks so much ass to have happen. We must all keep going so that we may help others who suffer.

[Fruitbat]

Originally Posted by Despanan

Might I suggest, if you're so fragile, you avoid topics like this in the future? Sol was just putting the numbers in perspective RE: Sterrn's post.

I hate to pull a Kontan here, but either start a thread in whining or keep your damage to yourself FailBat. Getting badtouched doesn't give you the right to be a bitch, nor an attention whore. This thread isn't about you.

I never meant to draw attention to myself, what I meant was that regardless of who or when or under what circumstances, R@ape is still brutal.

I misinterpreted her post. I read it the wrong way.

[Still Jack]

Besides the fact that r@pe is unquestionably wrong. Why would anyone think of r@ping someone who has easy access to weapons and could fucking murder you on the spot. If would attempt to **** me, I'd end their sex life with a screwdriver...

[Saya]

Originally Posted by Still Jack

Besides the fact that r@pe is unquestionably wrong. Why would anyone think of r@ping someone who has easy access to weapons and could fucking murder you on the spot. If would attempt to **** me, I'd end their sex life with a screwdriver...

From most of the accounts it seems it happened when they were unarmed. Plus it is extremely common that when it happens, the victim just freezes up.

[Versus]

Originally Posted by Still Jack

Besides the fact that r@pe is unquestionably wrong. Why would anyone think of r@ping someone who has easy access to weapons and could fucking murder you on the spot. If would attempt to **** me, I'd end their sex life with a screwdriver...

It's not like the military walks around with guns all the time. Aside from training and deployments, they're all locked away in each unit's arms room. Even then, only the army personnel are required to carry a weapon everywhere we go, with the shower usually being the exception, depending on living conditions.

But yeah, when I was in Iraq, my troop conducted missions from a large base for about 5 months. After a dude was ***** in the showers, I started to take either a friend or my shotgun with me.

[Fruitbat]

Originally Posted by Solumina

Nobody is trying to diminish the significance of **** but it is a gross exaggeration to say that you are more likely to get ***** in the US military than you are in a US prison. I've put a great deal of time and effort into sexual violence prevention and I know that if you can't look objectively at the data then all you have to go on is emotional pleas. Emotional pleas don't change laws or policies, numbers do, and since there are people who will be fighting to undermine you every step of the way you have to make sure that your numbers are as valid, accurate, and verifiable as possible.

I agree, but like Saya said there is still a lot of stigma associated with men reporting rapes, AND the stats are only as good as the systems used to collect the stats.

Some emotional pleas do change laws but it's usually when society has been kicked in the guts in a major way that things change - I'm thinking of the Port Arthur shootings that caused the Australian PM to bring in laws to prevent the average joe from owning semi-automatic weapons - but it's very rare.

Oh and I read the article - it's part of my desensitization program.