Currently, there are over 1.5 million people in the U.S. Military who are on active duty. It is their job to fight for our country to keep us safe from harm. However, it is now time that we step up for the safety of our armed forces.
Sexual assault is a growing problem in the military with no end in sight. In a 622-page report published by the Department of Defense, a staggering 3,158 total instances of sexual assault were reported—but that is just the beginning. The DoD believes that number only makes up 13.5 percent of the actual number of sexual assaults in the military in 2010. A better, more accurate estimate would be closer to 19,000 sexual assaults. To put that number in perspective, that is about half of the UW-Madison student body and a little more than the population of Middleton.
With April being Sexual Assault Awareness Month, this issue has been brought under especially bright lights during the last couple of weeks, but it should be an issue we think about and address all year long. Civilians looking out for the safety of our military personnel cannot be reserved for one month of the year.
It is for that reason I am happy to say this phenomenon has increasingly been at the forefront of news coverage, with many veterans speaking up about what they experienced or witnessed during their service. It was also the topic of a recent Sundance film, “The Invisible War” by Kirby Dick. Some of the film’s featured statistics help to paint a vivid picture of what is really occurring in the armed forces:
A female serving for the United States of America is more likely to be sexually assaulted by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire. This is unreal. When soldiers enlist, they know they are taking a risk and putting their safety in jeopardy, but it is supposed to be the enemy, not your fellow soldiers, making that the case.
Citing glaring statistics like these, the intention of “The Invisible War” was to make an impact on law enforcement system. Only 8 percent of known sexual assault cases in the military are prosecuted. Over 90 percent of the sexual assaults reported are result in no form of punishment for the perpetrator. Additionally, only 2 percent of known sexual assault cases result in convictions. Finally, of the 19,000 estimated cases of sexual assault that happened in the armed forces in 2010, only 62 led to the punishment of an offender.
At this point in history, it is estimated that 500,000 people who are or have served in the military have been sexually assaulted. They may not be able to convict their attackers, but that does not mean there is nothing to be done. We can bring this issue to light. We can make it known that there is a battle our soldiers are fighting not against the perceived enemy, but within their own military communities. This battle is sexual assault.
PAVE is a student organization dedicated to ending sexual assault, dating violence and stalking in the UW-Madison community through education and activism. Please send all comments or questions to uwpavemedia@gmail.com or visit UWPAVE.com.
