SALUTE HER UK: The Long Term Effects of Military Sexual Trauma (MST)

“The day the soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them, or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership. “

Colin Powell

The term, soldier; refers to any person who serves in the armed forces and engages in any form of military service for their country.  They live by the values set by the military: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless-service, honour, integrity, and personal courage.

Yet, for many women undergoing basic training, their first encounter with a patriarchal power structure, can be traumatic and demeaning. The hierarchical ‘male dominated’ structure leaves many women feeling undervalued, unappreciated and having to work twice as hard as others just to prove themselves.  It is not hard to see how basic training can create an environment in which sexual predators can thrive without fear of punishment, the power imbalance is extreme. The group of women veterans I work with often report that they never felt accepted into a male-centric world and were often made to feel unwelcome, outsiders or ‘under the microscope’ and micro-managed. This, not surprisingly led to many feeling undervalued, lonely, isolated, homesick and many chose to leave. It's a sad fact that many women who serve in the armed forces experience some form of harassment and/or Military Sexual Trauma. (MST) Yet, in the main it generally goes unreported.

Lets explore the differences between MST and rape - historically rape has been legally defined as the unwanted penetration of a woman’s vagina by a penis or other item (Bourke, 2007). Military Sexual Trauma (MST) has been defined as sexual harassment that is threatening in character or physical assault of a sexual nature that occurred while the victim was in the military, regardless of geographic location of the trauma, gender of victim, or the relationship to the perpetrator. Its not hard to see how one can lead to the other.

For many women, reporting a sexual assault is harrowing, women report feeling isolated as other personnel in the unit turn their backs on the victim/ survivor, often siding with the perpetrator. The unit’s collective shunning, heightens the victim’s emotional pain and complicates recovery from the trauma. The act of MST by a comrade or high ranking Officer is often perceived as a double betrayal and destroys trust in individuals and the system. Many women who access the specialist support of Salute Her tell how reporting an assault during their career is effectively ‘ Off Limits’ - they worried that had they reported problems, they would be humiliated, not believed, ostracised and the problem located with them not the perpetrator.

‘I think the main problem with the Military is that men can do what they want, women are there to be used and abused , you couldn’t tell anyone, why would you,  no one would believe you’ It is no secret to us, that sexual assault in the military is widespread, however the evidence is anecdotal and determining the number of victims depends on more research and whether the question is asked in the first place. Sadly during the course of running this project we have frequently been told that the reason for so little research into this area is due to the military and academics not liking to talk about sex, as its not British. Well, in my view neither is rape!

A large percentage of women Veterans who access Salute Her report that they were reluctant to complain about harassment, bullying and inappropriate behaviour during service as they were fearful that they would not be believed, blamed or feared the ramifications for their careers and friendships.
Those who do make a formal complaint are often left feeling dissatisfied with the outcome of the investigation and follow-up action was for many non-existent. Similarly, many said they had experienced negative consequences for the rest of their careers and were left feeling humiliated.

Military Sexual Trauma isn’t a diagnosis or a condition, but rather a lived experience, there are no “common symptoms” of MST.  The onset of these reactions may not be immediate; it’s not uncommon for problems to materialise weeks, months, or years after the traumatic event.

Military Sexual Trauma can often result in symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. There are a number of reasons why MST and PTSD are so closely linked, many of which include having to live and work with the perpetrator after the event to the point of even possibly relying on them for safety or to provide essentials like health care or food.

Many women may have already left military before first experiencing the traumatic effects of MST. These devastating life experiences can have a prolonged effect on not just their physical and emotional wellbeing but impact on future employment opportunities, personal and professional relationships and many struggle to cope and function years after the assaults took place.

In my opinion, the sacrifices women service personnel and veterans have made for this country are equal to that of their male counterparts , and we owe them all a debt of gratitude, equal respect and adequate specialist support services that are able to meet their unique needs.

Paula Edwards
Mental Health Therapist and Salute Her UK Project Lead.