Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma News
MST: Beyond the Headlines with Cheryl Jennings
Tuesday, March 29, 2016 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - National
Cheryl Jennings of ABC's "Beyond the Headlines" interviews two male military sexual assault (MST) survivors, the CEO and President of Protect Our Defenders, the Director of Gender Equity & LGBT Rights, and Senior Staff Attorney of the Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center.
Sexual assault continues to be epidemic in the military and is not gender-specific. More military men than military women are raped during their service. Continued reform of military law enforcement and justice systems is necessary to provide military members with an impartial and just process that they can access without fear of retaliation. Additionally, accessing MST survivors to physical and mental health care while in the military and as veterans is critical to their lifelong well being and self-sufficiency.
About Face: U.S. Military Seeks Historic Overhaul of Justice System
Tuesday, March 15, 2016 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - National
The Defense Department quietly proposed the most far-reaching reforms to its justice system in decades in December 2015. Included in the reforms: the Pentagon would issue sentencing guidelines for military crimes, military judges would determine sentences previously rendered by juries of military personnel with little or no legal experience, and all convicted service members would have a right to appeal. Neither the legislation nor the 1,300-page review addressed the role of commanders, which continues to be a contentious issue in Congress after years of controversy over the military’s handling of sexual assault. More than three dozen changes to the Uniformed Code of Military Justice were imposed by Congress prior to the release of this report. Don Christensen, President of "Protect Our Defenders," noted the changes were far reaching, "but the central issue of the commander’s influence, he said, remained untouched."
Protect Our Defenders Announces First Annual Justice Award Winners
Wednesday, January 20, 2016 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - National
On January 20, 2016, two attorneys from the California Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center (LAS-ELC), Cacilia Kim, Special Counsel, and Elizabeth Kristen, Director of their Gender Equity & LGBT Rights Program, received the "2016 Protect Our Defenders Justice Award." Ms. Kim and Ms. Kristen received the inaugural award for their tireless work on behalf of military sexual assault survivors through Protect Our Defenders (POD) "Pro Bono Network." POD is the only national human rights organization solely dedicated to ending harassment and sexual assault in the U.S. military. Former Chief Prosecutor of the U.S. Air Force and President of Protect Our Defenders, Colonel Don Christensen, will present the awards..
Air Force Colonel in Colorado Charged With Rape, Assault
Friday, January 15, 2016 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - National
An Air Force colonel at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado was charged with rape, assault and adultery in late 2014 or early 2015. He was the second in command of the 50th Space Wing communication satellites. A hearing to determine if there is sufficient evidence for a court-martial is scheduled for March 17, 2015.
'Comfort Women' Deal Is a Win-Win But Japan and Korea Must Do More
Wednesday, January 6, 2016 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - International
Euphemism, bad history, and decades of missed opportunities have distorted Japan's wartime sexual abuse history. In April 2015, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo, in a joint U.S. Congressional session, acknowledged that "armed conflicts have always made women suffer the most." A former "Comfort Woman" Yong Soo Lee, attended as Rep. Mike Honda's (D-Calif.) guest. But as article author and former Congresswoman Jane Harman has written about, "our own country has a sordid history of sexual assault in its ranks." She notes that all countries have much more to do to "counter false histories." She quotes Representative Ed Royce (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a leader on this issue: "It's much harder to get tomorrow right if we get yesterday wrong."
Stefanik Can Do Better
Sunday, December 27, 2015 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - New York
This opinion piece challenges the depth of New York representative Stefanik's understanding of the issues the House Armed Services Committee addresses. The author specifically notes her position f supporting the current military strategy in Afghanistan and continuing involvement of the military chain of command in sexual assault cases.
The Military's Culture of Retaliation Against Rape Victims
Saturday, December 19, 2015 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - New Hampshire
The article's author shares her experiences of trying to write an article about sexual assault in the military. Contacts who were not currently in the military were afraid to speak freely and openly, acknowledging the military's "culture of silence." Retaliation continues even after legal reform as the 2014 RAND report documents: 62% of women who reported unwanted sexual contact experienced some form of retaliation including adverse administrative actions, professional actions, punishments for other infractions, and/or mental health diagnoses.
Senators of Steel: Gillibrand And McCaskill Make A Formidable Team
Friday, December 18, 2015 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - National
Senators McCaskill of Missouri and Gillibrand of New York have blazed sexual assault reform impacting military personnel and students on college campuses. They understand there is much, much more to acccomplish to reach out and give a hand up to victims who still live in silence. As role models for women, they recommend women "own their ambition."
Minnesota Guardsmen Receive Engaging Presentation on Sexual Assault, Culture Change
Tuesday, November 17, 2015 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - Minnesota
More than 400 full-time Minnesota National Guard soldiers and airmen attended a presentation by Mr. Russel W. Strand about the prevalence of sexual assault in the military and throughout the nation and how to foster a new culture that blames the perpetrator, not the victim. Mr. Strand is the current chief of the U.S. Army Military Police School Behavioral Sciences Education and Training Division, with specialized expertise, experience, and training in the area of domestic violence intervention, critical incident peer support and sexual assault.
Pentagon Lacking on Sex Assault Prevention, Report Says
Monday, November 16, 2015 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - National
The Government Accounting Office (GAO) report 16-61 released in November 2015, stated that the Pentagon's sexual assault prevention strategy is ineffective. The GAO "says the Department of Defense has failed to: identify risk factors that “promote sexual violence” in the military community and in military leadership; communicate the strategy to military bases to ensure consistency among armed services prevention programs; and undertake methods to measure whether the strategy is working and whether changes are needed."