News
At Military Sexual Assault Hearing, Expect Mostly Men
Sunday, June 2, 2013 | Category: Military Justice - National
Military leaders insisted for decades that they had the tools to stop sexual assault within the ranks, but no “silver bullet” solution. After years of trainings, public awareness campaigns, and other administrative directives failed to decrease the rate of military sexual violence, the Senate Armed Services Committee will hold its first full hearing in nearly 10 years, one that could lead to fundamental changes to the way the armed forces deal with a problem Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has called a “scourge.”
The Lethality of Loneliness: We Now Know How It Can Ravage Our Body and Brain
Monday, May 13, 2013 | Category: Health Care - National
U.S. Army psychologist Major Paul Lester is working with Cacioppo and Hawkley testing their social-cognition curriculum on Army bases. The classes hone soldiers’ social skills and teach platoon leaders how to better spot the lonely in their ranks and help them fit in better. Soldiers’ lives are full of social disruption, including transfers from base to base and other significant continuous changes. Reports suggest that people who have gone through the training fall prey to post-traumatic stress disorder less often.
Why the Military Has a Sexual Assault Problem
Friday, May 10, 2013 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - National
The military’s campaign to prevent sexual assault is a throw back to the 1950s. It basically tells servicemen not to have sex with women when they’re drunk. More significantly, the campaign is silent about the actual demographics of sexual assault in the military. According to the Department of Defense's own data, more than half of the military’s victims are men. PBS Frontline reported: "Its most recent report, released this week, estimated that 26,000 service members experienced “unwanted sexual contact,” which includes rape, attempted rape and unwanted sexual touching. Of these, an estimated 12,100 were women—and 13,900 were men. Fewer than half of the incidents involved alcohol."
Feres Doctrine and the Obstacles to Justice for Military Rape Victims
Thursday, May 9, 2013 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - National
Military sexual assault victims face a myriad of substantial obstacles. Their judge chooses the jury, and change the charge, reduce the sentence, and overturn a verdict. The judges may not have any legal education, background, or knowledge. Additionally, with the Feres Doctrine, the Tort Claims Act was expanded, banning servicemembers from suing for any injuries that “arise out of or are in the course of activity incident to service.” Its "stretch" prevents servicemembers from suing the military, including victims of rape. In essence, servicemembers are blocked from civil courts.
First Person: Job Market is a Tough Sell for Women Veterans
Monday, April 8, 2013 | Category: Employment - National
In a January 2013 survey of more than 4,000 veterans, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) found that 16 percent were unemployed. Among these unemployed newer vets, 33.8 percent had gone without a job for more than a year, while 17 percent had been without a job for more than two years.
South Korea: A Thriving Sex Industry In A Powerful, Wealthy Super-State
Monday, April 8, 2013 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - National
South Korea, a wealthy, powerful Asian super-state, technology hub and stalwart U.S. ally, has a deep, dark secret. Prostitution and the sex trade flourish in South Korea just under the country’s shiny surface. Indeed, paid sex is available all over South Korea -- in coffee shops, shopping malls, the barber shop, hotels, motels, as well as the so-called juicy bars, frequented by American soldiers, and the red-light districts, which operate openly. Internet chat rooms and cell phones have opened up whole new streams of business for ambitious prostitutes and pimps.
Sexual Assault Victims No Longer Need to Fear Punishment for Treatment
Friday, April 5, 2013 | Category: Security Clearance - National
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence James Clapper announced that all executive departments, including the CIA and the military, will not require those who have received mental health counseling for sexual assault to answer "yes" to Question 21 on the Standard Form 86 used for security clearances.
Trauma Sets Female Veterans Adrift Back Home
Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | Category: Housing/Experiencing Homelessness - National
Women veterans the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. They are often-invisible, "bouncing between sofa and air mattress, overnighting in public storage lockers, living in cars and learning to park inconspicuously on the outskirts of shopping centers to avoid the violence of the streets." Pathways to homelessness differ between male and female veterans. Military Sexual Trauma (MST), from assaults or harassment during their service which can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, is a common pathway for women veterans.
‘The Invisible War’ Changing the Conversation on Rape in the Military
Monday, February 18, 2013 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - National
The 2012 documentary, "The Invisible War," offers servicemen and women's stories from all branches of the military about being sexually assaulted by another servicemember while serving in the military. The military climate from one victim's perspective is "designed to help women better deal with the inevitability of getting raped." This film has changed the conversation. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, two days after viewing the film, changed the reporting structure for victims.
Veteran Homlessness Drops 7 Percent, VA Says
Monday, December 10, 2012 | Category: Housing/Experiencing Homelessness - National
The number of U.S. homeless veterans counted on a single night during the Housing and Urban Development's annual Point-in-Time survey declined 7.2 percent from the previous year.