According to a fiscal year 2022 report submitted by the Pentagon, the rate of sexual assaults had risen 1% from the previous year. Still, despite decades of efforts against sexual violence, in the last two fiscal years research conducted by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs reported an increase of soldiers who filed unrestricted reports after being sexual assaulted and/or harassed. In 2022, public backlash over the discovery of murdered soldiers at Fort Cavazos, Texas spurred the military to add sexual harassment as a crime under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). In the subsequent decades, the DOD and Department of Veteran Affairs have continued implemented several policies to improve treatment, clarify reporting procedures and provide long-term support to sexual assault victims. The task force concluded their investigation by creating training on Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) that has been led by the SAPR office, headquartered at the Pentagon. A year later, the military acknowledged that mandating commanders to be notified of crimes of sexual violence was a deterrent to soldiers who feared retaliation from their supervisors, peers, assailant (all of whom have the potential to be the same person) after reporting and removed this requirement. Those recommendations included developing a central point of accountability and a unified response system. In 2004, a Department of Defense (DOD) task force aiming to provide resources to sexual assault survivors made recommendations for systematic changes to better support soldiers who experience sexual violence. Even before Vanessa Guillen’s murder, the military was under pressure to improve their culture and overcome rampant reports of sexual assault. This event was one of many that year that increased visibility on issues in the armed forces’ efforts against sexual violation. In 2020, Fort Hood specialist Vanessa Guillen was assaulted and killed by a fellow soldier within her chain-of-command. While the armed forces progress in addressing this challenging issue, understanding sexual violence in a military context offers a lesser-known perspective on sexual trauma’s challenges. Sexual harassment and assault are also more prevalent within the military than in the majority of civilian organizations. ![]() It also is common for female veterans not to disclose an immediate need for housing out of fear they will lose custody of their dependent children, he said.Sexual violence persists within all branches of the armed forces and in recent years, reports of sexual assault and harassment have garnered national attention. Yet female veterans might not readily identify themselves as former members of the armed forces when seeking housing and other services, which can disqualify them for assistance, Hayes said. Their numbers are projected to reach 20% of the veteran population by 2040. Women represent 10% of the veteran population, yet they are the fast-growing group in the veteran population, according to the VA. “Untreated or under-treated and military sexual trauma can increase the risk for depression, suicide, substance use and the ability to maintain stable employment or relationships,” said Weber, founder of Family Care Centers, which specializes in mental health treatment for military families and first responders. Charles Weber, a psychiatrist and retired Army lieutenant colonel. ![]() ![]() These factors can greatly affect their housing stability and increase the likelihood of homelessness,” said Dr. “Women veterans deal with unique challenges such as having and caring for children, facing the risk of domestic violence, managing financial independence and ensuring employability. Homelessness among female veterans rose by 10% from 2020 to 2022 as the overall number of veterans experiencing homelessness declined, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which provides an annual report on homelessness to Congress.
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