Something that I think is an important subject is sexual assault in the military. I am someone who married into the military, and I have lived on a military base for four years so far. In the few years that I’ve been in a military community, I have heard way too many things about sexual assault and how it tends to fly under the radar. Studies have shown that “9–13 % of servicewomen and 1–2 % of servicemen endure sexual assault per year of military employment” (Holland et al., 2014). What is it about this community that causes sexual assault to seemingly not be taken seriously? What can be done to bring about an effective change?
Not only have I just been associated with the military for a little while now, but last year I began working for the government. Government workers who work on base are Department of Defense employees who then need to take a lot of the same training as those in the military. One of these is sexual assault training. It discusses sexual assault in the workplace and in military environments. To me, it’s interesting that this is a training that must be taken annually, yet it’s still such a persistent issue.
After doing a little research on the topic, the article I found discusses the effectiveness of this training. The goal of the research conducted was to assess “whether sexual assault training exposure (None, Minimal, Partial, or Comprehensive) predicted accurate knowledge of sexual assault resources and protocols” (Holland et al., 2014). According to the Department of Defense, most of the military is effectively trained (Holland et al., 2014). Yet the research found that context matters a lot and that when done right, the training has the ability to be effective, as those who receive comprehensive training experience lower incidences of sexual assault and have more knowledge of resources and protocols (Holland et al., 2014).
Because the training is over 10 years old, I think this is the change that needs to occur. More research needs to be conducted within this specific community in order to find the most effective intervention. As we know, social change research is very much about researching within a specific community since each community is so different. Differences in the training could be delivery, content, and the gender makeup of training groups since studies have shown a potential difference between same- or different-gender training groups (Holland et al., 2014).
Holland, K. J., Rabelo, V. C., & Cortina, L. M. (2014). Sexual assault training in the military: Evaluating efforts to end the “invisible war”. American Journal of Community Psychology, 54(3-4), 289-303. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10464-014-9672-0
Bringing about social change in the military is a noble undertaking that could benefit from some of our learned ideas this semester. What stood out initially in the article by Holland and colleagues was that when asked, the DoD could not give a definitive number of Active Duty members who are actually trained in sexual assault protocols (Holland et al., 2014
). As you mentioned, not only is the training outdated, but training is inconsistent, and materials are often simply powerpoint briefings. The United States military is a type of community with many moving parts but could benefit from community psychology and social change research. Social change research centers on community needs and involves working with members to gauge issue severity and possible interventions (Gruman, 2016). Participatory research is a form of social change research that places great emphasis on involving community members in most or all of the stages of the research endeavor (Gruman, 2016). The US military could benefit from engaging marginalized members to participate in updating their sexual assault training program through collective decision-making. This collaboration process would ensure that community members feel heard and that their concerns are addressed. Of course, community members from all areas should be included, not just victims of assault, so that the training program reflects the desires and needs of everyone involved. Research should involve looking at other programs that have proven effective and using surveys and interviews with a cross-section of service members to help develop interactive and engaging materials. There are many successful programs that the DoD could use as a model for change. Social psychology and social change research can improve the lives of service members and their families by focusing on the community’s true needs.
Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (Eds.). (2016). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. SAGE Publications.
Holland, K. J., Rabelo, V. C., & Cortina, L. M. (2014). Sexual assault training in the military: Evaluating efforts to end the “invisible war.” American Journal of Community Psychology, 54(3-4), 289-303. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10464-014-9672-0