Dealing with Sexual Assault, Challenges, and Insights

Abstract

Abstract : The numbers of sexual assault cases continue to rise. This increase reveals that it is prevalent in the military. The background and scope of the sexual assault problem starts with the American culture. Perpetrators reside in society communities, businesses, churches, schools, and sports and in the military. In an all-voluntary military, the Armed Services are a reflection of culture and society. Despite a socialized training effort to transition civilians to mission ready Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines through initial entry training, Service Members, at times, exercise extreme poor judgment and ignore values for the sake of self-motivating reasons that lead to sexual assault. There is ongoing debate in Congress over whether the military justice system should change, primarily due to public scrutiny on how senior military commanders handle sexual assault cases. With sexual assault crimes rising across the entire spectrum of American society and with the spotlight on the Armed Services, accountability remains a huge concern until this crime is reduced and eventually eliminated. Leaders at every level must be held accountable to tackle this challenge. This Professional Studies Paper (PSP) examines the impact of culture, leadership, and policy as they relate to sexual assault in society and in the military. This PSP ends with two recommendations for the Department of Defense (DoD) to consider as a means to assist in deterrence, and concludes with the assertion that the DoD may see Congress take civilian control of the military justice system if the numbers of victims continue to rise.