Military sexual trauma: Prevalent and under-treated
Stigma, treatment barriers affect male and female survivors
- Date:
- November 3, 2015
- Source:
- American Psychological Association
- Summary:
- Rates of military sexual trauma among men who served in the military may be as much as 15 times higher than has been previously reported, largely because of barriers associated with stigma, beliefs in myths about male rape, and feelings of helplessness, according to a collection of new articles.
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Rates of military sexual trauma among men who served in the military may be as much as 15 times higher than has been previously reported, largely because of barriers associated with stigma, beliefs in myths about male rape, and feelings of helplessness, according to articles published by the American Psychological Association.
Female veterans who were sexually assaulted are also more prone to develop post-traumatic stress disorder than other women who experienced combat, and are significantly less likely than other PTSD sufferers to seek help, according to studies appearing in a special issue of the journal Psychological Services.
"We know that there is under reporting among men and women and hope that this special issue will help to bring awareness and treatment for those that serve and protect us," said the issue's co-editor, Michi Fu, PhD, a clinical practitioner. "I personally wanted to pull together scholarship after hearing of reports of military sexual trauma being so much more prevalent than in the general population."
The special issue is a comprehensive look at the issues facing men and women who experienced military sexual trauma while serving, as well as a presentation of evidence-based strategies for preventing future sexual violence and encouraging people to come forward and seek treatment. The articles urge more public education and monitoring of victims.
The table of contents for this special issue can be found at: http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/ser/12/4/
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Materials provided by American Psychological Association. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
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