- One in three military women has been sexually assaulted, compared to one in six civilian women, according to Defense. According to calculations by The Huffington Post, a servicewoman was nearly 180 times more likely to have become a victim of military sexual assault (MSA) in the past year than to have died while deployed during the last 11 years of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- The majority of sexual assaults each year are committed against service members by service members, SAPRO reports. While MSA does not affect only women, the office characterizes the"vast majority" of victims as female junior enlists under the age of 25, and the "vast majority" of perpetrators as male, older (under the age of 35) and generally higher-ranking.
- 79 percent of women serving in the military during the past 40 years report persistent experiences of sexual harassment.
- The chances of a female veteran developing PTSD are nine times more likely if she has been sexually assaulted.
In this video, Jennifer Norris and Rebecca Johnson-Stone discuss their personal stories of sexual assault while in the military. Jennifer Norris, is a retired technical sergeant currently working as the coordinator at the Military Rape Crisis Center in Rumford, Maine. While Johnson-stone, resides in Columbia, Maryland and is founder of WalkAgainstRape.org.
* This video may be triggering, it includes verbal expression of their experiences. This video does not contain graphic content.
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"Working with veterans and active duty personnel who are victims of military sexual assault, I came to recognize that I had been shamed into silence. My fellow veterans helped me find my voice again.
If anyone ever tells you that women are the weaker sex, don’t you believe it.” -Jennifer Norris
This is a quote from Jennifer Norris's personal story. She wrote this letter for her testimony before the House Armed Services Committe.
Below is a link to her letter.
If anyone ever tells you that women are the weaker sex, don’t you believe it.” -Jennifer Norris
This is a quote from Jennifer Norris's personal story. She wrote this letter for her testimony before the House Armed Services Committe.
Below is a link to her letter.