Survey: Reservists Complain of Harassment (6/10 women)

[sabra]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-5311064,00.html

Survey: Reservists Complain of Harassment

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Six in 10 women who have served in the National Guard and Reserves said they were sexually harassed or assaulted, but less than a quarter reported it and many who did were encouraged to drop the complaint, according to a survey released Thursday.

The survey, done by the Department of Veterans Affairs and released by Democratic members of Congress, found that nearly half of the women who responded said the sexual trauma occurred while they were on duty. Fifty-two percent of the cases involving women were verbal harassment and 8 percent involved rape or attempted rape, while the rest were for other types of incidents.

More than 27 percent of male Guard and Reserve veterans said they had experienced some type of sexual harassment or assault - most often by other men.

The VA surveyed nearly 4,000 men and women who served between 1950-2000.

[rodeodance]

1. mem on mem also.

More than 27 percent of male Guard and Reserve veterans said they had experienced some type of sexual harassment or assault - most often by other men.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Survey: 60 percent of National Guard and Reserve female veterans say they

Survey: 60 percent of National Guard and Reserve female veterans say they were sexually harassed
09/29/2005 02:03:51 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Six in 10 women who have served in the National Guard and Reserves said they were sexually harassed or assaulted, but less than a quarter reported it and many who did were encouraged to drop the complaint, according to a survey released Thursday.

The survey, done by the Department of Veterans Affairs and released by Democratic members of Congress, found that nearly half of the women who responded said the sexual trauma occurred while they were on duty. Fifty-two percent of the cases involving women were verbal harassment and 8 percent involved rape or attempted rape, while the rest were for other types of incidents.

More than 27 percent of male Guard and Reserve veterans said they had experienced some type of sexual harassment or assault -- most often by other men.

The VA surveyed nearly 4,000 men and women who served between 1950-2000.
(snip/)

http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2005/09/29/news/latest_news/6693030a1466f9eb8625708b0068b8f2.txt

[marmar]

3. Not surprising...

I think there's just something about the military "above the law" culture.

[pocket]

4. suprise! when you train men to act like goons

they act like goons

[bleedingheart]

5. I am not surprised

my uncle is a retired Army Colonel who worked with the National Guard full time and you would never meet such a first class pervert. I would not be surprised to find out that he had harrassed any and all women under his command.

He and another officer kept an apartment on the side so that they could enjoy extra-curricular activities without their wives knowing..although my uncle's wife did find out. Funny thing is when I hear about officers losing their jobs because of adultery...I don't understand why he never did.

[MissMarple]

6. It's just another example of a "culture of corruption".

;) I just couldn't resist.

[MountainLaurel]

14. He was an officer

Only grunts (or women pilots) get busted for adultery.

[SoCalDem]

7. It's not surprising to me..

Any time women enter a field that's traditionally been a "guy's turf", they are often harrassed and molested..

It's almost a jokey thing.."puttin' the little woman through a test" to see if she's got what it takes:puke:

For the women, it's a lose lose.. If they stand up and report it, they are a snitch..a troublemaker.. If they say nothing and just take it, they are a doormat, and are "obviously" ok with their treatment.

It's passive-aggressive on steroids.

[ElectroPrincess]

9. That's why the more of us women who are INTEGRATED into

the Regular Army and other services, the less these "frat boy" antics will take place.

As a young Lieutenant in the late 70s and 80s I have known harassment up close and personal. I was never fully assaulted, partly by luck but also partly by some martial arts training and, in general, the way I conducted myself.

Yes, far too many women are abused in the military services, but very similar to race, the more women are integrated, the less such behavior is tolerated by those in power.

[LostinVA]

8. I've had some first hand experience with this

I lived and worked in "Fayettenam" -- home of Fort Bragg and Pope AFB -- for two years in the early 90's. OMG. The "frat jock" entitlement mindset was worse than anything I experienced in college. I was not military, but almost everyone I worked and knew in Fayetteville was.

Just two typical incidents out of hundreds:

1.) A group of us are eating in Bennigan's NOT at the bar -- in the restaurant area, when some jerk comes up to us and thrusts his ring-adorned finger in our faces. "See this? This is a West Point ring. Which one of you lucky ladies wants to suck my dick?"

For the record, nothing happened to this ass -- the manger told us they would lose too much business.

2.) I worked at a chain bookstore. EVERY DAY at least one soldier or airman (usually a soldier) would come in to the store and say something sicko to at least one of us. Just filthy stuff. We were always getting they thrown out of the store. Of course, mall management would rarely "trespass" them. Why? Too much money....

Good grief -- Fayetteville/Spring Lake has such sleazy bars, etc... it's just a whole mindset that the military really needs to work on...

And, people in my family have served in every war since they came here, including my two grandfathers: one in WW II, and the other in WW II, KOrea, and Vietnam. And my 36-year-old BIL can't wait upright or even pick up a bag of groceries because of his injuries from his military service. And he'd agree with this survey.

[ElectroPrincess]

10. It's my feisty personality but it's cool if you could retort to this

so called "Pointer" that "Sorry, I don't have a magnifying glass handy to find your pencil dick!" :P Throw it back at them just as hard. Nothing pisses off a macho man more than getting back in his face. And guess what, if he goes after you physically you can turn him every way but loose. However, most times their buddies will laugh so loud and rag on them immediately that they'll call you something like "a c**t" and slink away.

[Megahurtz]

11. Pretty pathetic that THAT dick has all of his ego in West Point.

:puke:

Maybe you should have told him to go "jock off" with himself.

[wellstone_democrat]

12. I've got two "beauties" in the line of stories

1. Lackland AFB Texas---the airmen would teach foreign military attached there to go up to any woman and say the filthiest things under the guise of helping them with English. They especially liked basic trainees and female officers. Complaints got a "don't you have a sense of humor?" reply.

2. AFB in Montana late 70s---the Thunderbirds came to do some stupid air show and spent their evening calling the women's dorm asking for some whores to be sent over. By 10 pm the base commander's secretary (NCO) who was living in the dorm called her boss, he suggested that we tell the asshole to come and make his request in person to see if they had guts enough and if they were really the pilots rather than some enlisted guys having "fun" When three of the Air Force's most elite came to the door at the CQ office our base commander was standing behind the door...they were out of there by 5 a.m. (Only decent base commander we ever had...)

the saying at the base was: "If you go out with them (men) you are called a whore. If you won't, you are called a lesbian" Often demands were made so you could have the "opportunity to prove you weren't a lesbian"

No, actually, I don't miss that aspect of USAF life at all and we knew we had it 10x better than in the other services. Actually, Coast Guard vets (female) seemed to have fewer complaints than anyone I've met.

[jkappy]

13. Are Male victims encouraged to

drop the charges the way women are?? Me doubts it--whether it be a gay perpetrator or a rare female one.