Sexual harassment in the military

Sexual harassment in the military is unwanted sexual behaviour which is threatening, offensive, or otherwise upsetting to others in a military setting. The behaviour is more common in the military than in civilian life. Women are substantially more likely than men to experience sexual harassment in the armed forces; other groups at high risk are child cadets/recruits and military detainees.

Sexual harassment is unwanted sexual behaviour which is threatening or otherwise upsetting to others. Some example definitions in use by state armed forces are:

Sexual harassment in the military includes a broad spectrum of behaviour. Undirected behaviours that affect the working environment, such as the prominent display of pornographic material, may constitute sexual harassment, as do directed behaviours targeted at one or more individuals, such as unwanted sexual advances and sexual assault.

British army (as reported to researchers): ‘A friend was out on an exercise when a group of men ducked her head in a bucket of water and each time she came up for breath she had to repeat “I am useless and I am a female”. She told the story and said it was a joke but I could see she was upset.’

French army (as reported in the Independent newspaper): '“Captain Carole” said that she had been subjected to a prolonged series of declarations of love and groping by her commander in chief, a colonel. During a trip to Paris, he raped her. “It was months before I could pronounce the word ‘rape’,” she said. “I blamed myself. I said: ‘We are trained in hand to hand combat. Why didn’t I stop him?’ But when that happens you are terrorised.”'

Studies of sexual harassment have found that it is markedly more common in military than civilian settings. Several reasons for this have been suggested. A Canadian study found that key risk factors associated with military settings are the typically young age of personnel, the 'isolated and integrated' nature of accommodation, the minority status of women, and the disproportionate number of men in senior positions. The traditionally masculine values and behaviours that are rewarded and reinforced in military settings are also thought to play a role. Canadian research has also found that the risk increases during deployment on military operations.

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