Domestic Abuse in the Military
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October is Domestic Violence Awareness month and many blogs here at 451 Press are focusing a few posts on the subject.
I want to explore and talk about abuse within a military family. Historically the military has failed to take domestic violence seriously by not providing services and support for victims and failing to punish service members who abuse their partners. But this indifference has changed as a result of the successful lobbying of Congress by the Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) and other domestic violence advocacy organizations who worked with the Department of Defense (DoD) to create the Defense Task Force on Domestic Violence (DTFDV).
High profile incidents of violence against women in the military, including five domestic homicides at Fort Bragg in 2002 and allegations of sexual assault in the Air Force Academy have led to an increased awareness of the problem of violence against women in the military. Evidence shows that violence against women is a pervasive problem within the military, just as it is in among civilians. However,
women in the military are particularly vulnerable to abuse due to geographical isolation from family and friends, and the potential for social isolation within the military culture.
Some facts to consider:
The victim of domestic violence in the military is predominantly the female, civilian spouse of active duty personnel. Victims normally have children and more than half have been married
two years or less.
Substantiated spousal abuse involving members of the military is predominantly perpetrated by male, active duty personnel.
Among the Services, the Army consistently has shown the highest rates of domestic violence, followed by the Marines, Navy, and Air Force.
Abused women in military communities are often fearful of reporting incidents due to the lack of confidentiality and privacy as well as limited victim services.
In the sample of active duty military women from the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area, 29.9 percent reported adult lifetime intimate partner violence, defined as physical and/or sexual assault from a current or former intimate partner. African American women were significantly less likely to be abused during military service than were white women, but ethnic group membership was not a risk factor for lifetime abuse.
domestic abuse, abuse, military
October 3rd, 2007 at 7:13 am
I just wanted to say thank you for writing this and helping others become more aware…
October 3rd, 2007 at 7:38 am
[...] Another area we often overlook where abuse occurs often, is in the military. When women in the military are physiacally assulted, it is often brushed off as being a misunderstanding, or not that serious. Toni Kemp, a Military Wife, writes about it in her blog today, “Domestic Abuse In The Military“. [...]
October 10th, 2007 at 7:39 am
[...] Domestic Abuse in the Military (2) by Toni Kemp This is the second post in my series of domestic abuse in the military. Part one can be found here. [...]