“Who Are You Going to Tell? Who’s Going to Believe You?”

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 414-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina M. Dardis ◽  
Kristen M. Reinhardt ◽  
Melissa M. Foynes ◽  
Nina E. Medoff ◽  
Amy E. Street

Researchers have identified disclosure as an important part of sexual assault recovery among civilian survivors. However, few researchers have examined the process of military sexual trauma (MST) disclosure, including the barriers and facilitators, positive and negative reactions from disclosure recipients, and positive and negative impacts of disclosure on survivors. Twenty-three women veteran MST survivors completed semi-structured qualitative interviews that assessed disclosure experiences; responses were coded using directed content analysis. Among the 20 women veterans who disclosed MST (87%), most volunteered information that they had disclosed to informal (74%, n = 17), military (70%, n = 16), and medical sources (52%, n = 12). Among women who reported that they disclosed MST to military personnel, all reported at least one negative reaction to the disclosure, including 50% ( n = 8) who reported perceived retaliation for disclosure. Women who reported they disclosed to military personnel identified some barriers (e.g., feared consequences) that women who disclosed to non-military personnel did not. We suggest that the responses of recipients to disclosure may contribute to the impact on participants, including dissatisfaction and disillusionment with the military. We discuss unique aspects of the military context that may contribute to negative reactions. Practitioners can use this information to increase empathy and understanding of the complexity of disclosure and to help survivors process and contextualize these experiences during therapy. Additional online materials for this article are available on PWQ’s website at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/suppl/10.1177/0361684318796783

2001 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bei-Hung Chang ◽  
Katherine M. Skinner ◽  
Ulrike Boehmer

Objective: Religion has been shown to have a positive impact on well-being and to play an important role in coping with stressful life events. However, the buffering effect of religiosity on mental health, after a particularly stressful life event such as sexual assault, has not been studied. In this study we examined the buffering effect of religion on mental health and depression for women who report experiencing sexual assault while in the military. Method: The sample includes a nationally representative sample of 3,543 women veterans who use VA ambulatory care. Two dimensions of religiosity were used: organizational (frequency of religious service attendance) and subjective (the extent religious beliefs are a source of strength/comfort). Mental health was measured by the mental component summary (MCS) from the SF36 and depressive symptoms were measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale. Results: Women veterans who reported experiencing sexual assault while in the military had lower mental health scores and higher levels of depression. Linear regression analysis indicated that these negative impacts diminished with increased frequency of religious service attendance, supporting the buffering effect of organizational religiosity on mental health and depression. Although the buffering effect of subjective religiosity was not evident, subjective religiosity was shown to be positively associated with better mental health in both groups of women with and without sexual assault experience in the military. Conclusions: Frequent religious service attendance buffers the negative impacts of sexual assault on mental health and depression of women veterans. The potential of integrating religiosity in designing interventions is discussed.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 843-864 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa E. Dichter ◽  
Clara Wagner ◽  
Gala True

Women who have served in the military in the United States experience high rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) and non-partner sexual assault (SA). The military setting presents challenges and opportunities not experienced in other employment contexts that may compound the negative impacts of IPV/SA on women’s lives. The purpose of this study was to explore the intersection of women’s experiences of IPV/SA and military service through analysis of women veterans’ narrative accounts. We conducted in-depth face-to-face qualitative interviews with 25 women veterans receiving primary care at a U.S. Veterans Affairs Medical Center. We draw upon Adler and Castro’s (2013) Military Occupational Mental Health Model to frame our understanding of the impact of IPV/SA as a stressor in the military cultural context and to inform efforts to prevent, and support women service members who have experienced, these forms of violence. Our findings highlight the impact of IPV/SA on women’s military careers, including options for entering and leaving military service, job performance, and opportunities for advancement. Women’s narratives also reveal ways in which the military context constrains their options for responding to and coping with experiences of IPV/SA. These findings have implications for prevention of, and response to, intimate partner or sexual violence experienced by women serving in the military and underscore the need for both military and civilian communities to recognize and address the negative impact of such violence on women service members before, during, and after military service.


2003 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan M. Frayne ◽  
Katherine M. Skinner ◽  
Lisa M. Sullivan ◽  
Karen M. Freund

The purpose of this article is to determine whether known cardiac risk factors are more prevalent among women veterans who report having sustained sexual assault while in the military. We surveyed a random sample of 3,632 women veterans using Veterans Administration (VA) ambulatory care nationally. Obesity, smoking, problem alcohol use, sedentary lifestyle, and hysterectomy before age 40 were found to be more common in women reporting a history of sexual assault while in the military than in women without such history. An association between myocardial infarction and prior sexual assault history may be mediated in part by known cardiac risk factors.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Ayat ◽  
Malikah ◽  
Chang Wook Kang

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has brought profound changes to all sectors of society including the construction sector. The main purpose of this study is to explore and provide insights into the impact and changes that have occurred in the construction sector due to COVID-19 and to present a mitigation framework to minimize the effects.Design/methodology/approachThe scope of this study is limited to peer-reviewed articles in Scopus or Web of Science indexed journals. A systemized review was performed with bibliometric and content analyses of articles related to the impact of COVID-19 on the construction sector.FindingsThrough content analysis, the main topics discussed in the selected articles were grouped into 10 categories. Most of these studies were found to have focused on the challenges, impact, and health and safety at construction sites resulting from the pandemic. The study further identified 39 subtopics through detailed content analysis and organizes them into the categories of negative impacts, positive impacts and opportunities and barriers to COVID-19 safety guidelines in the construction sector. Moreover, the study developed a systematic mitigation strategy based on the recommendations of the literature review to reduce the impact of the current pandemic on the construction sector. The mitigation strategy presents separate set of measures regarding safety guidelines, process improvements, government intervention, psychological support and technology adoption.Originality/valueThe research insights provided in this study are useful for practitioners in guiding them to design effective strategies for addressing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and future crises. Furthermore, a systematic presentation of the impacts, challenges and mitigation measures in this study will help researchers to identify existing gaps in the literature and explore other aspects of the impact of the pandemic on the construction sector.


2021 ◽  
pp. e001991
Author(s):  
Nick Wilson ◽  
C Clement ◽  
J A Summers ◽  
G Thomson ◽  
G Harper

IntroductionThere is still uncertainty around the impact of combat exposure on the life span of war veterans. Therefore we made use of a natural experiment to study the impact on veteran life span of combat versus non-combat exposure in World War II (WW2).MethodsThe combat-exposed military personnel were derived from a random (10%) sample of the military roll of the 28th (Māori) Battalion from New Zealand. One non-combat cohort was the 15th Reinforcements of this same Battalion, since the war ended before they reached the front line. The other non-combat cohort were Māori personnel who were only involved in Jayforce, which occupied Japan at the end of the WW2. Data on life span were mainly derived from an official repository of birth and death records, but supplemented with other sources, including military files.ResultsWhen comparing life spans of service veterans, there was no statistically significant reduction for the average life span of the 234 combat-exposed veterans in our sample from the 28th (Māori) Battalion (66.7 years), relative to the Māori veterans from two non-combat cohorts: the 132 personnel in the 15th Reinforcements (67.2 years) and the 147 personnel in Jayforce (66.9 years).ConclusionsDespite a very high level of wounding in the combat-exposed group (48%), there were no statistically significant reductions in life span between this group and comparable non-combat exposed veterans. This finding contrasts to life span reductions found in a similar study of New Zealand veterans of WW1.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 164
Author(s):  
Ricardo De Queiros Batista Ribeiro

This article proposes to contribute to the production of knowledge and reflections on the pedagogical aspects of the training of the military in a military higher education institution of the Brazilian Army. The scope of this study is the analysis of the transformation process of the Brazilian Army's education system, with the adoption of competency teaching and the use of Active Learning Methodologies, specifically in the discipline of Psychology. Thus, it is sought to verify the impact of the Active Learning Methodologies on the motivation of the apprentices for the study. It is a quantitative and qualitative exploratory descriptive research. Finally, we present reflections on the motivation for the study in the training course of military personnel of the Brazilian Army, who can collaborate to improve the pedagogical aspects.


2021 ◽  
pp. 137-158
Author(s):  
Jai Galliott ◽  
Bianca Baggiarini ◽  
Sean Rupka

Combat automation, enabled by rapid technological advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning, is a guiding principle in the conduct of war today. Yet, empirical data on the impact of algorithmic combat on military personnel remains limited. This chapter draws on data from a historically unprecedented survey of Australian Defence Force Academy cadets. Given that this generation of trainees will be the first to deploy autonomous systems (AS) in a systematic way, their views are especially important. This chapter focuses its analysis on five themes: the dynamics of human-machine teams; the perceived risks, benefits, and capabilities of AS; the changing nature of (and respect for) military labor and incentives; preferences to oversee a robot, versus carrying out a mission themselves; and the changing meaning of soldiering. We utilize the survey data to explore the interconnected consequences of neoliberal governing for cadets’ attitudes toward AS, and citizen-soldiering more broadly. Overall, this chapter argues that Australian cadets are open to working with and alongside AS, but under the right conditions. Armed forces, in an attempt to capitalize on these technologically savvy cadets, have shifted from institutional to occupational employers. However, in our concluding remarks, we caution against unchecked technological fetishism, highlighting the need to critically question the risks of AS on moral deskilling, and the application of market-based notions of freedom to the military domain.


2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 586-609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Sparrow ◽  
Hannah Dickson ◽  
Jamie Kwan ◽  
Louise Howard ◽  
Nicola Fear ◽  
...  

Background: Research on intimate partner violence (IPV) in the military has tended to focus on military personnel as perpetrators and civilian partners/spouses as victims. However, studies have found high levels of IPV victimization among military personnel. This article systematically reviews studies of the prevalence of self-reported IPV victimization among military populations. Methods: Searches of four electronic databases (Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) were supplemented by reference list screening. Meta-analyses of the available data were performed, where possible, using the random effects model. Results: This review included 28 studies with a combined sample of 69,808 military participants. Overall, similar or higher prevalence rates of physical IPV victimization were found among males compared to females and this was supported by a meta-analytic subgroup analysis: pooled prevalence of 21% (95% confidence interval [CI] = [17.4, 24.6]) among males and 13.6% among females (95% CI [9.5, 17.7]). Psychological IPV was the most prevalent type of abuse, in keeping with findings from the general population. There were no studies on sexual IPV victimization among male personnel. Evidence for the impact of military factors, such as deployment or rank, on IPV victimization was conflicting. Discussion: Prevalence rates varied widely, influenced by methodological variation among studies. The review highlighted the lack of research into male IPV victimization in the military and the relative absence of research into impact of IPV. It is recommended that future research disaggregates results by gender and considers the impact of IPV, in order that gender differences can be uncovered.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaima M. Hassan ◽  
Adele Ring ◽  
Naheed Tahir ◽  
Mark Gabbay

Abstract Introduction People from Minority Ethnic backgrounds living in the UK are at greater risk of not only contracting COVID-19, but also experiencing serious consequences of the virus. These emerging health inequalities mirror those already evident in UK society. Aim The aim of this study was to understand how COVID-19 and the associated imposed restrictions affected the lives of people from the Muslim community living in the North West of England. Method Twenty-five in-depth qualitative interviews and four focus groups (n = 22) explored individual experiences of COVID-19 and imposed restrictions. Data were analysed thematically. Findings The virus and associated imposed restrictions had negative impacts on the psychological wellbeing of participants, their families and the wider community. Worry and low mood were particular features of participant’s pandemic stories. Main concerns were those of contracting and transmitting the virus to others and employment-related difficulties. Low mood was particularly linked to the impact of restrictions on fundamental interactions embedded within cultural and religious practices. These practices are central to feelings of belonging and connectedness within the Muslim community. Religious beliefs were important in helping to mitigate psychological distress for some participants. Conclusion Psychological distress was associated with COVID-19 virus and impact of COVID-19 restrictions on livelihoods and fundamental human interactions. Better provision of culturally appropriate information, improving local channels of communication and practical support are important during times of pandemic when usual support systems may be disrupted.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 356-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nity Sharma ◽  
Yashwant Kumar Nagle

The military children are a population who are susceptible to psychological stress from the hardships of military life, such as frequent moves and separation from their parents during deployment. Military children are resilient as well as stress prone at the same time. Whilefrequent moves build resilience, combat deployments of their parents makes them vulnerable to the risks associated with psychological and emotional health, attachment problems and coping while overcoming traumatic grief due to death of a family member. The risk is highestright after the military personnel leaves for deployment and immediately upon return. In order to understand the psychological health of children of military personnel, it is important  to understand their resilience and personality in relation to psychological well-being. In addition to being a personal trait, resilience is a product of the relationships between children and the resources around them. Despite needs to better understand the impact of deployment on military children and families and to provide proper support for them, rigorous research is deficient. A comprehensive approach based on strengths and problems, of military children and families, with a focus on the prevention, is the need of the hour. The present paper focuses on study of personality and resilience as determinants of psychological well-being. The study was conducted on military children (N= 124) of Army Public School, using HEXACO-PI, Brief Resilience Scale and Psychological Wellbeing Scale. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results and implications are discussed in the paper. Issues in need of further research are emphasized, especially research into programs that assist military children and families.


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