Assessing Institutional Betrayal Among Female Veterans Who Experienced Military Sexual Trauma: A Rasch Analysis of the Institutional Betrayal Questionnaire.2

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052098395
Author(s):  
Lindsey L. Monteith ◽  
Alexandra L. Schneider ◽  
Ryan Holliday ◽  
Nazanin H. Bahraini
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Factor Structure ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Rasch Analysis ◽  
Sexual Trauma ◽  
Military Sexual Trauma ◽  
Female Veterans ◽  
Military Sexual Assault ◽  
History Of

Military sexual trauma (MST; i.e., sexual harassment and/or sexual assault during one’s military service) is highly prevalent among female veterans and is associated with numerous adverse health and psychosocial sequelae. When institutions fail to prevent sexual trauma from happening or respond in an unsupportive manner (i.e., institutional betrayal [IB]), MST survivors typically report more severe health-related outcomes. Although the Institutional Betrayal Questionnaire.2 (IBQ.2) was developed to assess IB, no studies have examined the factor structure or dimensionality of the IBQ.2 among MST survivors. In addition, initial research has reported differing factor structures for this measure. The present study examined the dimensionality and factor structure of the IBQ.2, and tested for differential item functioning (DIF) based on whether military sexual assault was experienced. The sample comprised 235 female veterans who reported a history of MST in an anonymous national survey. Rasch analysis suggested multidimensionality and DIF based on history of military sexual assault. Exploratory factor analysis and parallel analysis suggested the IBQ.2 comprises three factors: (1) Environment Leading to MST, (2) Institutional Response to MST, and (3) Institutional Belongingness following MST. Although these results suggest that the IBQ.2 is multidimensional, the three-factor model had significant issues with respect to dimensionality, item fit, and person separation and reliability. Thus, using the full IBQ.2 may be more advantageous. Further examination of the IBQ.2 is warranted to ensure optimal assessment of IB in relation to MST, irrespective of whether the MST comprised sexual harassment or sexual assault, as well as to ensure that the IBQ.2 is culturally meaningful for MST survivors.

Posttraumatic Stress Symptom Severity Mediates the Relationship Between Military Sexual Trauma and Tension Reduction Behaviors in Male and Female Veterans

2019 ◽  
pp. 088626051986435
Author(s):  
Susan M. Hannan ◽  
Katie B. Thomas ◽  
Carolyn B. Allard
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Indirect Effect ◽  
Sexual Trauma ◽  
Military Sexual Trauma ◽  
Female Veterans ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Tension Reduction ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Relationship

Numerous studies attest to the prevalence and complex negative consequences associated with military sexual trauma (MST). However, relatively less is known about male survivors and about the interaction of psychological problems such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and emotion management difficulties following MST. The current study examined the path of psychological distress following MST in both male and female veterans. We predicted that (a) history of MST would predict more severe PTSD symptoms, which in turn would predict greater use of dysfunctional emotion management strategies (specifically, tension reduction behaviors) and that (b) PTSD symptoms would mediate the relationship between history of MST and tension reduction behaviors. Finally, we explored whether the indirect (i.e., mediating) effect was moderated by gender. Data were obtained from pretreatment paper and pencil assessments administered as part of standard clinical care from 338 veterans seeking treatment at a Veterans Affairs (VA) mental health specialty clinic. Veterans who endorsed MST experienced more severe PTSD symptoms and greater reported use of tension reduction behaviors. Bootstrapping testing the indirect effect revealed that PTSD symptoms mediated the relationship between history of MST and tension reduction behaviors. An exploratory moderated mediation analysis found that the indirect effect did not differ as a function of gender. PTSD symptoms appear to mediate the relationship between MST and tension reduction behaviors in veterans, regardless of gender. While previous research has suggested that civilian men report a greater number of tension reduction behaviors following a sexual assault compared to civilian women, we did not find the same gender differences among veterans. These results may provide support for using trauma-focused treatment even when MST survivors are reporting high-risk tension reduction behaviors.

scholarly journals From sexual harassment to sexual assault: Prevalence and correlates of sexual trauma in the French military

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. e0259182
Author(s):  
Caroline Moreau ◽  
Dina Bedretdinova ◽  
Sandrine Duron ◽  
Aline Bohet ◽  
Henri Panjo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Sexual Coercion ◽  
Sexual Trauma ◽  
Individual Factors ◽  
Female Representation ◽  
Us Military ◽  
French Military ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Sex With Men

Background Sexual harassment (SH) is prevalent in military settings and dependent on the workplace environment. Few studies have investigated this issue in non-US military settings nor have examined how contextual and individual factors related to Military Sexual Trauma (MST) vary by gender. Methods This study draws on a national sexual survey in the French military including 1268 servicemen and 232 servicewomen. We examined four sexual stressors (repeated sexual comments, sexual coercion, repeated unwanted verbal sexual attention and sexual assault (SA)) and two combined measures of verbal SH (comments, unwanted attention) and MST (all forms). We conducted multivariate logistic regressions to identify contextual and individual factors related to these outcomes. Results 36.7% of women and 17.5% of men experienced MST in the last year and 12.6% and 3.5% reported SA. Factors associated with verbal SH differed from those related to SA. The odds of verbal SH were elevated among men who had sex with men (OR = 3.5) and among women officers (OR = 4.6) while the odds of SA were elevated among men less than 25 years (OR = 3.5) and women with less than a high school diploma (OR = 10.9). The odds of SH increased by 20% to 80% when men worked in units with higher female representation, higher prevalence of MST (sexual comments, or sexual assault, coercion, repeated unwanted attention) and lower acceptance of women in the miliatry. The odds of SA also increased by 70% among men working in units with higher female representation and higher prevalence of sexual oppression. The odds of SA against women were particular high (OR = 5.7) in units with a high prevalence of sexual assault, coercion, or repeated unwanted attention. Conclusion MST is common in the French military, with women experiencing more severe forms than men. Our resuls call for programmatic action to reduce workplace factors related to verbal SH and SA in the French military.

scholarly journals Does deployment-related military sexual assault interact with combat exposure to predict posttraumatic stress disorder in female veterans?

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-71
Author(s):  
Georgina M. Gross ◽  
Katherine C. Cunningham ◽  
Daniel A. Moore ◽  
Jennifer C. Naylor ◽  
Mira Brancu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Combat Exposure ◽  
Female Veterans ◽  
Military Sexual Assault

Life course perspective on the role of military sexual trauma as a pathway to homelessness for female veterans

2021 ◽  
pp. e20210029
Author(s):  
Stephanie Felder ◽  
Peter J. Delany
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Sexual Trauma ◽  
Active Duty ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Military Sexual Trauma ◽  
Female Veterans ◽  
Drug Problems ◽  
Chronic Health Problems

Lay Summary The human dimension of war can be traumatizing. For women serving as active-duty service members, the atrocities of war can be exacerbated by sexual harassment and abuse, known as military sexual trauma (MST). The limited research on MST among U.S. Veterans suggests that as many as 1 in 3 Veterans experiencing homelessness were exposed to MST. MST can have long-lasting consequences, including alcohol and drug problems, depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, chronic health problems, and unstable housing and homelessness. This qualitative exploratory study used a life course perspective to examine how MST and other experiences influenced female Veterans’ pathways into homelessness.

scholarly journals Differential Risk for Homelessness Among US Male and Female Veterans With a Positive Screen for Military Sexual Trauma

2016 ◽  
Vol 73 (6) ◽  
pp. 582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Brignone ◽  
Adi V. Gundlapalli ◽  
Rebecca K. Blais ◽  
Marjorie E. Carter ◽  
Ying Suo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Trauma ◽  
Military Sexual Trauma ◽  
Female Veterans ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Positive Screen ◽  
Differential Risk
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