Sexual Coercion is an issue that has been affecting many military members and their families across different countries. It refers to situations wherein one individual forces another person into a sexual encounter against their will using tactics such as intimidation, manipulation, threats, deception, physical force, or even drugs and alcohol. There are many reasons why people engage in this act from revenge to power trips or plain selfishness which makes it hard for victims to come out due to shame and stigma.
The long-term psychosocial consequences of sexual coercion can be detrimental to both the victim's health and mental stability as well as those around them. This traumatic experience may cause severe anxiety disorders like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) depression, substance abuse problems, insomnia, nightmares, flashbacks, and suicidal thoughts among others. In addition, they also face difficulties in socializing with friends, family members, colleagues, community members leading to isolation and rejection from society resulting in low self-esteem, feelings of hopelessness, withdrawal symptoms, negative body image perceptions, and self-blame/shaming behavior.
When victims come out about their ordeal it causes a ripple effect causing other military personnel who were previously unaware of the situation to question whether they have ever experienced similar situations themselves which might lead to more cases being reported.
Military personnel may begin to doubt if they can trust each other leading to distrust within the ranks making operations difficult and dangerous. The families of these victims also suffer from depression, anger, frustration, sadness, fear, and guilt since they feel helpless because there is nothing much they can do apart from supporting their loved ones through the recovery process.
Support groups have been established to cater for this need by providing counseling services while seeking justice remains one of the best ways to curb this issue.
What are the long-term psychosocial consequences of sexual coercion for military personnel and their social networks?
Sexual coercion in the context of military service can have several significant psychosocial impacts on individuals who experience it as well as their close social networks. These effects may include feelings of shame, guilt, embarrassment, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, self-harm, suicidal ideation, relationship problems, career issues, and even homelessness.