Military Sexual Assault

Sexual assault in the military refers to sexual contact characterized by use of force, threats, intimidation, or abuse of authority as well as instances in which the survivor is unable to consent. The definition of sexual assault is consistent with the term military sexual trauma (MST), which was coined by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Both the VA and Department of Defense (DoD) include sexual harassment and inappropriate touching within the category of sexual violence. While military sexual assault is often framed as a women’s issue, it impacts both men and women. See here and here.