How Women in the Military Cope with Sexual Harassment and Abuse in the Context of Administrative Intimidation and Bureaucratic Harassment

• In Event: Reporting Sexual Victimization and Assault

Abstract

Prior research suggests that there are significant barriers to reporting sexual harassment and abuse in the U.S. military. While these barriers have been noted, few studies qualitatively examine how sexual harassment and abuse are experienced and managed by servicewomen. Using data from 20 in-depth interviews with women in the Military, this study argues that not only are there administrative barriers to reporting sexual harassment and assault, but that women are intentionally blocked from accessing reporting procedures and are punished for attempting to use them. I argue that this constitutes an additional form of victimization—bureaucratic harassment and abuse. Due to the fact that servicewomen are unable to seek assistance through the military justice system, they often have to cope with and heal from their experiences with sexual harassment and assault on their own. At times, these coping strategies include women exiting the military all together. Not only is this an unsatisfying result for the individual servicewoman, but it contributes to the problem of few female leaders and high-ranking officers in the Military (an increased prevalence of female leaders is argued to be one way in which sexual harassment and abuse could be alleviated).

Author

• Stephanie M. Bonnes, University of Colorado, Boulder