“Pick Your Battles”: A Study on Veterans’ Perspectives of Sexual Misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces

• In Event: Legal Frameworks and Policy Analyses in Victim Rights

Abstract

This presentation draws on in-depth interviews (n=20) with veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and aims to advance understandings of total institutions, sexual misconduct, policy change, and organizational culture. Even though statistics show that the majority of service members in the Canadian Armed Forces are aware of sexual misconduct policies and hold generally positive views on them, many are still reticent to report their experiences. As such, this research explores the gap in the efficacy and limitations of sexual misconduct policies in the CAF. Specifically, it focuses on the differences between implemented policies and day to day realities of the CAF. It does so by exploring veterans’ understandings and experiences with sexual misconduct in the CAF and how their viewpoints can help inform future policies. I argue that there is a clear gap between how the policies operate in theory and in practice. This research is emblematic of the need for organizations to consider survivor perspectives and those with direct experiences with the organization when creating and revising policies.

Author

• Emma Kathryn Jennings-Fitz-Gerald, University of Toronto