Technology-Facilitated Military Sexual Trauma: Experiences of Female Veterans in Michigan

• In Event: Vulnerabilities in a Digitized World: Gender, Risk, and Exploitation Across Global Arenas

Abstract

Military sexual trauma (MST) is sexual assault or sexual harassment experienced during military service, regardless of when or where the violence takes place or who perpetrates it. MST is a severe and pervasive problem within the United States military, and there is evidence of substantial underreporting. Furthermore, there is a complete dearth of research on technology’s role in MST, such as messages, pictures, videos, social media, and location tracking. Using a sample of female veterans residing in Michigan (N = 165), this study provides some of the first statistics on technology-facilitated MST. Preliminary results find that 84.24% of participants were sexually harassed by a service member(s) and 15.76% by a civilian(s), 52.73% were sexually assaulted by a service member(s) and 3.64% by a civilian(s). Of those who experienced sexual harassment, 47.48% and 92.31% reporting technology involvement, respectively. Of those who experienced sexual assault, 39.08% and 83.33% reporting technology involvement, respectively. The exact modalities of the technology-facilitated MST, their prevalences, and any significant correlations are discussed, as well as future directions.

Author

• Makayla Burden, Michigan State University