Pre-military adversity and enlistment into the Armed Forces: From the frying pan into the fire?

• In Event: Sexual offending and victimization

Abstract

This paper looks to explore adversity experienced by a cohort of ex-military personnel convicted of Sexual offences in England and Wales, prior to enlistment into the Armed Forces. Initially considering Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and broader adversity endured by this population (Katon et al, 2015; Blosnich et al, 2014), this paper considers enlistment into the military and the impact of joining this intuition, with many joining under the age of 18, and whether adversity experienced in the military, as well as prior to enlistment, should be a priority for professionals when working with veterans in the criminal justice system who have gone on to commit serious harm.

Author

• Justin Moorhead, Liverpool John Moores University