Sexual misconduct in the British military

rdf:langString Sexual misconduct in the British military

rdf:langString Sexual misconduct in the British military is unwanted sexual behaviour occurring in military organisations of the United Kingdom, including verbal and physical harassment, assault, and rape. As of 2021, official surveys indicate that between 15% and 25% of British armed forces personnel experience sexual harassment at least once per year. The experience of 'particularly upsetting' incidents is more common among women, particularly in the army, where 35% of female soldiers said in 2021 they had had such an experience in the previous 12 months. Women targeted tend to be young and of low rank. In 2021, 22 trainees at the Army Foundation College for recruits aged 16–17 were victims of recorded sexual offences. In the same year, 37 girls aged under 18 across the armed forces were victims sexual offences. Other groups at high risk include members of local cadet forces, the intimate partners of personnel, and wartime detainees. The large majority of perpetrators are men. Risk factors typical of military settings include the young age of personnel, the minority status of women, hierarchical power relationships, the predominance of traditionally masculine values and behaviours, and a heavy drinking culture. Prevalent harassment in the UK armed forces specifically has been associated with a culture that demeans women and other marginalised social groups, and with senior leaders who engage in misconduct themselves or fail to challenge it in others. The rates of formal complaint are low, largely due to distrust in the chain of command. The conviction rate for serious sexual offences in the military justice system is also markedly lower than that in the civilian system. Traumatic sexual misconduct has been found to increase the risk of stress-related mental health problems including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).