Interpersonal violence associated with the military:  Facts and findings
collected by The Miles Foundation*

The Estimates:

Recent estimates suggest that domestic violence in the military rose from 18.6 per 1000 in 1990 to 25.6 per 1000 in 1996 (FY90-96, Spouse & Child Maltreatment, Department of Defense).

~ In FY 2001, 18,000 reported cases of spouse abuse occured involving military personnel. Eleven thousand were substantiated; rate of substantiated aggression of 16.5 per 1000. (Symposium on DV Prevention Research, 2002)

~ The predominant type of substantiated spouse abuse is physical abuse. Eighty-five percent of the abuse is physical abuse. (Final Report on Spouse Abuse, Caliber Associates, 1996)

~ Of the substantiated cases in 2001, 57% involved mild abuse; 36%, moderate; and 7%, severe. (Symposium on DV Prevention Research, 2002)

~ Offenders are somewhat less likely to be promoted and somewhat more likely to be separated from the Service. The fear of negative consequences is probably out of proportion to the true impact. (Abuse Victims Study, DoD, 1994)

~ Seventy-five to eighty-four percent of alleged offenders are honorably discharged. (Abuse Victims Study, DoD, 1994)

~ Although data are hard to obtain, it is apparent that relatively few military personnel are prosecuted or administratively sanctioned on charges stemming from domestic violence. (Initial Report of the Defense Task Force on Domestic Violence, 2001)

~ Less than seven percent of spouse abuse cases are adjudicated by court-martial. (Symposium on DV Prevention Research, 2002

~ Rates of marital aggression are considerably higher than civilian rates, double, three to five times. (The War At Home, 60 Minutes, January 17, 1999; Heyman and Neidig, 1999). (A comparison of spousal agression prevalence rates in U.S. Army and civilian representative samples. Journal of Consulting and Clinicial Psychology, 67 (2), 239-242; Rosen, Brennan, Martin, and Knudson. August 2002). (Intimate Partner Violence and US Army Soldiers in Alaska, Military Medicine; The War At Home, 60 Minutes, September 1, 2002).

~ Domestic violence homicides in the military community include Navy or Marine Corps, 12 in FY 99 and 54 since FY 95; Army, 32 in FY 99 and 131 since FY 95; Air Force, 4 in FY 99 and 32 since FY 95 (Initial Report of the Defense Task Force on Domestic Violence, DoD, 2001)

Recent estimates suggest that sexual assault in the military is experienced by three percent of female servicemembers, according to the most recent survey released by the Department of Defense. (Defense Manpower Data Center, Armed Forces 2002 Sexual Harassment Survey). An earlier study conducted by the Defense Manpower Center indicated that 6 percent of female respondents and 1 percent of male respondents were victims of actual or attempted rape. (Department of Defense Sexual Harassment Survey, 1995)

~ Thirty percent of female veterans in a recent survey reported rape or attempted rape during active duty.

~ Thirty-seven percent of women who reported a rape or attempted rape had been raped more than once; fourteen percent of the victims reported having been gang raped.

~ Three fourths of the female veterans who were raped did not report the incident to a ranking officer. One third didn't know how to; and one fifith believed that rape was to be expected in the military.  Women who served in Gulf War I were the only group that did not consider rape to be an expected part of military life.

*The Miles Foundation is a private, non-profit organization providing comprehensive  services to victims of violence associated with the military

The Miles Foundation, Inc.
P. O. Box 423
Newtown, CT  06470-0423
Telephone: 203.270.7861
Email: Milesfdn@aol.com  or milesfd@yahoo.com
http://hometown.aol.com/milesfdn