Victims of sexual harassment and sexual assault in the military: Understanding risks and promoting recovery

Abstract: Ultimately, sexual harassment and sexual assault can only be eradicated by understanding and intervening with its perpetrators, however a thorough understanding of victims and their experiences is also crucial. Knowing who victims are—that is, who do perpetrators choose to victimize?—aids in predicting and interrupting perpetration. Knowing about victims’ experiences during and after harassment and assault—that is, how are victims impacted?—is necessary to design effective, sensitive interventions to support their recovery. To assist the field in these efforts, this article reviews what is currently known about risk for experiencing sexual harassment and assault during military service and the issues survivors face in recovery. Particular attention is paid to identifying areas where more study is needed.