Sexual Assault in the Military
Sexual Misconduct and the Culture of the U.S. Armed Forces
The U.S. military defines sexual assault as “intentional sexual contact, characterized by use of force, physical threat or abuse of authority, or when the victim does not or cannot consent,” adding that “consent should not be deemed or construed to mean the failure by the victim to offer physical resistance” or to be given “when a person uses force, threat of force, coercion or when the victim is asleep, incapacitated, or unconscious.” Military leaders have long maintained that the U.S. armed forces have a “zero tolerance” policy toward sexual assault. Over the years, however, a number of highly publicized incidents…
