Risky Situations for Male Sexual Assault Victimization in the Military and Strategies for Prevention: The Role of Qualitative Interviews in Formative Research

Introduction: Sexual assault in the military is a highly sensitive and pervasive issue, despite numerous initiatives to end it. Some evidence suggests that service members experience higher rates of childhood and adolescent trauma exposure than college populations, which may increase their risk for sexual assault victimization and revictimization in the military. Because of the large number of men in the military, 52% of all sexual assault victims are men. However, there is a dearth of information about male sexual assault victimization. The purpose of this study is to investigate the context and prevention strategies for male sexual assault victimization using formative research interviews with military personnel as part of a larger effort to develop and evaluate prevention programming.

Methods: We conducted qualitative data collection with 20 male enlisted personnel and officers and 11 male sexual assault survivors at four Air Force bases. We asked about aspects of social life or work life in the military that may enhance the probability of sexual assault; situations that place men at high risk for sexual assault; and steps men should take when confronted with a situation in which sexual assault is threatened, including situations involving hazing or a supervisor or authority. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. We used NVivo 11 software to conduct a qualitative content analysis of the text.

Results: Results of our qualitative content analysis identified several themes. High-risk situations included excessive alcohol use and peer pressure to drink; sleeping or passing out around other people; new environments, including temporary duty, permanent change of station, or deployments; abuse of rank or authority; and hazing. Preventive strategies included setting boundaries early, verbalizing discomfort in a situation, prioritizing safety over obeying unethical orders, avoiding excessive alcohol use, and physically resisting when threat is imminent. Participants also identified high-risk situations for hazing involving sexual assault, red flags that signal hazing is about to occur, and strategies for preventing hazing when such red flags are present.

Conclusions: Results of this study highlight high-risk situations for sexual assault victimization among men in the military, as well as preventive strategies. Prevention of male sexual assault victimization should include scenarios that illustrate these high-risk situations and discussion and modeling of preventive strategies. Incorporating language from male sexual assault survivors may also be important for targeting men who have experienced sexual assault in preventing revictimization, avoiding victim blaming, addressing stigma, and promoting help-seeking and recovery.