Military Sexual Trauma: Violence and Sexual Abuse

Military sexual trauma includes sexual assault and sexual harassment in military settings by intimate partners and active duty personnel. Such violence triggers a syndrome of episodic, clustered, psychological and physiological symptoms that may be fatal. Despite its pervasiveness, many clinicians fail to recognize as many as 95% of cases among veterans and active duty personnel. Many victims receive inadequate medical treatment or education. They face a decreased quality of life, high morbidity and mortality rates, and economic losses. Their children may also be at risk for abuse. In many settings, clinicians may not realize the high prevalence of this military sexual abuse among veterans and active duty personnel. Clinicians should understand the clinical manifestations, to detect abuse early, to treat it appropriately, and to minimize sequelae.