This document outlines strategies to address the problem of military sexual trauma through policy advocacy, media advocacy, and social marketing. It presents data on the extent of sexual assault in the military, barriers to reporting, and proposed policy solutions like universal screening and whistleblower protections. Theories of behavior change inform the development of messaging to increase reporting through materials that address perceived threats, benefits, and barriers. The document maps out allies, opponents, and a timeline of advocacy activities to enact policy changes and normalize reporting.

1. Presented by:
Jennifer Hill
Jedediah Hinkley
Hyun Namkoong
Deshira Wallace
MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA

2. MILITARY
SEXUAL
TRAUMA
1. Repor t ing
2. Whist leblower
Protect ion Act
3. Universal
Screening
Pol icy
4. Media
Advocacy
St rategies
5. Social
Market ing
St rategies
6. Al l ies &
Opponents
7. Timel ine
8. Next Steps
(Liveyourdream.org)

3. EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM
1.26,000 estimated sexual assaults in 2012
2.Sexual assault is an incident,
not a diagnosis
3.Negative health outcomes
("Department of Defense," 2013)
PROBLEM POLICY ADVOCACY MARKETING BIG PICTURE
(Liveyourdream.org)

4. 1,000 sexual
assaults
1,000 combat
wounds
Total: 34,000 sexual assaults in
2006 alone
Total: 32,000 combat wounds
from entire Iraq War
PROBLEM POLICY ADVOCACY MARKETING BIG PICTURE
(Platt & Allard, 2011)

5. Number of Service Members (SM)
1,399,622
Male SM
1,195,313 (85%)
Female SM
204,309 (15%)
~94,804
(Prevalence)
M: 4% reported SA
since enlistment
F: 23% reported SA
since enlistment
Estimated MST (2012)
~26,000
(Incidence)
M: 30% reported
SA in 2012 (1.2%
of total SM)
F: 27% reported
SA in 2012 (6.1%
of total SM)
(Defense Manpower Data Center, 2012; U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 2013)

6. WHERE DO REPORTS GO?
26,000 Estimated Incidents
238 Convictions
3,374 Reported Sexual Assaults (13%)
2,558 Unrestricted
Reporting (76%)
816 Restricted
Reporting (24%)
(0.9%)
(Department of Defense, 2013)

7. TOP TWO REASONS FOR NOT REPORTING
Fear of retaliation or reprisal
Discomfort using chain of command
54% of women and 27% of men did not report
because they feared retaliation or punishment
47% of women and 20% of men did not report
because they had heard other victims had a
negative experience
60% of women and 36% of men did not report
because they believed it would not be
kept confidential
PROBLEM POLICY ADVOCACY MARKETING BIG PICTURE
(Ramming, 2002; USCCR, 2013; Pershing, 2003 )

8. MILITARY WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION
ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2013 (S. 1081)
 Introduced by Senator Mark
Warner
Referred to Senate Armed
Services Committee (ASC)
in May 2013
Currently delayed in ASC
PROBLEM POLICY ADVOCACY MARKETING BIG PICTURE
(Congress.gov, 2013 )

9. WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION
What it misses…
Right for whistleblowers to challenge illegal
retaliation at an administrative due process
hearing
Why this is a problem…
DoD Office of Inspector General will continue to
be the only fact-finder to enforce victim rights
(Blaylock, 2013; Government Accountability Office, 2012 )

10. WHY THE WHISTLEBLOWER BILL IS IMPORTANT
Military Whistleblower Reprisal Protection Act
currently exists, which specifically makes retaliation
illegal
However…
60% of women who
reported unwanted sexual
contact believed they experience
some sort of reprisal or retaliation
(USCCR, 2013)

11. UNIVERSAL SCREENING POLICY
• Integrated as part of the annual
Periodic Health Assessment
given to all active duty and select
reserve members of the U.S.
Armed Forces
• Purpose: Identify and connect
survivors of sexual assault to
health services
(NIAAA)
PROBLEM POLICY ADVOCACY MARKETING BIG PICTURE

12. THEORY TO INFORM POLICIES
Behavioral Beliefs
about Reporting
Evaluations of
Reporting
Normative Beliefs
of Military to
Encourage Reporting
Motivation to Comply
with
Reporting Options
Attitude towards
Reporting
Subjective Norm
(approval of reporting)
in the Armed Forces
Intent to Report Reporting MST
Perceived
Control in Reporting
MST
Perceived Power
in Reporting
(Montano & Kasprzyk, 2008)

13. Construct How to Address
Theory of Planned Behavior
Behavioral Beliefs about Reporting Belief that the universal screening policy and whistleblower protections
engender positive or negative experiences, determined both at pretest before
implementation and then at posttest during evaluation
Evaluations of Reporting Evaluation of universal screening policy and whistleblower policy will occur
annually for first 5 years, then biennially thereafter
Normative Beliefs of Military to
Encourage Reporting
Creating materials demonstrating that each referent (i.e., military leaders,
unit, family) encourage reporting
Motivation to Comply with
Reporting Options
USP will encourage all persons to comply with reporting at periodic health
assessments; Whistleblower will encourage more “Unrestricted reporting”
use
Perceived Power in Reporting USP will provide a pathway to convenient reporting; Whistleblower will
provide more perceived power for the victim to pursue investigations into
their assault
Attitude toward Reporting Encourage MST victims to report by conveying that reporting is in line with
the values of the military and that MST will not be tolerated
Subjective Norm in the Military Whether Armed Forces approve or disapprove of reporting behaviors
Perceived Control in Reporting
MST
Educating active duty members to know where to report, how to report, and
what happens after reporting

14. EXAMPLES OF PRIOR POLICY IMPLEMENTATION
Whistleblower Protection Act
Veteran Health Administration Universal Screening
Policy
(AP)

15. POTENTIAL EFFECTIVENESS OF PROPOSED
SOLUTIONS
Reducing public health burden
Assist in securing benefits for
veterans
VHA universal screening policy shown to be
successful
(Kimerling et al, 2011)

16. SIMPLIFIED MEDIA ADVOCACY TIMELINE
Schedule March 16-
21 town halls
Set up FaceBook
2013 Nov Dec
Jan
2014
Town halls
3/16/2014
Final
products to
press
2/4/2014
Feb Mar Apr May 2014
Today
Consortium in
Washington, DC
4/28/2014
Send out press
release
3/31/2014
3/17/2014
Meet with DoD/VHA
on Screening
2/14/2014
Release radio
segments
Contact Congress
members
1/13/2014
1/9/2014
Contact DoD
leadership
12/16/2013
12/9/2013
Create
campaign/slogan
prototype
page
11/25/2013
PROBLEM POLICY ADVOCACY MARKETING BIG PICTURE

17. DC
MEDIA ADVOCACY STRATEGIES
Consortium
Meeting
Congress
persons
and Staff
members
Town hall
meetings
Op-
Eds/Press
Releases

18. MAKING IT NEWSWORTHY
Anniversary/Seasonal
Peg: Sexual Assault
Awareness Month
Injustice: Military
personnel are the only
U.S. citizens without these
protections
Irony: “The people who
protect us are not being
protected”
Celebrity: Ms. Veteran
America

19. FRAMING
Responsibility
Equality
Gain

20. KEY MESSAGES
Screening and reporting both identify and connect
victims of sexual assault to health care services
Letting sexual assault run unchecked in the ranks is
damaging to unity, disciple, and cohesion

21. MODELS FOR MEDIA ADVOCACY STRATEGIES
Task-Oriented
• Authentic voice press-releases,
multimedia
videos for implementing
USP
• Clarify definition of sexual
assault
Diverse Actors
• Advocacy organizations
• Survivors
• Health organizations
Responsibility and Equality
• USP framed with these
lenses
Consensus Building
• Utility of USP
• Need for clarifying
definition of sexual assault
Pre-
Contemplation
• Preliminary
press
releases &
Op-eds
Contemplation
• Legislators meet
with advocates,
town hall
meetings
• Call senators
Preparation
• Prepare bill
• Garner
support for
bill
Action
• Bring bill
to floor
• Pass it
Maintenance
• Enforce law
• Diffusion of
innovations
process
Social Action Model Transtheoretical Model
(Prochaska, Redding & Evers, 2008; Minkler, Wallerstein & Wilson, 2008)

22. SOCIAL MARKETING STRATEGIES
Strategies include educating Service
members of reporting options and
Before the policy changes
reducing perceived barriers to
pass
reporting
Marketing for after the policies
1) “Know your rights”
2) Understand Changes to USP
pass
PROBLEM POLICY ADVOCACY MARKETING BIG PICTURE

23. TARGET AUDIENCE
1) Use of Services
Primary Audience: Victims
2) Increase Reporting Behavior
Secondary Increase Audience: Awareness Active
of
Duty Service Services
Members

24. THEORY TO INFORM SOCIAL MARKETING
Behavior
Increase
reporting
behavior
Cues to
Action
Social
marketing
materials
External
Variables
PERCEIVED
THREAT
Perceived
Susceptibility +
Perceived Severity
Perceived Benefits
Health care, safer military
environment, benefits for
PTSD, more likely to get
VA benefits
Perceived Barriers
Punishment, lack of safe
way to report, shame,
confidentiality,
embarrassment,
retaliation, discharged
from military
Net
benefits
Self-Efficacy
Major focus of
campaign
materials
(Champion & Skinner, 2008)

25. DELIVERY CHANNELS
Safe Helpline YouTube DoD SAPRO
Fort Bragg
SHARP
Military
Academies

26. CAMPAIGN MATERIALS
Sexual assault is a crime punishable by the Uniform Code of Military Justice
If anyone has ever had unwanted and inappropriate sexual contact with you when
you said no, when you were unable to say no, when you told the person to stop,
when the person threatened violence, when the person used their authority over
you…
Reporting sexual assault will get you the help you need. It can also help make sure
this c r ime doesn’t happen to s omeone els e .
Go to SafeHelpline.org for confidential support with trained staff through online
chat. If you cannot access the internet, the phone number is the same inside the
U.S. or via the Defense Switched Network (DSN): 877-995-5247
DSN users can dial US toll -free numbers by simply dialing 94 + the 10-digit toll-free
number.
For those unable to call toll -free or DSN, call 202-540-5962

27. Go to SafeHelpline.org or call 877-995-5247

28. Go to SafeHelpline.org or call 877-995-5247

29. Behavioral Beliefs
about Reporting
Evaluations of
Reporting
Normative Beliefs
of Military to
Encourage Reporting
Motivation to Comply
with
Reporting Options
Attitude towards
Reporting
Subjective Norm
(approval or reporting)
in the Armed Forces
Intent to Report Reporting MST
Perceived
Control in Reporting
MST
Perceived Power
in Reporting
Perceived Barriers
to Reporting
Perceived Benefit
to Reporting
Cue to Action
to Reporting
Perceived Severity
to Reporting
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER

30. ALLIES & OPPONENTS
Opponents
 Joint Chiefs of Staff
 Gen. Martin Dempsey
 Current Military Personnel
 Armed Service Committee
 Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI)
 DoD SAPRO
 Congress members (not on
ASC)
 Sexual Assault Victims
 Spouses of Victims
 Former Military Officers
Whistleblowers
 IPV Advocacy Groups
 SWAN
Allies

31. Schedule March 16-
Set up FaceBook
2013 Nov Dec
Contact DoD
leadership
Jan 9
Jan
2014
Send out
press release
Mar 31
Final products to
press
Feb 4
Feb Mar Apr May 2014
Today
Consortium in
Washington, DC
Apr 28
Begin radio
segments
Apr 9
Apr 4
Run op-eds
Feb 14
Release radio
segments
Jan 13
Contact
Congress
members
Jan 6
Test campaign
prototypes
21 town halls
Dec 16
Dec 9
Create
campaign/slogan
prototype
page
Nov 25
Nov 25 Create website Dec 30
Nov 25 Recruit spokesperson & advocate Mar 31
Dec 2 Write op-eds Jan 31
Jan 2 Organize attendance to summer town halls May 31
Set up meetings ASC/sympathetic Congresspersons
Jan 13 Mar 1
Post media
Mar 1 Mar 10
Create Consortium agenda & press release
Mar 3 Mar 15
Create signs for Rally
Mar 5 Mar 17
Finalize Consortium agenda & speaking points
Apr 1 Apr 18
Timeline

32. SEXUAL ASSAULT CLIP

33. “Creating a culture free of the scourge of sexual assault
requires establishing an environment where dignity and
respect is afforded to all, and where diversity is celebrated
as one of our greatest assets as a force.” – Chuck Hagel,
Secretary of Defense (2013)
“We get it…We know that the larger issue is a cultural
problem, which has allowed demeaning behavior and
attitudes towards women to exist…”
– Acting Navy Secretary Sean O’Keefe (1991)
“[It is] not good enough to compare [the military] to the rest
of society…We must hold [the military] to a higher standard,
Thank you
and that’s what the American people demand.”
– Pentagon spokesman George Little (2013)
“…culture change is essential for the Military Services to
improve how they prevent and address sexual assault.”
“…ban on women created a two-tiered military culture that
“Ending sexual assault in military isn’t just a women’s issue.
fostered tolerance of sexual harassment and sexual assault”
– Defense Task Force (2009)
This is about justice and ensuring men and women get
support they need.” – Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) (2013)
– Gen. Martin Dempsey Joint Chiefs of Staff, Chairman
(2012)

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