Sexual Assault Prevention for Men in the Military
Abstract
Sexual assault includes experiences that range from unwanted sexual touching to attempted or completed rape. Sexual assault is a global social and public health problem and a significant problem among the military. Although anyone can be a victim of sexual assault, the majority of sexual assaults are perpetrated by men against women, in the context of an acquaintance or dating relationship. A large number of assaults also involve alcohol use by the victim and/or perpetrator. Rates of sexual assault in the military are remarkably high. Periods of time when male Soldiers are on post may be opportune for delivering sexual assault prevention interventions. Problematically, existing empirically evaluated and theoretically driven sexual assault prevention programs are not designed specifically for men in the military and do not address the role of alcohol as a unique risk factor for perpetration. In this study, we will introduce and test a novel, potentially powerful preventive intervention that is informed by relevant theories in sexual assault prevention, tailored to the needs of male Soldiers, and addresses alcohol as a risk factor. This research will develop and assess a three-session sexual assault prevention program -- Sexual Assault and Alcohol Feedback and Education (SAFE) -- that addresses alcohol as a risk factor for perpetration among male Soldiers who engage in at-risk alcohol use. The first session of the SAFE program is an individual counseling session in which personalized information is provided to the participant regarding his alcohol use, sexual experiences, and risks to engage in sexual aggression. The second session is a group workshop that addresses masculinity, the attitudes and beliefs that foster sexual aggression, strategies men can use to intervene when they witness their peers engaging in risky behavior, and active practice of healthy sexual communication skills. The third session, also a group workshop, allows participants to discuss how they have used program skills and to engage in additional practice of program material. Components of SAFE have been developed in prior research. However, because the intervention has never been applied or used with male Soldiers, we will revise the program to address the specific needs of men in the military. First, we will gather and apply information from individual interviews, focus groups, and our team of investigators on how to adapt SAFE for use with male Soldiers. Military Advisory Board members will also provide input on how to refine the intervention. Next, 20 male Soldiers who report at-risk drinking will complete the SAFE program in order for us to see if our research procedures are feasible and if the intervention is acceptable to our population. Finally, we will recruit 180 male Soldiers who engage in at-risk drinking and randomize them to the SAFE intervention or to a General Health Promotion (GHP) group. Individuals in the GHP group will receive alternative information about stress reduction and well-being. We will examine whether SAFE, as compared to the GHP group, will result in decreases in sexual aggression, alcohol use, alcohol problems, the number of sexual experiences that involve alcohol, and risk factors for sexual aggression at a 2-, 4- and 6-month follow-up. This study advances the field of sexual assault prevention for high-risk groups of men in the military by tailoring and testing a novel theoretically driven and previously evaluated sexual assault prevention intervention. This study will lay the groundwork for a larger evaluation of the SAFE program at multiple military setting. Given the psychological and physical health consequences associated with sexual violence, reducing rates of sexual assault in the military can significantly benefit Service members and their families. The intervention is designed to be particularly salient to male Soldiers who engage in at-risk drinking. The goal of the SAFE program is t
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 29, 2016
- Source ID
- W81XWH1520055
Entities
People
- Lindsay M Orchowski
Organizations
- Rhode Island Hospital
- United States Army