Sexual Misconduct Allegations in The CAF

[LittleBlackDevil]

If I remember correctly every soldier charged under the NDA must be assigned an AO. And they should be trained - not just given a book and told to get on with it.

I recall being assigned to be AO for a private who got caught shoplifting while in uniform ... they made me AO because I was "in law school" (I think I was about a month into law school). No training given, I was just an infantry officer fresh from Gagetown military-wise. Fortunately it worked out ok in the end, frankly I thought the kid got off quite light.

 

[LittleBlackDevil]

I'm appalled that there are so many, while simultaneously being glad that people are being held to account.

I highly highly doubt that there is any more sexually assaultive behaviour in the CAF than there is anywhere else. The reason you are seeing high numbers is because there is a major crack-down going on. Has or will the "crack-down" descend into the level of witch hunt only time will tell.

But there seems to be an increase in sex assaults being reported and acted upon across the board. I've never seen so many sex assault cases in my career as a criminal lawyer as I've seen over the past year. I think that there are several factors including heightened awareness, greater willingness to come forward, but I also think it's a factor of our hyper-sexualized society. When sex is everywhere and sexual activity promoted all across media, I think it's inevitable that young people will engage in increasingly risky behaviour.

 

[ModlrMike]

LBD, I couldn't agree more. I have some friends who are staff at different universities, and our problems pale in comparison. While we must educate the CF as a whole, I think that the group that needs the most direct attention are our youngest members. This needs to start during recruit training, and continue through the member's career. When we draw our recruits from general society, and that society's norm is hyper macho (females can be macho too), hyper aggressive, hyper sexualization, then we're asking for trouble if we don't address it from day one.

 

[dimsum]

LBD

As a complete aside, it took me at least three reads before I figured it wasn't "little black dress"

 

[daftandbarmy]

LBD, I couldn't agree more. I have some friends who are staff at different universities, and our problems pale in comparison. While we must educate the CF as a whole, I think that the group that needs the most direct attention are our youngest members. This needs to start during recruit training, and continue through the member's career. When we draw our recruits from general society, and that society's norm is hyper macho (females can be macho too), hyper aggressive, hyper sexualization, then we're asking for trouble if we don't address it from day one.

From 2014...

"What has happened in the military is not that different from what has happened in other places of employment where men outnumber women and have more power. When women start moving into male sanctuaries, some men feel threatened so they strike back by using humiliation or intimidation, explains psychologist Jennifer Berdahl, professor of organizational behaviour at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, and a specialist in workplace mistreatment. The same thing happens in the construction industry, even some university faculties, in fire departments and with police. Sexual harassment doesn’t always escalate to sexual assault, says Berdahl, but the two behaviours go together. If one is tolerated, there’s a risk the other will happen. A 2003 study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Defense and published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine backs this up. Researchers in Iowa interviewed some 500 women veterans about the risk factors that lead to rape. The women who described the army environment as hostile—a place where they felt targeted by sexual comments and unwanted advances—were six times more likely to have been raped over the course of their career. If one of their superiors used or tolerated the use of sexually demeaning comments or gestures, the likelihood of being raped was three to four times higher."

Our military's disgrace

An eight-month investigation uncovers the sexual violence plaguing our soldiers—and a military hierarchy with its own justice system, and its own rules

www.macleans.ca

 

[LittleBlackDevil]

LBD, I couldn't agree more. I have some friends who are staff at different universities, and our problems pale in comparison. While we must educate the CF as a whole, I think that the group that needs the most direct attention are our youngest members. This needs to start during recruit training, and continue through the member's career. When we draw our recruits from general society, and that society's norm is hyper macho (females can be macho too), hyper aggressive, hyper sexualization, then we're asking for trouble if we don't address it from day one.

Agreed with this approach although I'm not sure exactly how the best way to do it is, but certainly something to be looked into carefully.

 

[mariomike]

"When sex is everywhere and sexual activity promoted all across media, I think it's inevitable that young people will engage in increasingly risky behaviour."


I'm no sociologist, but, are young guys getting laid any more frequently now than in the pre-AIDS era?

Not to say they did not exist, but you didn't hear about Incels back then.

When women start moving into male sanctuaries, some men feel threatened so they strike back by using humiliation or intimidation, explains psychologist Jennifer Berdahl, professor of organizational behaviour at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, and a specialist in workplace mistreatment.

I read that during the war, when "Rosie the Riverters" were hired by defence plants, they faced resentment from some of the men. Because the women made them eligible for "the draft".

For the first ten years of my municipal employment, there were no women in our department. Not even as dispatchers.

Seems sort of funny, in a way, now looking back.

But, at the time, not all the wives were on-board with the idea of their husbands being cooped up with another woman - just the two of them - 12 hours overnight in a station house. “How am I going to explain to my children why their daddy goes to work and sleeps next to another woman?"

There were no women in my PRes company when I joined.

Not trying to justify any of it. That's just the way it was.

 

[lenaitch]

^^ Yup. As a 9 year, single, constable in the 80s, I was assigned to coach the first female member at our small detachment, partially (I like to think) by virtue of the fact that a couple of the more senior and qualified members' wives would have no part of it.

 

[OldSolduer]

^^ Yup. As a 9 year, single, constable in the 80s, I was assigned to coach the first female member at our small detachment, partially (I like to think) by virtue of the fact that a couple of the more senior and qualified members' wives would have no part of it.

Women can be just as mysogonistic as men and sometimes worse.

 

[Brad Sallows]

No-one should pretend that impulses running deep for millennia are going to be entirely overcome because people say it must be so.

 

[SupersonicMax]

No-one should pretend that impulses running deep for millennia are going to be entirely overcome because people say it must be so.

That’s the excuse? We can’t control impulses? Are we Neanderthals or what?

 

[Ostrozac]

No-one should pretend that impulses running deep for millennia are going to be entirely overcome because people say it must be so.

People overcome deep impulses every day. People patrol at night, leave their families for months at a time, sail underwater, jump out of airplanes and even (worst of all!) get up before dawn. And all of those wholly unnatural skills are acquired through training and structure. The whole ‘biological wiring’ argument? I don’t buy it. If people can be trained to be test pilots and astronauts, they can be trained not to bully and assault their colleagues.

 

[KevinB]

No-one should pretend that impulses running deep for millennia are going to be entirely overcome because people say it must be so.

I seem to have managed not to club women and drag them back to my cave - and I am not exactly the PC poster boy...

Sexual Assault has been a NoGo for ages - that excuse won't fly anywhere - the Harassment issues, while things have come a long way in my life time, I have a daughter so I hope they keep moving forward.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Interesting where some people jump on that one.

I mean when men and women are together, sometimes new relationships start, to the detriment of old ones. It's hard to stop insecure people from feeling insecure.

 

[SupersonicMax]

Interesting where some people jump on that one.

I mean when men and women are together, sometimes new relationships start, to the detriment of old ones. It's hard to stop insecure people from feeling insecure.

Nah. If someone feels that compelled to cheat, there are underlying issues in the relationship.

 

[KevinB]

Interesting where some people jump on that one.

I mean when men and women are together, sometimes new relationships start, to the detriment of old ones. It's hard to stop insecure people from feeling insecure.

Your phrasing left it a little to be desired IMHO.

While I agree in part of what you said above - I think

Nah. If someone feels that compelled to cheat, there are underlying issues in the relationship.

SSM nailed it - stable relationships don't just drift into new arms on a whim.

 

[Brad Sallows]

If someone feels that compelled to cheat, there are underlying issues in the relationship.

Not necessarily. Sometimes relationships unwind because the third party in applies sustained pressure.

 

[KevinB]

Not necessarily. Sometimes relationships unwind because the third party in applies sustained pressure.

It still takes two to tango in that respect -- which means someone was amenable to the pressure.
Or it rolls back into Assault.

 

[YZT580]

Nah. If someone feels that compelled to cheat, there are underlying issues in the relationship.

So all of you were virgins before your marriage? I doubt it very much. The rules that you lived by then suddenly became taboo the moment you said I do. I believe that many truly believe that but the mind set was established under the dashboard lights and for many it lurks just over the horizon. All it takes is opportunity. That isn't assault or harassment however. Within the last week I counted over a dozen programmes on the tely that had one or the other as at the very least a sub-plot if not the main theme. A sexual relationship is always part of the episode and it almost never features a married couple. Now most are marked 14 or over. Do you want to bet that much of the audience was under 14? An 18 year old individual goes out and tries to emulate their favourite actor. He isn't thinking assault he is thinking 'getting laid'. Now 20 years later she recollects the experience and brings up charges. Or maybe she brings up charges right away. Either way he is toast. Here is the punch line: it is what has been taught as being OK and he is too immature to appreciate it is only TV. It is a fortunate youth whose parents have been wise enough to supplement the TV with a good straightforward standard to live by.

 

[SupersonicMax]

Flirting is one thing. Insisting can quickly become harassment. Groping is sexual assault. It’s a matter of learning to accept a no, and keeping your hands to yourself until consent is received.