Open Collections

Baugh, Leah

University of British Columbia

The military has failed to adequately address the sexism, sexual harassment, and sexual abuse that women veterans experience during service (Carson & Carson, 2018; Johnson et al., 2023; Zaleski, 2018). In the hypermasculine and hierarchical culture of the military (Shields et al., 2017), women service members are viewed as inferior to their male counterparts which perpetuates gender inequality (Kuhl et al., 2018). Women service members are frequently demeaned, betrayed, and sexually assaulted (Burkhart & Hogan, 2015; McCormack & Bennett, 2023; Mota et al., 2023). Given the limited research on military sexual trauma in the Canadian literature, the aim of the present study was to examine the barriers and facilitators of coping among women veterans (N=11) who experienced military sexual trauma during their years of service in the Canadian Armed Forces. An adaptation of Buchanan-Arvay’s (1998, 2003) collaborative narrative method was used to conduct in-depth narrative interviews and to construct a composite narrative account. Following a thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2022) of the interview transcripts, five common themes were identified: (1) Military Culture; (2) Systemic Barriers to Coping; (3) Survival Strategies; (4) Social Support; (5) and Facilitators of Coping. Denoted throughout the findings are the minimal consequences for perpetrators and the inadequate support for women survivors of military sexual trauma. Illustrated in the women veterans’ composite narrative of coping, is the crucial need for social support and safety to move beyond survival strategies and towards meaningful facilitators of coping and recovery. A significant finding is that coping with military sexual trauma is not merely an individual task or concern, but a collective responsibility that requires systemic reform in military culture. Practical and clinical implications for military stakeholders, counselling psychology, and future research are discussed based on the women veterans’ recommendations and lived experiences.

Text

2024-03-11

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/87551

Counselling Psychology

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/