Understanding and Treating the Psychological Impact of Sexual Assault in the United States Military

Description:

This first half of the presentation reviews the prevalence of unwanted sexual contact/sexual assault in the Department of Defense and the US population, the risk factors associated negative consequences generally, and the unique factors that contribute to the impact of sexual assault on members of the military. The second half of the presentation describes the impact of sexual assault on the individual, outlines assessment strategies that inform treatment planning for individuals affected by sexual assault, and presents the basic treatment components common in evidence based treatments for sexual trauma.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Compare the rates of sexual assault and unwanted sexual contact in military and civilian populations.
  2. Describe the impact of sexual trauma on the survivor’s cognitions.
  3. List important life domains to assess before planning trauma focused treatment
  4. Identify the main treatment components of trauma-focused therapy.

Outline:

  1. Defining Sexual Assault and Unwanted Sexual Contact

    1. Incidence and Prevalence of SA

      1. US Population
      2. Active duty Service Members
    2. Risk Factors
      1. Personal
      2. Contextual
      3. Perpetration Characteristics

c. The decision to report sexual assault

  1. The Intersection of Military Culture & Sexual Assault

    1. Review of Military Ethos/Military Culture
    2. Deployment stressors
    3. SAPRO
      1. Restricted Reporting
      2. Unrestricted Reporting
  2. Understanding the Impact of Sexual Assault
    1. General Impact
    2. Gender Issues
    3. Military Specific Issues
    4. Clinical Presentation
  3. Assessment, Diagnosis and Conceptualization
    1. Goals of Assessment
    2. Assessment Domains
    3. Clinical Approach
    4. Assessment Tools
  4. Treatment
    1.  Treatment Planning
    2. Treatment Options
    3. Cognitive Behavioral Treatment
    4. Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Treatment
      1. Recovery Processes
      2. Components
      3. Evidence
  5.  Resources for Clinicians helping SA survivors
    1. Veterans Crisis Line
    2. SafeHelpLine
    3. Afterdeployment.org