Sexual Abuse by Military Recruiters a Significant Problem

Most people have heard the statistics on sexual abuse within the military – multiple major news sources, such as ABC and PBS, have reported that a female soldier is more likely to be assaulted by a fellow soldier than killed by an enemy combatant. However, sex crimes are not restricted to those already in the military. Increasingly, students interested in enlistment and new recruits find themselves becoming targets. There were at least a hundred confirmed instances of sexual abuse at the hands of recruiters in 2005 alone, according to an eight-year chronological report by the “Learning not Recruiting” organization. In many cases recruiters receive light sentences (one recruiter guilty of raping a minor received only four months).

There is secrecy surrounding these crimes, and when questioned, The Marine Corps Recruiting Command at Quantico, Va., did not give exact figures. However, a Marine spokesman said the number of recruiters who are found guilty each year of sexual assault or nonconsensual sex was in “the single digits.” Stonewalling does not negate the fact that military sexual abuse is neither a recent phenomenon, nor is it likely to fade away easily.

Eighty cases of sexual abuse were found within a six-month study during 2005, across all branches of the military and in all regions of the United States. Sexual abuse at the hands of recruiters was also found to be on the rise, increasing from 400 cases in 2004 to 630 cases in 2005. Several cases of sexual misconduct involved instigating romantic relationships, and some were initiated by women. While the Defense Department has taken measures to mitigate recruiter sexual abuse, there continues to be a problem. Recruiters continually commit sex crimes, even in recent years.

Oftentimes, predators will be repeat offenders, and have more than one victim. In the summer of 2015, a military recruiter named Jose Nieves Jr. was accused of sexual misconduct by ten different female students. After his arrest, seven more came forward, saying he had made inappropriate sexual contact with them. Nine of these girls were underage, the youngest being only fifteen. Many of these girls had been students preparing to enlist, or had expressed interest in the military. Nieves’s case is not isolated. Also in the summer of 2015, a 16-year-old girl came forward saying she had been sexually involved with a 36-year-old military recruiter. The recruiter, a man named Jonathan Crouch, confessed he was guilty.

While Nieves and Crouch were both held accountable, this is not always the case. A study by the AP found that the military prosecutes only 1 in 20 soldiers accused of sexual abuse within their ranks, and it is even easier to hide misconduct or assault against a minor, particularly a student who may feel obligated to keep quiet due to their respect for, fear of, or dependence on the military. This same study also discovered that civilian and military prosecutions were rare, despite sexual abuse and misconduct permeating much of military recruitment activity. Accountability does not necessarily ease the victim’s trauma either. In 2006, an 18-year-old raped by a military recruiter recounted, “This should never be allowed to happen. The recruiter had all the power. He had the uniform. He had my future. I trusted him."

While there are many cases of sexual abuse across various career fields, in the case of the military there can be particular difficulty reporting. Students may be intimidated by the difference in age and status between themselves and their abusers. There has also been an instance where a recruiter allegedly told a 17-year-old girl that she must be sexually involved with him in order to be recruited, indicating that sexually abusive recruiters may use their position to their advantage. For the student who plans on enlisting to alleviate financial struggles, it is even more difficult to report and to refuse these requests, as they may feel a sense of dependency on their recruiters. There is often a difference in size and physical strength as well. All of these factors combine to put students at risk when they consider enlisting, and while most of these students were young and female, boys were not exempt from becoming victims either. Military recruiters must be seen in a more critical light, for the sake of students who have already been victimized, and to prevent victimizations in the future.

Isha Madan is a history and political science student at the University of Pittsburgh

#article