Sexual Assault--act before it's too late

  • Published
  • By Capt. Paul Bogacz
  • 8th Fighter Wing sexual assault response coordinator
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Face it Wolf Pack, the ugly truth is sexual assaults are happening right now in our home-towns, across our country and in our military. 

According to a recent Department of Defense report on sexual assault more than 2,900 cases were reported during fiscal 2008; in the same amount of time it took us to show our war-fighting ability during our Operational Readiness Exercise more than 30 of our fellow servicememembers may have become victims of sexual assault. 

Maybe it happened to someone you have seen around base, maybe it was a close co-worker or friend, maybe in your dorm, just down the hall. Maybe you even heard something that didn't sound 'right' that was actually your neighbor being assaulted. Maybe you saw them together at a lounge earlier and something didn't look right but you didn't say anything because you didn't want to spoil anyone's night, including your own. 

It is a terrible thing to think about, but ignoring the fact that sexual assaults (rape, indecent assault, non-consensual sodomy) are a reality doesn't make them go away. In fact, ignoring them or not recognizing them only makes it easier for predators to commit these acts again. 

Any one, at any age, can be sexually assaulted. No one plans on it happening. Their assault caught them by complete surprise, typically because the person who did this to them was someone they knew and trusted. 

The stellar person who maybe looks great in their uniform, who volunteers for the tough jobs, who wins awards or is just a darn, nice person may be a rapist. That same person getting all the laughs in the group of peers may be the same person who charms their way into someone's room later that night and rapes them. The key to stopping these predators is recognizing their modus operandi and intervening when something doesn't feel right to you. 

People who commit sexual assaults rarely pick random victims and/or act carelessly. Smart rapists never do; they adapt and overcome and rarely, if ever, get caught. In studies it has been found that rapists have conducted, on average, twelve assaults over their lifetime and that's just the people who will admit to it. 

In order for a rapist to avoid detection they use every social skill at their disposal. They tend to have wonderful personalities and know how to make people feel comfortable. They build relationships with both males and females and they slowly gain the trust of the people they are targeting. Don't fool yourself; rapists are like terrorists--they identify targets who they feel are easier to victimize, just as terrorists target "soft" facilities and defenses. New arrivals unsure of the social "operating environment," young Airmen who don't know the ways of the installation or the power of alcohol, or people without social networks and support make excellent choices. These predators may solicit the help of their own friends, sometimes unbeknownst to that friend, to build the presentation of a legitimate situation. This sets the perfect scene for what the rapist already had planned long before. Now people will have "helped" without even knowing they were helping. 

The rapist will usually use alcohol--both on the future victim to lower their guard and inhibitions, and themselves to make a public statement of their own intoxication for any possible defense at a later date. Rapists will use their personal alcohol consumption to manipulate the victim and others to not report anything and to excuse the rapist's subsequent actions. The rapist will guilt and shame the victim into doing things which they can use against the victim later to ensure she or he does not make a report. 

Any rules or standards of conduct and behavior the rapist can get the victim to fail to uphold is simply more leverage when the time comes to tighten the screws to stop the victim from saying a word about what happened. They will tell the victim that they are alone and that no one will help them. They will try to convince the victim that the military will turn on the victim in their moment of need. They will plead their way into dorm rooms late at night under the pretense of needing their friend's help or advice. 

So what can you do to stop this? First you have to care enough about your fellow Airmen to recognize the situation. If that potential victim was someone special to you, you would hope someone would intervene on their behalf. Watch people and when your internal radar sends up the warning flares, recognize them and act. 

Rapists prepare victims, friends and situations. They lay the ground work for the victim to feel safe; they establish witnesses who believe they're watching innocent or consensual flirting. They move slowly and cautiously and only those observant enough will notice something might be wrong. They are going to attempt to isolate that target. When your buddy asks you to get drinks for him and the woman he's flirting with does that necessarily mean anything? To a rapist you've just helped him continue the flow of alcohol and possibly helped isolate her by leaving the two of them alone--two birds, one stone. 

Each situation will call for a different response for any bystander. One time you may need to physically approach the situation while other times making just eye contact and letting them know you're aware is enough to make the opportunity too risky for them. 

Removing the potential victim from the predator is a very effective strategy. Pretend like you know her; strike up a conversation or ask if you could speak to her for a second about getting personal advice. Breaking the predator's influence and giving the potential victim a chance to think might just make the difference. If you know the potential victim you have the luxury of asking and verifying whether or not she knows what she is doing.
The simple fact is; any act you make to stop a possible sexual assault is the right act; don't worry about appearing foolish, there are much more important things in life. 

At some point, at some obscure bar someone may ask you to get them a beer and then quote this article and laugh it off as ridiculous. Just remember , studies and facts don't lie. Rapists use the kindness, trusting nature and trustworthiness and friendliness of others to lower barriers to their target. There are more good people than rapists; if we are all aware of our surroundings and taking care of each other by acting, we could work wonders towards stopping this from happening to any member of the Wolf Pack. 

Intervening in someone else's business is never easy. It requires a great deal of insight and courage. As members of the greatest Air Force in the world we cannot expect anything less. Step up and out beyond expectations; do what is simply the right thing to do. "One Act Can Change One Lifetime."