Rising Sexual Assault Rates in Military an Indicator of Growing Sexual Addiction Problem

May 7th, 2013

A Pentagon study set to release later this week reveals that over the past year, the number of sexual assaults reported by members of the military rose from 3,192 to 3,374 in 2012. However, officials say that the real number of sexual assaults estimates as many as 26,000, up from 19,000 in 2011.

The study comes just after the Air Force reported that officer, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Krusinki, was arrested for sexual battery on Sunday in Arlington, VA. Even more alarming, Krusinki headed the Air Force Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Unit.

At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., told Air Force officials, “…this arrest speaks volumes about the status and effectiveness of (the Defense) department’s efforts to address the plague of sexual assaults in the military.”

A call to action made by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, orders a process to increase officer’s accountability for what happens under their commands. He also suggests workstation inspections for objectionable materials, considering the dramatic rise in pornography among members of the military.

Although better processes and procedures for dealing with sexual assault in the military require attention, addressing the root of the problem seems necessary. Some suggest that the rise in pornography may play a part in sexual assault cases. Rob Weiss, director of the Sexual Recovery Institute in Los Angeles, discusses pornography and sexual addiction in the military, “Online porn is to sex addiction what crack cocaine is to drug addiction.”

With the growing awareness of sexual addiction and the increase in sexual assault in the military cases, some suggest there may be a correlation between the two. The WRSO (Western Region Security Office) discusses sex addiction as, involving frequent self-destructive or high-risk activity . The addict feels shame for the activity, yet does not feel emotionally fulfilled. Despite the activity causing repeated problems in their personal, financial, and legal life, an military sex addicts continue to partake in the problem. 

Sex addicts use sex as a quick fix, or as a form of medication, for anxiety, pain, loneliness, stress, or sleep. Members of the military often struggle with most, if not all, of these ailments. Think of the soldiers at war, away from their home and loved ones for long periods of time. Although it does not excuse anyone from actions like sexual assault, sex addicts often refer to sex as their “pain reliever” or “tension reliever”.

After the recent study exposing the increase of sexual assault cases, and the news of Lt. Col. Jeffrey Krusinki’s charges, many government officials express their disdain for such acts and seek reformation. “Sexual assault is a crime that is incompatible with military service and has no place in this department,” Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in a new response plan. “It is an affront to the American values we defend, and it is a stain on our honor.”

-Rita Baldini, Editor
AllTreatment.com