Victim Behavior in a Sample of Military Sexual Assault Cases

This study explored victim responses to sexual assault within a military context. Victim behavior was identified in forensic case files of service members charged with sexual assault (N = 58) and referred for forensic evaluation or consultation. The identified victim behavior was coded and quantified for description. Of the sample 87.9% of victims were female and 12.0% of victims were male; 37.9% of the victims reported their assault in less than 1 month. Forceful resistance to the assault occurred in 15.5% of the cases. Physical injury associated with the sexual assault was absent in 96.5% of the cases. The description of victim behavior can inform forensic expert testimony on victim behavior within the military justice system while also offering empirical evidence to better understand this public health problem in the U.S. military.