Award Date

5-15-2026

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Criminal Justice

First Committee Member

Emily Troshynski

Second Committee Member

Hong Lu

Third Committee Member

Terance Miethe

Fourth Committee Member

Nicholas Barr

Number of Pages

255

Abstract

The military continues to experience alarming rates of sexual aggression, reaching epidemic levels. While all people can experience sexual aggression, women, compared to men, are more likely to experience this, despite women making up only 17 percent of the military. Throughout history, the military has demonstrated several instances of reactive attempts at combating the concerns of sexual aggression; however, these attempts have not been successful. From a feminist-Foucauldian lens, this dissertation research explores narratives of service members to gain a more in-depth understanding of the systemic dynamics that contribute to institutional and cultural betrayal in sexual victimization experiences. Additionally, this research identified how systemic dynamics intersect to shape experiences of sexual victimization. Findings suggest a self-sustaining cycle of institutional and cultural betrayal in relation to sexual victimization experiences, resulting in profound implications for both the military institution and individual service member. Suggestions for improvement and future considerations are considered with a brief discussion of the implications for sexual violence in the military institution, given recent administration changes, policy changes, and political unrest.

Keywords

cultural betrayal trauma theory; military; organizational failures; sexual misconduct; systemic consequences

Disciplines

Criminology | Criminology and Criminal Justice | Defense and Security Studies | Sociology

File Format

PDF

File Size

2200 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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