Meeting To Examine Male Military Sexual AssaultMeeting To Examine Male Military Sexual Assault

9/8/14 - A meeting tonight in Brighton will examine military sexual assault from a different angle; that of the male victim. Women Serving Women Vets will hold its monthly meeting at the 2/42 Community Church featuring guest speaker Kevin Watson, a male military veteran who will talk about his Military Sexual Trauma, or MST. Records show that one in every 100 male veterans treated by the VA reported being sexually traumatized by fellow servicemen during their military careers. Victims are most often young, low-ranking enlistees who fall prey to peers’ and superiors’ desire to demean or humiliate others. Women Serving Women Vets Director Arlene Callaghan says given that 18 million of the 24.5 million veterans don’t use the VA health system and that the majority of sexual assaults go unreported, the numbers are undoubtedly much higher. She says that because sexual assault is often misperceived as a “women’s issue,” men may be afraid to appear “weak” in the eyes of their comrades. Rather than jeopardize the career they’ve worked so hard to build or make themselves a target for retaliation, most men stay quiet. Kevin Watson is one veteran who has not. His presentation will take place tonight at 7pm at the 2/42 Community Church on Grand River. While there is no charge to attend, an RSVP is requested. Call 810-599-6014 or email wswvets@gmail.com (JK)