When joining the Armed Forces, it is impossible to ignore the potential of risk: risk of serious physical, emotional or mental harm, and of the ultimate sacrifice. But domestic violence should never be a threat for our men and women in uniform.
Studies have shown that domestic abuse is more prevalent in military families than in civilian families. Data from 2008, 2009, and 2010 indicate that rates of domestic violence are on the rise – before 2008, the numbers had been more or less steadily declining. Additionally, women in military communities who have been subject to family violence are often unlikely to report abuse for fear of disclosure, in addition to limited victim services.
Recently, military sexual assault has caught national attention: the heartbreaking stories of women and men who were brutally assaulted by their peers or commanding officers and then denied legal retribution is a travesty for our military and for our nation. There is buzz on Capitol Hill around possible legislative paths to expunging sexual violence from the Armed Forces. This is a controversial issue that has brought a firestorm of opinion and debates, and highlights many other important issues in military life that need to be addressed. Two different, important efforts to pass legislation on this issue are being led by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO).
Unfortunately, the repercussions and threat of violence does not always disappear once our men and women in uniform end their service. The Veterans Administration can and should expand their network of benefits, resources and prevention services to aid veterans who are victims of domestic and sexual violence. Under current law, veterans can apply for disability benefits for injuries or conditions sustained or made worse during their time in service (which can include domestic and sexual violence) and the military is working to ensure that service members have access to care during and beyond their time in uniform.
H.R. 897, introduced by Congresswoman Janice Hahn (D-CA) in February, is another attempt to provide adequate care to those in the military affected by domestic violence. This bill would expand expands the category of “homeless veteran” to include veterans and veterans’ families escaping domestic abuse, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking or other dangerous environments in their housing situations. This important expansion of the classifications would enable at-risk veterans and their families to receive aid from the Veterans’ Administration for housing that they would not otherwise be able to access.
One of the first teachings in the Torah is that all people are created b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Each of us carries a spark of the Divine and deserves to live in dignity. An individual living with an abusive spouse or parent ought to be able to remove him or herself from a dangerous environment.We applaud the efforts of lawmakers who are working to correct the injustices in our military that often keep abused men and women from speaking out. We hope for a culture of empowerment that encourages victims to step out of the shadows and see the spark of the Divine within.