A new documentary called The Invisible War by Academy Award-nominated director Kirby Dick has just come out in theaters. The film tackles the issue of sexual assault in the U.S. military, and how it has come to be a systemic concern.
Check out the trailer here:
From the MSNBC interview with the director and producer:
Last year, 3,192 sexual assaults, from unwanted sexual touching to rape, were reported across all branches of the military. Based on anonymous surveys of active-duty service members conducted in 2010, however, the Department of Defense says the number of incidents was closer to 19,000.
But that’s not all:
Women aren’t the only ones affected. Of the 65,000 veterans who sought treatment in 2009 for conditions related to military sexual trauma, a term that also includes sexual harassment, 40 percent were men.
This issue concerns both genders. Sexual assault is not just a feminist issue, as it can and does effect everyone. We should all be doing our part to make the spaces we occupy safe and free of victimization whether we are in the military, in the classroom, or walking down the street.