Innocence Betrayed: How Childhood Molestation Intersects with Moral Injury in Female Soldiers
Why is this child so sad? She epitomizes a broken-hearted victim of childhood sexual abuse. As we have all experienced, sexuality is a central aspect of personhood. When a person has been assaulted and disrespected, especially in childhood, the child’s identity and sense of self-worth are scarred and devalued. The child who is molested experiences profound feelings of betrayal, shame, and worthlessness.
Recently while I was visiting a childhood friend, she showed me a family photo taken when she was 7 years old. Her parents and siblings are smiling, but she is standing next to her sisters with a scowl on her face. I asked her if the photographer forgot to tell her to say “cheese.” She then hesitantly told me the story behind that photograph. She said it had taken her a lifetime to understand what it represented. She had seen baby and toddler photos where she was smiling and happy. She began to wonder why she looked so distressed within a few years. Introspection revealed to her that she had been molested by an older cousin. She remembered going to bed afterward and curling up in the fetal position. There was no real acknowledgement of what happened by her family, and it was swept under the rug. This photo was taken soon after the incident. Only in adulthood did she begin to consider how this trauma influenced her whole life course and affected her attitudes and perceptions of who she was.
As a student of Public Health at Wingate University I learned about the significance of ACEs – Adverse Childhood Experiences. A famous study in California revealed the extent to which ten events of childhood such as poverty, having an alcoholic parent, mental illness in the family, and unwanted sexual contact could affect a person’s future health and well-being (California Surgeon General’s Clinical Advisory Committee, July 26, 2022). Exposure to only one of these experiences or precursory traumas leads a female veteran to be more likely to receive unwanted sexual attention and contact (Doucette et al, 2023). Sadly, many have experienced 3 or more ACEs, which only leads to further risk of MST. A Veterans Administration national screening program reveals that about 1 in 3 women in the military have experienced MST, or Military Sexual Trauma (VA, May 2021). Some of the difficulties that individuals experience after Military Sexual Trauma are these:
Feelings of numbness
Trouble sleeping
Difficulties with attention and concentration
Problems with alcohol and other drugs
Difficulties in relationships
Physical health problems
Depression and other mood disorders
These brave women have been morally injured and deserve help in dealing with the mental and physical injuries they have sustained while serving their country. The high occurrence of Adverse Childhood Experiences has only served to exacerbate and render more likely the trauma they sustained from Military Sexual Trauma.
MISNS is uniquely poised to serve as a global facilitator of moral injury support, research, training, and advocacy to end the silent suffering of servicewomen and military families.
As we begin to document stories of those veterans who have been injured in childhood and then re-injured as they served their country, our ATHENA Nexus Project (Roberts, 2024) will help identify the specific needs of women veterans. This information will be used to connect them with appropriate support services, such as mental health resources, peer support groups, and other veteran-specific programs. Trained professionals with expertise in trauma-informed care will guide the female veterans through the process of sharing their narratives, providing a safe and supportive environment that fosters trust, empowerment, and emotional catharsis.
MISNS is signing up organizations as ATHENA Nexus partners, seeking funding from grantors, sponsors, and donors, and recruiting women veterans to participate in a pilot program.
Interested individuals can contact Dr. Roberts at droberts@chaplainconsultants.com.
Learn more about Moral Injury Support Network for Servicewomen, Inc. and sign up for our newsletter at: https://misns.org.
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Susan Sganga is the Media Specialist for Moral Injury Support Network for Servicewomen, Inc. and is a public health specialist located in North Carolina. She can be reached at 704-254-1548 or susanpsganga@gmail.com.
Sources
California Surgeon General’s Clinical Advisory Committee. (July 22, 2022). Our relationships and experiences—even those in childhood—can affect our health and well-being. Adverse Childhood Experience Questionnaire for Adults.
Doucette, Carly E, Morgan, Nicole R., Aronson, Keith R., Bleser, Julia A., McCarthy, Kimberly J., and Perkins, Daniel F. (2023). The Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Warfare Exposure on Military Sexual Trauma Among Veterans. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Vol. 38 (3-4).
Roberts, Daniel. (September 3, 2024). 5 Year Strategic Plan for Moral Injury Support Network for Servicewomen, Inc.Email to staff.
Tracy, N. (2021, December 17). Victims of Sexual Abuse: Do They Ever Get Over It? HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2024, October 25 from https://www.healthyplace.com/abuse/child-sexual-abuse/victims-of-sexual-abuse-do-they-ever-get-over-it?
VA, Veterans Health Administration, (May 2021). Military Sexual Trauma, https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/docs/mst_general_factsheet.pdf.