Last year, female soldiers were 15 times more likely to be sexually assaulted by a fellow soldier than killed by an enemy. Few of these assaults are ever reported.
The Invisible War is an investigative documentary about the epidemic of sexual assault and rape in the United States military. The film was released in 2012 and received critical acclaim — including a nomination for a 2013 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and a win at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival for the Audience Award.
The film will be shown at the Women’s Center on Tuesday, and will be followed by a discussion about the topics in the film.
As the film tackles the issue of sexual assault in the military, it focuses on personal stories from those affected — mainly women.
Between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013, there were 3,553 reports of sexual assault according to The Pentagon, which is a 43 percent increase from the year before. The Department of Defense estimates that 20 percent of all active-duty female soldiers are sexually assaulted, compared to 1 percent of men.
The Women’s Center decided to show this documentary for Sexual Assault Awareness Month in order to start the discussion about the topic not only in a military context, but how it can hit close to home.
“It’s not as if sexual assault in the military is all that different than sexual assault on campus,” said Susanne Dietzel, director of the Women’s Center.
Dietzel said she believes this documentary will give students a more thorough knowledge of the issue.
“(From the film), students will get a basic knowledge about the gravity and the number of occurrences,” Dietzel said. “They will also learn about the difficulties and about ways that people have come forward. They will be able to extrapolate from (the soldier’s) situation to their own.”
If You Go:
What: The Invisible War film screening and discussion
When: 5 p.m., Tuesday
Where: Women’s Center, Baker Center Room 403
Admission: Free
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This article originally ran in print under the headline "Documentary to educate students"
