The Military Sexual Trauma Research Project
A research project to help understand how common military sexual trauma is in the Australian Defence Force.
Summary
- The research project is being run by the Australian Human Rights Commission.
- The aim is to understand frequency and impact of military sexual trauma.
- There are 3 parts to the research - a survey, consultations and submissions.
- The project is in response to recommendation 14 of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
The Military Sexual Trauma Research Project is run by the Australian Human Rights Commission to act on Recommendation 14 of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
This research will help us understand how common military sexual trauma is among current and former members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and to learn directly from victim-survivors who have experienced it.
We want to understand:
how common military sexual violence is
- how common military sexual trauma is
- the impacts of military sexual trauma
- what victim-survivors say they need
- what needs to change so responses are safer and more effective.
There are 3 main parts to the research:
- an online survey
- small group and individual consultations
- written submissions.
The survey looks at how common military sexual trauma is and what support people need. The consultations and submissions explore its impacts and how support and responses can be improved.
We are currently in the process of establishing the project and laying the groundwork for this important research. We are developing the online survey, which we plan to launch in the second half of the year. We also expect to conduct consultations toward the end of this year and continue into early next year. This website will be updated with further details as the project progresses.
Why are we doing this project?
We are doing this project because we know military sexual trauma is a serious human rights issue, and we need a better understanding of how often it occurs and how it affects people over time.
ADF records show that almost 800 sexual assaults were reported between 2018-2019 and 2022-2023. However, ADF acknowledges that many people never report their experiences, meaning the real number is likely much higher.
Military sexual trauma can have long-lasting impacts on people’s lives, health and wellbeing. There is currently not enough research or data to fully understand the scale of the problem or how people are affected during and after service.
We want to understand the impacts of military sexual trauma and think about ways that responses and supports can be improved for those affected.
Access support
If this information raises concerns for you or reflects your own experience, support is available through the services below.
ADF All-hours support line
- 1800 628 036
Open Arms – Veterans and Families Counselling
- 1800 011 046
Lifeline
- 13 11 14
1800RESPECT
- 1800 737 732
Other services can be found here.
Contact us
If you have questions about the project, you can email the Military Sexual Trauma Research Project team at: mst.research@humanrights.gov.au