Examining men’s experiences of being victims of sexual offences during military service and scrutinising the military response in the UK.

This PhD presents an important opportunity to gather novel insights into men’s experiences as victims of sexual violence in the UK armed forces, as well as their accounts of the reporting process, military response, and their experience of the service justice system [SJS].

Countless recent media reports have detailed significant levels of sexual harassment, bullying, and serious sexual offences perpetrated by and against serving personnel across the UK armed forces. Meanwhile, official statistics reveal that up to 99% of service personnel have experienced some form of generalised sexual behaviours in the past 12 months, whether personally or directed at another (Markson, 2018; MOD, 2015; Rutherford, Schneider, & Walmsley, 2006). The impact of this sexual victimisation can be far-reaching; increasing the likelihood of mental health difficulties such as depression, anxiety and PTSD, substance misuse problems, sleep disorders.

Whilst servicewomen tend to be overrepresented as victims of sexual offences in the UK military (MOD, 2021), meaning that the bulk of existing research on military sexual violence has focused on women; the experiences of male victims must equally not become overlooked or neglected. In fact, servicemen are more likely to be sexually victimised than civilian men; accounting for almost a quarter (24%) of reported sexual offences victims in the SJS (MOD, 2021), compared to 16% in the civilian system (ONS, 2021). Whistle-blowers have described rape against servicemen as “pretty routine” and “predictable” (Crone, 2014), though research indicates that the overwhelming majority never make an official report due to engrained perceptions of shame and stigma (Philips, 2019). Indeed, sexual offences are notoriously underreported both in the civilian and military context, however both military personnel and men are even less likely to report (Rutherford et al. 2006; Hammond, 2016); meaning the intersectional barriers faced by servicemen are likely to be significant.

If you would like to discuss this research project, please contact [Email Address Removed]

Candidate requirements

Applications are invited from UK Home fee status only. Applicants should have (or expect to achieve) a minimum upper second class undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a cognate discipline. A Master’s degree in a relevant subject is desirable.

Applicants must be prepared to study on a full-time basis, attending at our Chelmsford campus.

Application Procedures

Applications for a Vice Chancellor’s PhD Scholarship are made through the application portal on our website: https://aru.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research/vc-phd-scholarships

We will review all applications after the submission deadline of 19^th March. We will contact shortlisted applicants in the week commencing 3^rd April. Interviews will be held between 17^th April to 2^nd May.

If you have any queries relating to the application process or the terms and conditions of the Scholarships, please email [Email Address Removed].

Documentation required

You will need the following documents available electronically to upload them to the application portal (we can accept files in pdf, jpeg or Word format):

• Certificates and transcripts from your Bachelor and Master’s degrees, (if applicable)
• Your personal statement explaining your suitability for the project
• Passport and visa, or evidence of EU Settlement Scheme (if applicable)
• Curriculum Vitae

Please note the application form will ask you to upload a research proposal. You should upload your personal statement in this section, as proposals are not required for this scholarship.