POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  Commonly people read and hear about male on female sexual assaults or rape in the military and in the communities, but the truth is female on female as well as male on male rapes do occur more often than people think. 

The only difference is that men grossly underreport the incident while women have slowly come forward to shed light on the silent crime that has taken place for decades in society. This lack of reporting by men gives society the misperception that sexual assaults occur mostly to women. 

None of the major military services is free from male on male rape. The Pentagon found in 2004 that 9 percent of military sexual assault victims were male in 2002 and 2003. Out of the 181 male on male rapes reported, 118 occurred during their deployment.
In addition, the Department of Veterans Affairs reported that more men than women received unwanted sexual attention: rape to verbal harassment. 

The VA also uncovered 10,693 male veterans experienced such abuse compared to 9,348 women in 2003. The Cumberland County Rape Crisis Center also assisted male victims, comprising 9 percent of the county's victim population. 

Regardless of gender, anyone who experienced being raped also experienced the death of their being. The act alone kills ones confidence, self-esteem, and, at times, their will to live. Sexual abuse is not gender specific; it happens to anyone. 

A predator seeks those whom they perceive as weak and it normally involves some type of drug or alcohol to debilitate their prey. Most people have seen wild life shows where the lion chases down its prey. It seeks the babies, the old, and the injured because they tend to be the easiest meal to hunt. Sexual assault predators are no different. They will keep your alcoholic drinks coming or they will slip a pill in your drink that will knock down the strongest men alive. They may even go as far as having others join him to hold down the unsuspecting victim. 

Regardless of how macho a potential male victim may think they are, it's almost impossible to fight them off. 

Why do males do this to other males? 

In most cases it's an act of power and not sexuality. Most male on male rapes occur to heterosexual men. 

So how do male victims tend to cope? 

Studies show these heinous acts leave the male victims questioning their manhood and their heterosexuality. To cope silently they experience a high level of promiscuity and turn to prostitutes to help them reassert their manhood. 

In the process, it destroys their marriages, creates dysfunctional relationships and negatively affects the people around him. 

One Air Force victim from Dover AFB stated "I tried to commit suicide twice while in the AF." He was administratively discharged and receives help from the VA hospital in Bay Pines, Fla. 

Other victims suffer with post traumatic stress disorder and without the proper help and counseling, loose themselves, careers, families and friends. 

If you were victimized or know someone who was remember: a restrictive (confidential) report can be filed in our office regardless of gender. 

The SARC office will help you begin coping with this traumatic emotional event because keeping quiet is comparable to cancer: the guilt, shame, suicidal thoughts and questioning of manhood and heterosexuality can eat away what is left of one's life. 

The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response office extends a heart felt thanks to Staff Sgt. Mandy Florio from 43rd Maintenance Squadron and to everyone who donated cell phones. Sergeant Florio led this initiative and the result exceeded our expectations.
The SARC office received approximately 50 phones. Five phones were given to the Life Skills office and the 45 others were distributed to the Cumberland County Rape Crisis and Domestic Violence Centers; both of which are always in need of phones for assault victims. 

If the donation boxes are not available after Monday, please feel free to continue bringing the cell phones with their chargers at any time, so Pope can continue to support our local centers.