Where are the Latinas? An Analytical Analysis of the Media and the DOD

Layla Hernandez

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

2024

Abstract

For years, sexual assault in the military has gone under reported and still is. Another concern is how racial/ethnic groups are represented in the media. This discourse analysis study fills a gap where there is no research currently. I analyzed official DoD sexual assault reports from 2004-2022 reflecting the restricted and unrestricted reporting and the racial demographics. I also analyzed news articles from three separate significant military sexual assault events/scandals from national newspapers and local newspapers for each event. This study discovered the media shifting attitudes towards victims of military sexual violence from 1997-2020. The DoD reports show they have recently started publishing race demographics for sexual assaults in 2021, but Latinas are not included in those demographics. There is increased support for sexual assault victims, but the U.S. military still has a road ahead, starting with including Latinas in the official statistics.

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Poster Session
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