纽约时报 为何美军内部性侵频发(6)（在线收听）

In 2011, the Veterans Benefits Administration lowered the threshold of evidence for veterans to "prove" they were sexually assaulted, which helps them qualify for PTSD-related disability benefits. A 2018 report by the V.A. Inspector General found that the agency nevertheless denied 46 percent of all medical claims related to military sexual-trauma-induced PTSD and that nearly half of those denied claims were improperly processed.

2011年，美国退役军人福利管理局降低了退伍军人“证明”自已曾遭受性侵犯的证据门槛，这有助于她们获得与创伤后应激障碍（简称PTSD）相关的残疾福利。退伍军人事务部监察长在2018年发表的一份报告显示，尽管如此，该机构还是拒绝了46%与军事性创伤诱发创伤后应激障碍相关的医疗索赔，其中近一半被拒绝的索赔处理不当。

When veterans do access V.A. treatment, they often improve, although some sexual-assault survivors find the recommended regimens difficult. One popular approach used by the V.A. to treat PTSD is prolonged-exposure therapy, which requires that veterans repeatedly revisit the trauma memory and recount it aloud in detail, which can be challenging for sexual-assault survivors. Another common treatment is cognitive-processing therapy, or C.P.T., which teaches veterans to identify and change inaccurate and distressing thoughts about each of their traumas.

当退伍军人确实获得退伍军人事务部提供的治疗时，她们的情况通常会有所改善，尽管一些性侵犯幸存者发现推荐的治疗方案很难。退伍军人事务部治疗创伤后应激障碍的一种流行方法是长期暴露疗法，要求退伍军人反复重温创伤记忆并大声详细叙述，这对性侵犯幸存者来说可能是一个挑战。另一种常见的治疗方法是认知加工疗法（简称CPT），该疗法教导退伍军人识别和改变对他们每个创伤的不准确和痛苦的想法。

Under increasing pressure and scrutiny, the military and the V.A. have been taking some steps to better support survivors of sexual trauma. Since 2011, service members who experience military sexual assault and file an unrestricted report can request a transfer to a new unit or installation, so they don't have to work and live with their rapists. Since 2013, service members also have the option of asking for special victims' counsels, who provide them with information, resources and support after sexual assault. But according to Goldberg, there aren't enough of these counselors, so they tend to be overwhelmed and unable to give each case the attention it deserves. "I've heard anecdotally about victims just not being able to reach their special victims' counsel, not having enough time with them, not really getting to benefit from the program," she says.

在不断增加的压力和审查下，军方和退伍军人事务部采取了一些措施，以更好地支持性创伤幸存者。自2011年以来，经历过军事性侵犯并提交无限制报告的服役人员可以要求调到新的单位或设施，这样她们就不必与强奸犯一起工作和生活。自2013年以来，服役人员还可以选择申请特殊受害者律师，这些律师会在性侵犯发生后为受害者提供信息、资源和支持。但根据戈德伯格的说法，这些律师人手不够，因此他们往往不堪重负，无法给予每个案件应有的关注。她说，“我听说一些受害者无法联系到他们的特殊受害者律师，没有足够的时间与他们在一起，也没有真正从这个项目中受益。”

The V.A. is also trying to reach and support more veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma. It has mailed out more than 475,000 letters to veterans with other-than-honorable discharges informing them of available V.A. services. With a universal screening program, the V.A. now asks every veteran receiving health care whether they experienced a sexual trauma during service, and those who did are told about the support they can receive. There are also now designated veterans service representatives, located within five central offices, who specialize in processing military sexual-trauma claims, and the V.A. has eliminated follow-up phone calls that could retraumatize veterans.

退伍军人事务部还试图接触和支持更多经历过军事性创伤的退伍军人。该机构已向非光荣退役的退伍军人寄出了超过47.5万封信，告知他们可获得的退伍军人事务部提供的服务。现在，退伍军人事务部正通过一项全民筛查计划，询问每一位接受医疗保健的退伍军人在服役期间是否经历过性创伤，并告知那些经历过性创伤的退伍军人她们可以得到的支持。现在，在，五个中心办公室内也安排了指定的退伍军人服务代表，专门处理军人性创伤索赔，退伍军人事务部已取消可能使退伍军人再次受到创伤的随访电话。