MOOTW is a military operation other than war. Sexual assault is a military operation other than war against you. Sexual predators study and approach their prey just like the military does. They have a goal and objectives. Some are well funded and ready to use force or threats if necessary. Their focus is to intimidate and exert power over you. They employ many tactics to deter your actions and complete their mission. Their objectives are clearly defined and it is understood what must take place in order to have success. If the perpetrator is this prepared, we should be also. In the military, to know your enemy is to know yourself. If this is true, more work and awareness needs to be done to ensure you are not a victim of this type of violence.
No one ever asks to be sexually assaulted. A victim is never at fault. Sexual assault happens to women, men, and children; all ages, ethnic groups and income levels. The perpetrator is usually, but not always, male. Most often he or she is someone that you know—a trusted friend, a family member, a neighbor, a teacher, a member of the clergy. It is not necessarily a bad-looking person or a person that jumps out of the bushes. Anyone who has been forced to have sex has been sexually assaulted. Even if the offender was a husband or boyfriend, even if drugs and/or alcohol were used, and even if the victim did not physically fight back. If you survive a sexual attack, you may be tarnished for life. Your lives, your marriages, your futures can be ruined. And those of you who report the attack will again become victims—this time in an overburdened judicial system. The vast majority of individuals have not planned for that unthinkable event. We do not know how to avoid an attack, if we can, or how to try to escape, if we must. For years, our primary option has been to submit. In some instances, submission may be wise, but today the rules have changed. AIDS and other diseases can cause death.
Don’t allow a person to study you to the point where you are helpless. Learn about the perpetrators of sexual assault and defend yourselves. Unite and join advocacy groups to let your voice be heard. Evaluate yourselves, your situations, and necessitate change. Set goals not to be a target and establish procedures to achieve success. Never allow hostile individuals to gain the informational advantage over you. Reduce your vulnerability and influence others to do the same. Avoid complacency and be ready to counter any activity that could bring you or your family harm. Remember in all things have balance. In a MOOTW, all the objectives must be met. Set your own objectives to include an action plan to ensure that you can deal with any situation that is thrown your way because a forcible sexual assault is committed every minute. You must learn to protect yourself because sexual assault or rape is not an option.
