Camptown sexual exploitation normalized in training drives later military sexual violence

Evidence

Given the ubiquitous nature of camptown prostitution in South Korea in particular, men deployed to the country frequently have their ideas about what it means to be a man transformed—just as boys do in all-male boarding schools, summer camps, sports teams, and fraternities. Thus, when we try to understand recurring incidents of rape and sexual assault perpetrated by troops in places such as Okinawa, or the high rates of sexual assault and violence against women in the military, we cannot overlook men’s experiences in the camptowns. As one advocate for the victims of military sexual violence explains, “You can’t expect to treat women as one of your own when, in the same breath, you as a young soldier are being encouraged to exploit women on the outside of that base.” — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 558