Community of Practice for Military Sexual Trauma

In 2026 the CMWR established a UK community of practice (CoP) for military sexual trauma. The CoP brings together scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and lived-experience experts working to improve the prevention of, and response to, military sexual trauma across the UK. It provides a trusted, interdisciplinary space for dialogue, learning, and collaboration among those working across research, service delivery, and policy.

Our aims:

• Build a community of stakeholders bringing together interdisciplinary expertise, professional experience, and policy insight to create a trusted space for ongoing dialogue, collaboration, and shared learning and action.
• Encourage cross-sector collaboration through joint projects, shared research priorities, and critical discussion.
• Facilitate the exchange and translation of research findings, professional expertise, and experiential insight into real-world decision-making and practice.
• Ensure lived-experience perspectives are reflected in the group’s actions.

The CoP meets quarterly and operates under a shared Code of Conduct to keep discussions respectful and constructive.

If you are interested in being involved, please contact female.veterans@aru.ac.uk.

Related CMWR outputs:

The service justice response to sexual offending in the UK military: What can we learn from victim-survivors’ experiences?

Sexual offences committed by members of the armed forces: Is the service justice system fit for purpose?

Defining military sexual trauma: establishing parameters and perspectives

Same-sex sexual violence in the military: A scoping review 

Addressing the knowledge gap: sexual violence and harassment in the UK Armed Forces