Violence against self is another, lesser understood part of the cycle of violence; in this case, suicide. Intimate
partner violence is perhaps equally misunderstood, though just as common – 1 in 4 women in the U.S.
have reported experiencing intimate partner violence, as have 1 in 10 men. Intimate partner violence, or
IPV, can have wide ranging effects for both active duty service members and veterans. “For both military
veterans and active duty servicemen, IPV results in significant victim injury and negative child outcomes,
and problematic substance use, depression...posttraumatic stress disorder also is an important correlate
that largely accounts for the relationship between combat exposure and IPV perpetration” (Marshall AD).
However, in a case I have personally observed, combat exposure did not play a role in a particularly violent
case of IPV. In my role as a peacebuilder, I was called in to consult in the aftermath of the case of a former
Marine named Bradley Stone. As a Veterans Issues Consultant, I was asked by Restorative Encounters, a
Philadelphia-based non-profit, to bring my expertise to working with the community Bradley Stone was a
part of. Stone did not have combat experience, but had completed a deployment to Iraq with an artillery
unit. Following his return, he began displaying symptoms of drug and alcohol abuse, as well as post-
traumatic stress. Stone was rated as 100% disabled by the Department of Veterans Affairs for PTSD and
was also taking medication. He identified so much with his diagnosis, with his past traumatic event, that
he listed his occupation as “disabled veteran.” Soon after leaving the Marines, Stone began a radical cycle
of violence within his home that culminated in the death his ex-wife and five of her family members, before
Stone committed suicide with a cocktail of chemicals provided to him by the VA to treat psychosis. Stone
was “cleared” of any homicidal and suicidal tendencies by a VA psychiatrist the week before (Klimas,
2014).
The case of Bradley Stone is a sad one, but not an uncommon story. He served honorably and received
praise from his superiors. He was treated by the VA in a manner that does not speak to outright
negligence and was even involved in a diversionary court for veterans after being convicted of drunk
driving as a civilian. What else could have been done to prevent not only this senseless tragedy, but
the many other kinds of (post) traumatic experiences that afflict veterans today? Trauma affects
military veterans elsewhere, as well – not just in the U.S. This has also been an issue in
demobilization, disarmament and reintegration (DRR) processes where ex-combatants might have
dealt with trauma, such as Rwanda, Burundi, Cambodia, and many other countries that have dealt
with the reintegration of ex-combatants. There are many such examples, with one common thread:
Each reintegration process is at least somewhat culturally unique.
Veterans in the United States are considered an underserved population – despite the plethora of
evidence of the need to work with veterans’ trauma. Studies have shown that many clinicians have
difficulty working with veterans regardless of their kind of licensure, or their theoretical orientation
in therapy. This is demonstrated in perhaps one of the best and most current pieces of literature on the
subject: a 2014 RAND Corporation study, “Ready to Serve: Community-Based Provider Capacity
to Deliver Culturally Competent, Quality Mental Health Care to Veterans and Their Families.” The
study finds that, among civilian mental health providers (defined as those not in the armed services or
practicing in a VA setting) that veterans seek treatment with, those clinicians who are multiculturally
competent with veterans' issues tend to be much better at treating service-related mental health issues.
The study also showed that only a minority of civilian clinicians met cultural competency, however, and
has suggested that there is a gap that needs to be overcome at a cultural level.
Recommendation.
What is needed then, is greater awareness of veterans' trauma by those who would seek to help them and
a greater trauma awareness of this context. No clinical work can be undertaken in a vacuum, however. The
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