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| Australia’s Military Is Investigating a Toxic Facebook Page ‘Liked’ by Soldiers | Australia’s Military Is Investigating a Toxic Facebook Page ‘Liked’ by Soldiers |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| MELBOURNE, Australia — The Facebook page featured memes making light of rape, domestic violence and child sexual abuse — and at least 100 members of the Australian Defense Force, past and present, were found to have “liked” it. | MELBOURNE, Australia — The Facebook page featured memes making light of rape, domestic violence and child sexual abuse — and at least 100 members of the Australian Defense Force, past and present, were found to have “liked” it. |
| This week, the Victims of Abuse in the Australian Defense Force Association, an advocacy group, made public its research into the military-themed Facebook page, called Snafu. On the page, users had published memes and comments joking about rape, necrophilia and child sexual assault. | This week, the Victims of Abuse in the Australian Defense Force Association, an advocacy group, made public its research into the military-themed Facebook page, called Snafu. On the page, users had published memes and comments joking about rape, necrophilia and child sexual assault. |
| In analyzing 8 percent of the page’s fans, the association said it had identified more than 100 active and former members of the Australian military, as well as personnel from the armed forces of the United States, Singapore, South Africa, Belgium and Canada. The group also found that the page had been “liked” by an elected member of a City Council in South Australia. | In analyzing 8 percent of the page’s fans, the association said it had identified more than 100 active and former members of the Australian military, as well as personnel from the armed forces of the United States, Singapore, South Africa, Belgium and Canada. The group also found that the page had been “liked” by an elected member of a City Council in South Australia. |
| “One of the memes was that of a black-and-white photo of a young girl hanging herself,” said Jennifer Jacomb, the advocacy group’s secretary and public officer. “And it reads, on the left-hand side, ‘If you rape them correctly, you don’t have to kill them – they’ll kill themselves.’” Another meme joked about a child performing sexual acts on his father, Ms. Jacomb said. | “One of the memes was that of a black-and-white photo of a young girl hanging herself,” said Jennifer Jacomb, the advocacy group’s secretary and public officer. “And it reads, on the left-hand side, ‘If you rape them correctly, you don’t have to kill them – they’ll kill themselves.’” Another meme joked about a child performing sexual acts on his father, Ms. Jacomb said. |
| Screenshots made public by the advocacy group showed memes that used images of dead and mutilated children. The group said it did not know whether any Australian soldiers were among the page’s administrators. | Screenshots made public by the advocacy group showed memes that used images of dead and mutilated children. The group said it did not know whether any Australian soldiers were among the page’s administrators. |
| The page, which had more than 30,000 “likes” early Tuesday, was taken down later in the day. Several Australian news organizations had published reports about it, and the page’s administrators had posted an apology for what they called “clearly offensive and disturbing” content. | The page, which had more than 30,000 “likes” early Tuesday, was taken down later in the day. Several Australian news organizations had published reports about it, and the page’s administrators had posted an apology for what they called “clearly offensive and disturbing” content. |
| The Australian Defense Force said through a spokesman that it had asked Facebook to take the page down, and that it was investigating whether any service members had engaged in unlawful or inappropriate use of social media. | The Australian Defense Force said through a spokesman that it had asked Facebook to take the page down, and that it was investigating whether any service members had engaged in unlawful or inappropriate use of social media. |
| The episode was the latest embarrassment for the military, one of Australia’s most culturally conservative institutions, over what critics say is a persistent culture of misogyny, despite a public campaign by its leadership aimed at changing attitudes toward women. | The episode was the latest embarrassment for the military, one of Australia’s most culturally conservative institutions, over what critics say is a persistent culture of misogyny, despite a public campaign by its leadership aimed at changing attitudes toward women. |
| The advocacy group said it had shared its findings about the Snafu page with military and government representatives twice this year before bringing it to the news media. | The advocacy group said it had shared its findings about the Snafu page with military and government representatives twice this year before bringing it to the news media. |
| Ben Wadham, an associate professor in sociology at Flinders University in Adelaide and an army veteran, said that as distressing as the content of the page was, he was not surprised that it was followed by Australian service members. | Ben Wadham, an associate professor in sociology at Flinders University in Adelaide and an army veteran, said that as distressing as the content of the page was, he was not surprised that it was followed by Australian service members. |
| “This is what these boys are about,” said Professor Wadham, who has studied misogyny in militaries globally. “There’s nothing extraordinary about this stuff.” | “This is what these boys are about,” said Professor Wadham, who has studied misogyny in militaries globally. “There’s nothing extraordinary about this stuff.” |
| Like other major militaries in recent years, the Australian Defense Force has seen numerous scandals over the mistreatment of women in its ranks. In 2011, an Australian Defense Force Academy member secretly filmed himself having sex with a female cadet, sending live video of the act to another male soldier over Skype. | Like other major militaries in recent years, the Australian Defense Force has seen numerous scandals over the mistreatment of women in its ranks. In 2011, an Australian Defense Force Academy member secretly filmed himself having sex with a female cadet, sending live video of the act to another male soldier over Skype. |
| Top commanders have repeatedly pledged to root out sexism in the military. In 2013, Gen. David Morrison, then the head of the army, posted a widely viewed video online in which he bluntly told soldiers who did not respect women to “get out” and “find something else to do with your life.” | Top commanders have repeatedly pledged to root out sexism in the military. In 2013, Gen. David Morrison, then the head of the army, posted a widely viewed video online in which he bluntly told soldiers who did not respect women to “get out” and “find something else to do with your life.” |
| But Professor Wadham said that despite such efforts at the top, he had seen little determination to change misogynist attitudes in the lower ranks. “If the A.D.F. wants to be serious about protecting and upholding the principles of a liberal democracy, then it has to go to the core of the source of its own violence,” he said. | But Professor Wadham said that despite such efforts at the top, he had seen little determination to change misogynist attitudes in the lower ranks. “If the A.D.F. wants to be serious about protecting and upholding the principles of a liberal democracy, then it has to go to the core of the source of its own violence,” he said. |
| Professor Wadham said he had come out of the army “with a lot of questions about military culture.” | Professor Wadham said he had come out of the army “with a lot of questions about military culture.” |
| “Despite the scandals that occurred quite regularly over the past 40 years, showing the misogyny and racism and queerphobia,” he said, “at the base of the Australian military, and I daresay most militaries, is a violent and oppressive core.” | “Despite the scandals that occurred quite regularly over the past 40 years, showing the misogyny and racism and queerphobia,” he said, “at the base of the Australian military, and I daresay most militaries, is a violent and oppressive core.” |
| Professor Wadham was previously involved in exposing another Facebook group, called RAR Buddies, which posted sexist and racist content. He said that throughout his years of research into military culture in Australia, he has received hostile anonymous phone calls and death threats, and his home has been broken into. | |
| Asked whether he expected a stronger response to this episode, given that sexual harassment and abuse have been in the public eye since the Harvey Weinstein scandal in Hollywood, Professor Wadham was pessimistic. | Asked whether he expected a stronger response to this episode, given that sexual harassment and abuse have been in the public eye since the Harvey Weinstein scandal in Hollywood, Professor Wadham was pessimistic. |
| “Not any more than usual,” he said. “I feel like in the A.D.F., there’s been a massive backlash against the gains that were made between 2011 and 2015, during its short experiment with gender equity. There’s a shift happening.” | “Not any more than usual,” he said. “I feel like in the A.D.F., there’s been a massive backlash against the gains that were made between 2011 and 2015, during its short experiment with gender equity. There’s a shift happening.” |