The Stigmatized Hero? A Review of UK Opinion Polls and Surveys on Perceptions of British Veterans in UK Society

Year of Publication	Publisher/Institute	Name of Publication	Number of Veteran Related Question Items
2017	Ashcroft, KCMG	Veteran’s Transition Report	8
2015	Ipsos Mori & King’s College London	Hearts and Minds: Misperceptions and the Military	4
Summer 2015	ICM Survey	MOD and Armed Forces Reputational Polling	1
Winter 2014/2015	ICM Survey	MOD and Armed Forces Reputational Polling	1
Spring 2014	ICM Survey	MOD and Armed Forces Reputational Polling	1
Autumn 2013	ICM Survey	MOD and Armed Forces Reputational Polling	1
Spring 2013	ICM Survey	MOD and Armed Forces Reputational Polling	1
Autumn 2012	ICM Survey	MOD and Armed Forces Reputational Polling	1
Spring 2012	ICM Survey	MOD and Armed Forces Reputational Polling	1
2012	Ashcroft, KCMG	The Armed Forces & Society. The military in Britain-through the eyes of Service Personnel, employers and the public	9
2012	British Social Attitudes	29, Nat Cen Research	13

Table 2

Definition of Themes.

Theme	Description
Employment Situation	Question items/answers that relate to understandings of veterans’ employment situation (difficulties in finding a job)
Housing Situation	Question items/answers that refer to perceptions of homelessness amongst the veteran population
Skills and Experiences	Question items/answers that refer to understandings of the workplace relevant soft-skills and career attributes
Physical/Psychological Wellbeing	Question items/answers that refer to perceptions of veterans’ physical and psychological health
Addictions and Antisocial Behaviour	Question items/answers that refer to understandings of veterans’ behaviour towards others and references to law-abiding attitudes

Table 3

Public Perceptions of veterans’ employment situation.

Year of Publication	Institution/Name of Publication	Sample	Question – Item	Percentage
2017	Ashcroft, KCMG Veteran’s Transition Report	Representative survey with 2000 UK adults	Which of the following do you think are the most common problems faced by people leaving the Armed Forces? Do you think each of the following are more likely to happen to someone who has been in the Armed? Forces compared to people in general, or less likely?	Problems finding a new job: 41% Unemployed (much/somewhat more likely): 47%
2015	Ipsos Mori & King’s College LondonHearts and Minds: Misperceptions and the Military	Representative Survey with 1000 UK 18+ respondents	When thinking about the unemployment rate of former members of the Armed Forces, do you think that they have a higher, lower or roughly the same unemployment rate when compared to the general public When thinking about the unemployment rate of former members of the Armed Forces from other ranks (non-officers), do you think that they have a higher, lower or roughly the same unemployment rate when compared to the general public	Higher: 31% Lower: 25% Roughly the same: 31% Don’t know: 12% Higher: 45% Lower: 16% Roughly the same: 27% Don’t know: 12%
2012	Ashcroft, KCMG The Armed Forces & Society. The military in Britain-through the eyes of Service Personnel, employers and the public	Representative survey with 2033 UK adults	Do you think a former officer in the Armed Forces would find it easier or more difficult than most other people to find a job outside the military? Do you think from other ranks (non-officers) in the Armed Forces would find it easier or more difficult than most other people to find a job outside the military?	Would find it easier than most people to find a new job: 29% No difference: 41% Would find it harder than most people to find a new job: 30% Would find it easier than most people to find a new job: 15% No difference: 47% Would find it harder than most people to find a new job: 39%
2012	British Social Attitudes 29, Nat Cen Research	Representative sample of UK 18+ adults, N = 1646	Who is more likely to have a job?	Ex-Service Personnel more likely: 22.8% Civilians more likely: 22.5% Ex-Service Personnel and Civilians equally likely: 50.7% Don’t know: 3.7% Refusal: 0.2%

Table 4

Public perceptions of veterans’ skills and experiences.

Year of Publication	Institution/Name of Publication	Sample	Question – Item	Percentage
2012	Ashcroft, KCMG The Armed Forces & Society. The military in Britain-through the eyes of Service Personnel, employers and the public	508 individuals with responsibility for recruitment or hiring in small and medium-sized companies	Overall, how would you describe this person/these people’s [those who have served in the Armed Forces] impact on the workplace? Why would time in the Forces make you more inclined to progress that candidate’s application? [Open ended: most frequent answers] Why would time in the Forces make you less inclined to progress that candidate’s application? [Open-ended: most frequent answers] Please, can you say whether you think a former member of the Armed Forces is more likely to display the following attributes than applicants in general, or less likely?	Positive: 60% Neutral: 28% Negative: 10% Disciplined: 57% Follow instructions/reliable/loyal: 30% Training/experience/skills: 13% Other: 6% Not stated: 24% Institutionalised/Inadaptable: 56% Lack of experience: 44% Ability to follow instructions: More likely: 87%; About the Same: 7%; Less likely: 1% Ability to work well under stress: More likely: 76%; About the Same: 20%; Less likely: 2% Time Management: More likely: 75%; About the Same: 19%; Less likely: 2% Communication skills: More likely: 58%; About the Same: 31%; Less likely: 5% Positive attitude to work: More likely: 56%; About the Same: 36%; Less likely: 2% People management skills: More likely: 44%; About the Same: 42%; Less likely: 7% Using their initiative More likely: 49%; About the Same: 32%; Less likely: 14% Technical qualifications and abilities: More likely: 40%; About the Same: 40%; Less likely: 13% Ability to make decisions independently: More likely: 40%; About the Same: 37%; Less likely: 18% Ability to come up with creative solutions to problems: More likely: 32%; About the Same: 50%; Less likely: 12% Directly relevant experience More likely: 13%; About the Same: 39%; Less likely: 40%
2012			Please, can you say whether you think a former officer in the Armed Forces [whether you think a former member of the Armed Forces in other ranks] is likely or unlikely to possess the following characteristics?	Ability to follow instructions: likely: 88% [92%]; unlikely: 6% [2%] Ability to work well under stress: likely: 91% [86%]; unlikely: 1% [3%] Time Management: likely: 93% [86%]; unlikely: 2% [6%] Communication skills: likely: 91% [81%]; unlikely: 3% [9%] Positive attitude to work: likely: 86% [83%]; unlikely: 3% [5%] People management skills: likely: 89% [64%]; unlikely: 5% [24%] Using their initiative likely: 88% [72%]; unlikely: 5% [17%] Technical qualifications and abilities: likely: 69% [66%]; unlikely: 18% [22%] Ability to make decisions independently: likely: 88% [62%]; unlikely: 5% [25%] Ability to come up with creative solutions to problems: likely: 80% [63%]; unlikely: 9% [22%] Directly relevant experience likely: 45% [46%]; unlikely: 38% [37%]
		Thinking about people who are leaving after several years in the Armed Forces, which of the following best sums up what you think they would be like as individuals, even if neither completely describes your view?	Capable, experienced individuals with a lot to offer: 78% Aggressive, institutionalised, or likely to have problems: 10% Don’t know: 10%
Summer 2015	ICM Survey MOD and Armed Forces Reputational Polling	1000 GB adults aged 16+	Thinking about the UK Armed Forces (Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army and the Royal Air Force), could you please tell me to what extent you agree or disagree with the following statements	People who have left the Armed Forces have skills and experiences that help them to succeed in many different civilian careers: Strongly Agree: 42% Tend to agree: 36% Neither/nor: 7% Tend to disagree: 8% Strongly disagree: 4% Don’t know: 4%
Winter 2014/15	ICM Survey MOD and Armed Forces Reputational Polling	1000 GB adults aged 16+	Thinking about the UK Armed Forces (Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army and the Royal Air Force), could you please tell me to what extent you agree or disagree with the following statements	People who have left the Armed Forces have skills and experiences that help them to succeed in many different civilian careers: Strongly Agree: 46% Tend to agree: 29% Neither/nor: 9% Tend to disagree: 7% Strongly disagree: 4% Don’t know: 4%
Spring 2014	ICM Survey MOD and Armed Forces Reputational Polling	1000 GB adults aged 16+	Former members of the UK Armed Forces (both Reservists and Regulars) gain skills and experience from their military service which are valued by civilian employers	Strongly Agree: 38% Tend to agree: 33% Neither/nor: 14% Tend to disagree: 6% Strongly disagree: 4% Don’t know: 4%
Spring 2013	ICM Survey MOD and Armed Forces Reputational Polling	1000 GB adults aged 16+	Former members of the UK Armed Forces (both Reservists and Regulars) gain skills and experience from their military service which are valued by civilian employers	Strongly Agree: 33% Tend to agree: 41% Neither/nor: 13% Tend to disagree: 7% Strongly disagree: 3% Don’t know: 3%
Autumn 2013	ICM Survey MOD and Armed Forces Reputational Polling	1000 GB adults aged 16+	Former members of the UK Armed Forces (both Reservists and Regulars) gain skills and experience from their military service which are valued by civilian employers	Strongly Agree: 33% Tend to agree: 35% Neither/nor: 17% Tend to disagree: 6% Strongly disagree: 4% Don’t know: 5%
Autumn 2012	ICM Survey MOD and Armed Forces Reputational Polling	1000 GB adults aged 16+	Former members of the UK Armed Forces (both Reservists and Regulars) gain skills and experience from their military service which are valued by civilian employers	Strongly Agree: 32% Tend to agree: 39% Neither/nor: 13% Tend to disagree: 7% Strongly disagree: 3% Don’t know: 6%
March 2012	ICM Survey MOD and Armed Forces Reputational Polling	1000 GB adults aged 16+	Former members of the UK Armed Forces (both Reservists and Regulars) gain skills and experience from their military service which are valued by civilian employers	Strongly Agree: 38% Tend to agree: 33% Neither/nor: 14% Tend to disagree: 6% Strongly disagree: 4% Don’t know: 4%

Table 5

Public Perceptions of the veterans housing situation.

Year of Publication	Institution/Name of Publication	Sample	Question – Item	Percentage
2017	Ashcroft, KCMG	Representative survey with 2000 UK adults	Which of the following do you think are the most common problems faced by people leaving the Armed Forces?	Homelessness 23%
	Veteran’s Transition Report		Do you think each of the following are more likely to happen to someone who has been in the Armed Forces compared to people in general, or less likely?	Homelessness (much/somewhat more likely): 47%
2015	Ipsos Mori & King’s College LondonHearts and Minds: Misperceptions and the Military	Representative Survey with 1000 UK 18+ respondents	Thinking about people who are homeless, meaning those living on streets, within the [UK], do you think that former members of the Armed Forces are more likely, less likely or roughly the same when compared to the general public	More likely: 40% Less likely: 15% About as likely: 32% Don’t know: 12%
2012	British Social Attitudes 29, Nat Cen Research	Representative sample of UK 18+ adults, 3311 respondents	Be homeless	Ex-Service Personnel more likely: 18.5% Civilians more likely: 33.1% Ex-Service Personnel and Civilians equally likely: 44.3% Don’t know: 3.8% Refusal: 0.3%

Table 6

Public perceptions of anti-social behavior, alcoholism and substance abuse.

Year of Publication	Institution/Name of Publication	Sample	Question – Item	Percentage
2017	Ashcroft, KCMG Veteran’s Transition Report	Representative survey with 2000 UK adults	Which of the following do you think are the most common problems faced by people leaving the Armed Forces?	Problems adjusting to a civilian environment: 65% Family Problems: 15% Alcohol or substance abuse: 12%
Do you think each of the following are more likely to happen to someone who has been in the Armed Forces compared to people in general, or less likely?	Drug addiction (much/somewhat more likely): 37% Alcohol addiction (much more/somewhat more likely): 51% Prison (much/somewhat more likely): 17%
2015	Ipsos Mori & King’s College LondonHearts and Minds: Misperceptions and the Military	Representative Survey with 1000 UK 18+ respondents	And lastly, when thinking about people who are currently in prison in the [UK], do you think that former members of the Armed Forces are more likely, less likely or about as likely compared to the general population	More likely: 19% More likely: 19% Less likely: 31% About as likely: 35% Don’t know: 14%
2012	British Social Attitudes 29, Nat Cen Research	Representative sample of UK 18+ adults, N = 1646	Be law-abiding	Ex-Service Personnel more likely: 39.4% Civilians more likely: 9% Ex-Service Personnel and Civilians equally likely: 48.2% Don’t know: 3.2% Refusal: 0.2%
			Commit acts of domestic violence	Ex-Service Personnel more likely: 18.2% Civilians more likely: 18.9% Ex-Service Personnel and Civilians equally likely: 57.8% Don’t know: 4.9% Refusal: 0.2%
			Be in prison	Ex-Service Personnel more likely: 6.8% Civilians more likely: 44.9% Ex-Service Personnel and Civilians equally likely: 43.4% Don’t know: 4.7% Refusal: 0.2%
			Take illegal drugs?	Ex-Service Personnel more likely: 8.5% Civilians more likely: 41.3% Ex-Service Personnel and Civilians equally likely: 45.4% Don’t know: 4.6% Refusal: 0.2%
			Misuse of alcohol?	Ex-Service Personnel more likely: 17.1% Civilians more likely: 23.8% Ex-Service Personnel and Civilians equally likely: 55.3% Don’t know: 3.6% Refusal: 0.2%
			Have a racist attitude/behaviour	Ex-Service Personnel more likely: 10.6% Civilians more likely: 32.6% Ex-Service Personnel and Civilians equally likely: 51.6% Don’t know: 4.9% Refusal: 0.2%
			Behave in an anti-social way	Ex-Service Personnel more likely: 6.3% Civilians more likely: 44.0% Ex-Service Personnel and Civilians equally likely: 46.1% Don’t know: 3.4% Refusal: 0.2%
			Have stable personal relationships	Ex-Service Personnel more likely: 8.5% Civilians more likely: 37.9% Ex-Service Personnel and Civilians equally likely: 48.2% Don’t know: 5.2% Refusal: 0.2%

Table 7

Differences between British Legion’s (2014b) and MOD’s (2016) report on veterans’ physical health.

Physical Health Problem	Veteran [Civilian] British Legion (2014b)	Veteran [Civilian] MOD (2016)
Back problems	14% [7%]	32.4% [25.5%]
Problems with legs and feet	15% [7%]	34.8% [27.5%]
Problems with Arms	9% [5%]	22.4% [18.8%]
Chest, breathing problems	–	17.6% [19.6%]
Heart, blood pressure, circulation	12% [7%]	33.1% [34.2%]
Difficulty in hearing	6% [2%]	10.1% [7.3%]
Difficulty in seeing	5% [1%]	4.9% [5.0%]
Speech impairment	–	1.4% [1.2%]
Diabetes	6% [3%]	13.2% [14.5%]
Stomach, liver, kidney, digestion	–	15% [14.2%]
Progressive illness N.E.C.	–	5.9% [ 5.9%]
Total: Self-reported long-term illness	24% [13%]	40.2% [35.4%]

Table 8

Differences between British Legion’s (2014b) and MOD’s (2016) report on veterans’ psychological health.

Psychological Health Problem	Veteran [Civilian] British Legion (2014b)	Veteran [Civilian] MOD (2016)
Depression	10% [6%]	22% [18.5%]
Mental illness, phobia, panics	–	9.7% [8.8%]
Total: Self-reported long-term illness	24% [13%]	40.2% [35.4%]

Table 9

Public perceptions of veterans’ physical/psychological wellbeing.

Year of Publication	Institution/Name of Publication	Sample	Question – Item	Percentage
2017	Ashcroft, KCMG Veteran’s Transition Report	Representative survey with 2000 UK adults	Which of the following do you think are the most common problems faced by people leaving the Armed Forces?	Mental Health Problems: 82% Physical injuries or physical health problems: 61%
			Do you think each of the following are more likely to happen to someone who has been in the Armed Forces compared to people in general, or less likely?	Mental health problems (much more/somewhat more likely): 54% Suicide (much more/somewhat more likely): 54%
			What percentage of former members of the Armed Forces do you think have some kind of physical, emotional or mental health problem? That is, for every 100 people who leave the Armed Forces, how many do you think go on to have a problem like this as a result of their time in the military?	Mean Estimate: 54%
2012	Ashcroft, KCMG The Armed Forces & Society. The military in Britain-through the eyes of Service Personnel, employers and the public	Representative survey with 2033 UK adults	How common do you think it is for former members of the Armed Forces to have some kind of physical, emotional or mental health problem as a result of their times in the Forces?	Very common: 34% Quite common: 57% Quite rare: 8% Very rare: <1%
2012	British Social Attitudes 29, Nat Cen Research	Representative sample of UK 18+ adults, N = 1646	Have suicidal tendencies	Ex-Service Personnel more likely: 50.9% Civilians more likely: 6.0% Ex-Service Personnel and Civilians equally likely: 38.2% Don’t know: 4.7% Refusal: 0.2%
Have a mental illness	Ex-Service Personnel more likely: 46.5% Civilians more likely: 5.5% Ex-Service Personnel and Civilians equally likely: 44.2% Don’t know: 3.5% Refusal: 0.2%
			Have a physical disability	Ex-Service Personnel more likely: 51.2% Civilians more likely: 7.3% Ex-Service Personnel and Civilians equally likely: 38.4% Don’t know: 2.9% Refusal: 0.2%