Sexual assault rates at three of the nation’s military academies last school year were the highest since the Defense Department began tracking the issue in 2019, according to a Pentagon report released Friday. 2006.
In the 2021-2022 school year, allegations of sexual assault at the Navy, Air Force and Army academies rose to 206, an increase of 45 from the previous year. 2020-2021 academic year, which was the highest before this year’s report.
The anonymous survey also found that 63% of women’s academies and 20% of men’s academies had experienced some form of sexual harassment in the past academic year across the three academies, which together enroll more than 12,000 students.
That’s up from 50% of female college students and 16% of male college students in the 2017-18 school year, when the survey was last conducted.
And the Ministry of Education’s estimate of the number of men and women who had unwanted sex in the academy last year dropped from 737 in the 2018 academic year to 1,136. During the 2022 academic year.
At a press briefing Friday, Beth Foster, executive director of the Defense Force Stability Office, said the increase was “very disappointing” and a sign that sexual assault and harassment are on the rise.
“There’s no other way to see it,” Foster said. “Our cadets and midshipmen are future military leaders, and they need to be able to learn and grow in an environment free from sexual violence and harassment.”
The 15th annual report focuses on a persistent and complex problem at three U.S. military academies that has sparked growing concern on Capitol Hill, resulting in laws and programs that have so far failed to bring the problem under control.
The Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Training and Education Center of Excellence works closely with academies to ensure compliance with policies and regulations.
While each of the academies has adopted comprehensive plans to address the issue, the Pentagon’s office is calling for a broader action plan this school year to address new policies and improve the assessment of climate-related research.
While a number of factors are at play, Friday’s report pointed to alcohol as the driver behind this alarming trend.
It found that 60% of all unwanted sex incidents were caused by alcohol consumption and identified alcohol consumption as a “potential area of academic concern”.
At all three academies, incidents of sexual harassment have increased by several percentage points since the 2017-18 school year.
The US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland reported the most incidents, according to the Pentagon. The academy is close to downtown Annapolis and several bars.
At the Naval Academy, 23.1% of women reported having had unwanted sex, compared to 4.6% of men.
The Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, reported a similar figure. About 22% of women reported having had unwanted sex, and 4.3% of men.
A military academy called West Point in New York reported the lowest rate, with 16.5% of women at the academy having had unwanted sex and 3.5% of men.
About 21% of all college students have experienced some form of unwanted sex in the past year. For men in the academy, the number of unwanted sex was about 4%.
Last school year, only 155 students reported unwanted sex to the Pentagon.
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