Douglas Jones
Sexual assault reports increase at US military academies
According to the latest survey of academy students, 21.4% of women said they experienced unwanted sexual contact in the 2022 school year.
LEARN MOREApril 27, 2023
The Pentagon said in an annual memorandum dated Wednesday that reports of sexual assault from members in the armed services had increased since last year.
The increase came as a significant decline was seen compared to past years.
In 2021, reports of assaults of a sexual nature rose by around 13%. Reports went up by about 1% compared to last year.
The Army saw a 9% decrease in sexual assault reports last year. There was an almost 26% increase in reports of sexual assault by service members from 2020 to 2021.
The Pentagon said that overall the military saw 8,942 sexual assault reports filed from Oct. 1, 2021 to Sept. 30, 2022. In the previous year, the military saw 8,866 reports filed.
There was a 7% increase in formal complaints that detailed unwanted sexual contact in 2022. Over 70% of those reports were make by women.
A memorandum released by leaders at the Pentagon called the reports of sexual assault an indication of "persistent and corrosive" issues that span the entire military.
Leadership said their goal is to try and "improve accountability, prevention, culture and climate, and victim care and support."
The Pentagon has tried to hire staff to improve the way sexual assaults are addressed.
