Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies

Publisher Marketing: Each year, the Department is required to conduct an assessment of policies and programs to address sexual harassment and sexual assault at the Military Service Academies (MSAs). The following is a brief synopsis of last year's key findings compared with this year's key findings. This Year's Key Findings - APY 12-13 Reports of sexual assault decreased at two of three MSAs, with 53 reports made by cadets and midshipmen during APY 12-13 for events they experienced while they were in military service. Of the 53 reports, 89% involved cadet/midshipman on cadet/midshipman crime. An additional 5 reports involved civilian victims who reported being sexually assaulted by a cadet or midshipman. No unwanted sexual contact rate is available, as no survey was conducted during this academic program year. A survey is being fielded in 2014 to update past-year prevalence rates of unwanted sexual contact and sexual harassment. The 53 victims who reported a sexual assault for an incident that occurred while they were in military service during APY 12-13 is less than the 58 victims that reported in APY 11-12. Because there was no survey to establish a prevalence rate for this past academic year, the Department cannot say with certainty whether the decrease in reporting this year at the MSAs was due to fewer assaults occurring, or due to fewer victims opting to report. Given focus group feedback, cadets and midshipmen feel that incidents would be taken seriously by MSA leadership and dealt with immediately. However, they remain concerned that reporting a sexual assault will impact their reputation and social standing with classmates. In the report that follows, the Department has made numerous recommendations that will help address perceptions that deter reporting, and advance and sustain an environment of dignity and respect at the MSAs.