WASHINGTON — The number of reported sexual assaults within the military fell last year, and a confidential survey found a 19% drop in the number of service members who said they had experienced some form of unwanted sexual contact, according to new figures obtained by The Associated Press. Both are dramatic reversals of what has been a growing problem in recent years.
According to several defense officials, more than 29,000 active-duty military personnel in the survey said they had had unwanted sexual contact in the past year, compared to nearly 36,000 in the 2021 survey. The decline is the first in eight years.
At the same time, 8,515 sexual assaults involving members of the U.S. military were reported last year, down from 8,942 in 2022. And officials said U.S. military academies also saw fewer reported sexual assaults in the school year that ended last spring compared to the previous year. year.
President Joe Biden touted the improved numbers as he spoke to his military commanders gathered at the White House on Wednesday.
“I am proud that for the first time in almost a decade, the rates of sexual abuse and harassment within the active-duty armed forces have fallen. They’re downstairs. That’s because of your leadership,” Biden said.
Senior defense officials said attack numbers are still far too high and there is much more work to be done, but they expressed cautious optimism that the military could turn around, with help from a range of new programs and more personnel. Reports of sexual assault within the military have been rising for most of the past decade, except for a small dip in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the report has not been publicly released.
While it’s difficult to pinpoint one reason for the recent declines, the Defense Department has implemented a series of changes over the past year that officials say could contribute to the shift. The services have used an injection of more than $1 billion in the past two budgets to improve programs and hire up to 2,500 personnel as part of a new “prevention workforce” and place them at military installations around the world. More than 1,000 have been hired so far.
The Pentagon releases a report every year on the number of sexual assaults reported by or about troops. But because sexual assault is a highly underreported crime, the department conducts a confidential investigation every two years to get a clearer picture of the problem. That research is conducted online.
The data for the fiscal year ended September 30 also suggests that a higher percentage of service members came forward to report sexual assaults, which was a key goal for the Defense Department. About 25% of those who said in the survey they had experienced unwanted sexual contact reported it last year, compared with 20% in 2021, according to defense officials and documents reviewed by the AP.
Defense officials have long argued that an increase in reported attacks is a positive trend because so many people are reluctant to report them, both in the military and in society at large. Better reporting, they say, shows greater trust in the reporting system and greater comfort in supporting victims, and results in a growing number of perpetrators being held accountable.
But the Pentagon and military services are also under continued criticism and pressure from members of Congress to reduce sexual assault and harassment in the military. Service leaders and lawmakers have all argued that the sexual assaults and harassment are contributing to the military’s struggle to meet recruitment goals.
Alarmed members of Congress have introduced a number of changes, including a new prosecution system that uses independent lawyers. Lawmakers argued that some commanders did not take victims’ complaints seriously or try to protect those in their units facing allegations, making victims reluctant to come forward.
The agencies have long worked to develop programs to prevent sexual violence, encourage reporting and strengthen trust in the system. For example, the Army has a new training program for soldiers when they report to their first duty station, which teaches soldiers how to behave in dangerous situations and teaches troops how to respond.
The number of reported sexual assaults decreased across all military services, which is a marked improvement from fiscal year 2022, when sexual assault rates rose significantly in the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. A 9% decline in Army reports in 2022 offset increases in the other branches, for an Army-wide increase of about 1%. The Army is the largest military service.
According to officials, the number of reported sexual assaults in the Army fell from 3,718 in 2022 to 3,507 last year, while the Navy went from 2,052 to 1,942 and the Air Force from 1,928 to 1,838. The Marine Corps had the smallest decline, going from 1,244 to 1,228.
The total of 8,515 included 541 military personnel who reported an attack that occurred before joining the military, and 612 civilians who said they had been attacked by a member of the military.
At military academies, attacks dropped from 155 in 2022 to 124 in the 2023 school year. However, service commanders are still working to address the dramatic spike in 2022.
The latest survey also found that nearly a quarter of all active-duty women said they had experienced sexual harassment, down from 28.6% in 2021.
Of concern remains female service members’ satisfaction with the assistance they receive when they file a complaint, and their overall trust in the system and their leaders.
Although a large percentage of victims seek help for sexual violence, less than 70% are satisfied with the services they receive. And that hasn’t changed much in recent years. About the same percentage say they trust the military to respect and protect them and their privacy.
Officials said hiring more permanent, full-time employees will help improve that process.
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Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed.