This Is How Many Sexual Assaults in the Military Were Reported Last Year
Following in the footsteps of last spring’s deeply misogynistic Marine nude photo scandal, the Department of Defense has released a report indicating the number of sexual assaults reported in the military during the 2016 fiscal year—and the numbers are pretty shocking. The Department of Defense received a total of 6,172 reports of sexual assault during from October 2015 to September 2016. (For the record, the Pentagon report defines sexual assault to also include attempts at it, as well as “sexual contact crimes.”)
That figure represents an increase of 90 reported assaults from 2015 and a significant increase from 2012’s reported count of 3,604 sexual assaults. As shocking as that is, these latest numbers are actually a conservative estimate, as Reuters, which first reported the story, points out: The Pentagon estimates that during the 2016 fiscal year, less than one-third of service members who experienced a sexual assault actually reported it. The military actually believes that rather than tracking reported assaults, doing a biannual, anonymous survey gives a clearer picture of the scale of sexual assault: during its latest such survey detailing 2016 incidents, 14,900 service members said they experienced some kind of sexual assault. That number is down from 20,300 in 2014, but let’s all agree that that’s still a lot (and that any number more than zero is too many).
Back to the 2016 report: This year marks the first time the military has broken down the number of assaults by location. It does clarify, however, that just because an assault was reported at a certain military base, it does not mean the actual crime occurred there. “This is because victims of sexual assault in the Department of Defense (DoD) may report a sexual assault at a time and place of their choosing,” the report points out.
According to the data, which was also broken down by branch, Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia counted 270 reported sexual assaults, while the one in San Diego had 187. The Army’s Fort Hood in Texas had 199, and Fort Bragg in North Carolina counted 169 reports. When it comes to the Marine Corps, Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina had 169, and Base Camp Pendleton in California had 157. Outside the country, U.S. bases in South Korea totaled a combined 211 reports.
After seeing these numbers, it’s clear that further measures need to be taken to keep service members safe. One potential tech-y development that might help protect them is the LiveSafe app the military is currently testing, which is aimed at preventing or addressing sexual assault. Of course, blame for these attacks still falls squarely on the shoulders of the people who are committing these crimes—as well as the systems that fail in holding them accountable.
Related Stories:
–Military Academy Sexual Assault: 50 Percent Rise in Reports
–Marines Shared Naked Pictures of Servicewomen on Facebook (Without Their Consent)
–Sexism in the Military Is Alive and Well