WASHINGTON – The Department of defense on Friday released its annual report on sexual harassment and violence at the US military service academies for academic program year 2014-2015 and determined the facilities, including the US Military Academy at West Point, to be making progress.
“We are encouraged by the steps the academies have taken to eliminate sexual assault,” said Maj. Gen. Camille Nichols, the director of the Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office. “All three academies are taking innovative approaches to improve both respect and safety of cadets and midshipmen. These future leaders are being armed with the knowledge that military units operate best in climates of dignity and respect – where sexual assault, sexual harassment, and other inappropriate behaviors and attitudes are not tolerated.”
The academies received a total of 91 reports for allegations of sexual assault that involve cadets or midshipmen as either victims or subjects in the academic year, compared with a total of 59 reports in the prior school year.
Officials said when a crime like sexual assault is underreported, it is a strategic objective to encourage reporting as a way to connect victims with support and to hold offenders appropriately accountable. They said official crime reports only represent a portion of the incidents that occur.
Official crime reports represent a portion of the incidents that occur. Every two years, the department conducts scientific surveys to estimate how many cadets and midshipmen experience sexual assault in a given year. The 2014 survey of cadets and midshipmen showed that rates of sexual assault had decreased significantly for women and trended downward for men.
Department officials found that all academy programs met the requirements of existing Department of Defense policies and public law, based on information obtained during site visits. This year’s assessment identified suggested program enhancements and action items for each academy to further prevent sexual harassment and sexual assault at the academies.
