While the latest report from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) shows that fewer assaults have been reported at the military academies, the question remains as to how many of these go unreported? And is this true in the military as a whole?
According to Rep. John F. Tierney, Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, rape is one of the most underreported crimes in the United States, within both the military and civilian populations. He stated that as many as 80% of sexual assaults go unreported and if this is true, the total is much higher. In his opinion, this is not solely a women's issue, nor is it simply an internal military problem.
With that in mind, exactly what does the recent finding in the recently released "The DoD Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the United States Academies for Academic Program Year (APY) 2008-2008" tell us? The Report maintains that there was an overall decrease in the number of sexual assaults reports made to authorities during that time. Does it say anything about the number of unreported assaults?
Bob Herbert, writing in the Seattle Times, said that "Rape and other forms of sexual assault against women is the great shame of the U.S. armed forces, and there is no evidence that this ghastly problem, kept out of sight as much as possible, is diminishing....The chilling fact is that, as the Pentagon readily admits, the overwhelming majority of rapes that occur in the military go unreported, perhaps as many as 80 percent. And most of the men accused of attacking women receive little or no punishment.
Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, (D-NY) has been trying for years to get the military to crack down on these crimes. An annual report showed that the number of sexual assaults in the 1.4 million-member active-duty military increased 8% to 2,908 in the year ending in September 2008. It was noted that only about 20% of the attacks are reported because of the fear and stigma associated with the crime. And just 38% of the cases that were reported eventually were referred to a court martial.
The question remains is just how meaningful is the report from the DOD about the decrease in the number of sexual assaults reported at military academies if such a high percentage of them go unreported? Or is it simply window dressing for an ongoing problem in the military that continues unabated?
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Sexual and Violent Crimes Against Women
Sources:
U.S. House of Representatives Statement
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