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One female student in seven attending the nation's military
academies last spring said she had been sexually assaulted since
becoming a cadet or midshipman, according to a report on the
first survey of sexual misconduct on the three campuses released
yesterday by the Defense Department.
More than half the women studying at the Naval, Air Force and
Army academies reported experiencing some form of sexual
harassment on campus, according to survey responses. But few of
those incidents, and only a third of the assaults, were reported
to authorities. A new confidentiality policy for assault
victims, also released yesterday, attempts to improve reporting
of sex crimes on military campuses.
The survey, conducted largely in response to allegations of
widespread sexual harassment and assault at the Air Force
Academy in 2003, suggests a prevailing climate at the academies
that worries military leaders. Too many students condone
off-color jokes and unwanted sexual advances. Too few dare to
confront classmates with their transgressions or to report them
to anyone else, the survey shows.
"The very idea that anyone here at the academy family could be
part of an environment that fosters sexual harassment,
misconduct or even assault is of great concern to me; it keeps
me awake at night," Vice Adm. Rodney Rempt, superintendent of
the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, said in a statement.
In March and April 2004, the Defense Department surveyed 1,906
women, or nearly all of the 1,971 who attend the three
academies, along with a representative sample of 3,107 men. The
survey attempted to go beyond general impressions, to "drill
down and actually find out what happened" to each victim of
assault or harassment, said Department of Defense Inspector
General Joseph E. Schmitz, whose office conducted the survey.
The survey attempts to give a sense of the scale of sexual
assault on military campuses and expands the research begun
during the investigation of misconduct at the Air Force Academy.
That review found that 142 female cadets had reported sexual
assaults in a 10-year span.
Among the women surveyed last spring across the three academies,
262 students reported 302 incidents of sexual assault, including
94 instances of alleged rape. About 176 cases involved
inappropriate touching and fondling. Men reported 55 sexual
assaults. The incidents occurred from 1999 to 2004, mostly in
dormitory rooms, and the offenders were primarily upperclassmen,
according to the report.
"Our goal is to produce military leaders of character," Schmitz
said at a news conference. "And obviously, sexual assaults are
not a good indication of character. In fact, they're a very bad
indication."
Two-thirds of the sexual assaults against men and women -- 248
incidents -- were not reported to authorities, the survey shows.
Officials said this is a result of privacy concerns and myriad
other factors that deter assault victims from reporting the
crime in the general population.
But students reported other factors germane to their campus
culture. One is fear among victims that they, too, could be
punished for conduct related to the assault, such as underage
drinking. Another is a sense of loyalty to classmates. A third
is fear of reprisals by classmates or senior officers, according
to the survey. Of the 96 cases that women reported to academy
authorities, 29 led to criminal investigations, according to the
survey. It was unclear how many led to actual charges against
the alleged offender.
David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and
readiness, said the frequency of sexual assaults and the
reluctance of victims to report the crimes seem to reflect
trends among other college campuses, based on department
research. Rape is considered the most under-reported violent
crime in the nation at large; Schmitz said the share of such
crimes reported within the academies is actually somewhat higher
than in the civilian population.
Chu said: "I think the broad conclusion I would reach is that we
are about where the college campuses are, tragically. That is
not, frankly, terribly surprising. These individuals, these
young men and women, come from civil society."
A 2004 study by the American College Health Association found
comparable rates of sexual assault among female college
students. But the military academies say they hold themselves to
higher standards than the rest of society. Defense officials
said they were particularly concerned about the widespread
cynicism students revealed toward the honor codes that pervade
their studies.
Substantial shares of students at all three schools reported
that their classmates will break academy rules and even the
honor code if they know they won't get caught.
Officials at the Air Force and Naval academies pointed to
additional research suggesting that the campus climates may be
improving over time. The spring 2004 survey was the second taken
of Air Force cadets in consecutive years; the Naval Academy has
surveyed midshipmen for several years. Both campuses reported
steady gains in attitudes about the honor code, willingness to
report sexual misconduct and faith in the reporting system.
"We're making progress," said Johnny Whitaker, Air Force Academy
communications director.
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