Tackling Sexual Assault

Late last year, DoD released a report showing that the number of sexual-assault reports also had increased at military service academies.

- Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2011 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military

At the time of the release of that report, DoD announced two other new policies to help victims of sexual assault. The first policy gives victims who report a sexual assault an option to quickly transfer from their unit or installation to protect them from possible harassment and remove them from proximity to the alleged perpetrator.  

The other policy requires that written reports to law enforcement of sexual assault be retained for 50 years. Panetta said the reason was to have these records available so it would be easier for veterans to file a VA claim at a later date.  

The report “Army 2020 Generating the Health and Discipline of the Force” noted that sex crimes in the active-duty Army have trended upward, with a 28% increase in the offense rate from FY 2006-2011.

The Army report also pointed out the health impact that sexual-assault crimes have on victims and stated that research has found that sexual assault in female veterans has been associated with depression, PTSD and sleep difficulty.

“Sex crimes can have an enduring impact on the victim, with the effects of the event often lasting years,” the report stated.

- Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2011 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military

Still, a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) review found that the military has made some progress in improving its prevention and response to sexual assault within its ranks. The report noted that DoD has begun or completed action on 25 recommendations that GAO has made over the years to manage the problem.

“To date, our analysis shows that DoD has fully implemented 13 recommendations and has partially implemented the remaining 12 recommendations, which we will continue to monitor,” the report stated.

Among the progress cited are DoD’s efforts to evaluate the military criminal investigative organizations’ sexual assault investigation training. An earlier GAO report had questioned DoD Office of Inspector General oversight of sexual assault training provided to investigators.

Generating Health and Discipline in the Force

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