Congress wants answers — again — after the Department of Defense released its most recent report on sexual harassment and violence at the military academies.
According to the report released last week, there were 149 reports of sexual assault involving a cadet or midshipman during the academic year 2018-2019 — that's an increase from 117. While the military academies saw some progress from 2012 to 2014, the rates of both reports of sexual harassment and the prevalence of unwanted sexual contact have increased consistently for the last four years.
Reports of sexual assaults at the military academies increased for the fourth consecutive year
Now, members of Congress sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper shortly following the release of the new report requesting a briefing so they could "complete our own analysis."
"The DoD and Congress have prioritized combating sexual assault in our military formations but we must continue to evaluate and reassess our efforts," the letter reads. "It is our shared responsibility to ensure the men and women who will be the next generation of leaders in our nation’s armed forces are being instilled with the necessary values to combat the scourge of sexual assault and are immersed in a safe environment where they do not fear becoming a sexual assault victim themselves."
Service academies focus on more robust sexual assault prevention
The letter is signed by members of Congress from both sides of the aisle including Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., and asks that Congress be able to meet with the appropriate DoD personnel to discuss this year's findings "with a particular focus on the suspected causes and the proposed plans of action moving forward."
But this call for answers echoes the same messaging as Congress's response to the release of last year's report.
Last year, the DoD's report showed that the number of cadets reporting unwanted sexual encounters increased from 507 to 747 during the 2017 to 2018 academic year — a 47 percent increase.
Sexual assault at service academies: 'This isn’t a blip, a #MeToo bump, or some accident'
"After a decade-plus of concerted efforts to address sexual harassment and assault, the problem has only gotten worse," Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) said during a House Armed Services Committee hearing held shortly after the report was released. “This isn’t a blip, a #MeToo bump, or some accident. It’s a clear illustration of a destructive trend and systemic problem.”
Both last year's and this year's reports emphasized that the challenge of combatting sexual assault is shared by civilian universities. According to the American Association of Universities 2019 Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Misconduct, the prevalence of sexual assault and misconduct also increased at civilian universities. However, DoD maintains a higher standard of behavior.
"While the Department holds itself, and the academies, to a higher standard of behavior based on its critical mission, research suggests that the increase in sexual assault prevalence reflects a trend observed at colleges and universities nationwide," this year's report reads.
“We are not where I want us to be, nor where the Navy needs us to be,” Naval Academy superintendent Vice Adm. Walter Carter said following the release of last year's report. “The Naval Academy must produce leaders that not only treat others with dignity and respect, but also demand the same of those they lead.”
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