Reports of unwanted sexual contact and workplace harassment increased among service members in 2021 compared to recent previous years, according to the Defense Department. Results of DoD’s review of such incidents during the fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2020-Sept. 30, 2021) showed:
• More than 8 percent of all active-duty women and roughly 1.5 percent of their male counterparts said they experienced unwanted sexual contact in some form in the year before DoD conducted its survey.
• Female service members experienced more sexual harassment, and both men and women said they experienced greater workplace hostility, in 2021 than they did in 2018. Sexual-assault reports by service members rose 13 percent in 2021 compared to the prior year, even though the total rate of individuals reporting such incidents has decreased.
The reporting data for fiscal 2021 show the Defense Department received 8,866 sexual-assault reports, compared to 7,816 such reports in fiscal 2020. Reports from the Army rose 25.6 percent during that time frame. The Navy reported a 9.2-percent rise; the Marine Corps, 1.7 percent; and the Air Force, 2.4 percent during the same period.
The Pentagon report noted the steps undertaken to root sexual assault and harassment out from the ranks. Changes in 2021 addressed assessing compliance, evaluating risk at key installations, launching the independent review commission, and instilling a culture that focuses on prevention of “interpersonal violence and self-harm.”
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