WASHINGTON—Though reports of sexual assaults at the major service academies have dropped, military officials believe far more aren’t being disclosed, according to a report released Wednesday.
The total number of reported assaults have dropped from 42 in 2005 to 34 in 2007, according to data from the Naval Academy, West Point and the Air Force Academy released by the Defense Department.
However, estimates based on anonymous surveys indicate that 90 percent of sexual assaults are going unreported. The Pentagon wants to do more to encourage victims to come forward so they can get care.
The military began allowing “restricted reporting” in 2005 to let victims to file reports without initiating an investigation or notifying their commander. Of the 34 reported last year at the academies, 16 of them were restricted.
“Greater numbers of restricted and unrestricted reports are an indicator that the academies are fostering a climate of confidence,” the report stated in its executive summary.
Reports of sexual assault at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., have dropped from 15 in 2005 to 6 in 2007. At the Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., reports fell from 17 to 4 over the same period. The number rose at the Air Force Academy from 10 in 2005 to 24 in 2007.
Nathan Galbreath, deputy director of the department’s sexual assault prevention and response office, said the increase at the Air Force Academy “is the direction that we want to see the program go.”
That’s because it’s obvious there are more assaults than reported, she said.
“The more people that come in, the more that we can get them care, the more that we can hold bad guys accountable,” Galbreath told reporters in an interview at the Pentagon.
David Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said cracking down on alcohol abuse is a crucial strategy, because many cases involve alcohol.
“If we can make progress on the alcohol front, I am confident over time we will make progress on this front, too,” Chu said.
The academies also are focusing on getting students to intervene when they observe heavy drinking and potential scenarios when sexual harassment could occur.
“The bystanders can’t remain bystanders,” Chu said. “That’s our main message out there to the force. It’s not just your buddy’s problem. It’s our problem.”
