The Department of Defense (DoD) released the Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies (MSAs), Academic Program Year (APY) 2023-2024 (23-24) today.
According to the report, the estimates in the Department’s most recent survey found a decrease in the prevalence of sexual assault, which estimated 457 academy women and 327 academy men experienced some form of unwanted sexual contact during APY 23-24, compared to 2022. Estimated rates of sexual harassment have also decreased for academy women and men since 2022. However, the rate of reporting stayed about the same, with about 13 percent of cadets and midshipmen choosing to report their sexual assault incident to the Department.
“The decrease in harmful behaviors measured by the academy survey disrupts an upward trend that had persisted for the past decade,” said Dr. Nate Galbreath, director of the DoD Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office. “This kind of progress must continue at the academies and within the Total Force to restore our warrior ethos and rebuild our military.”
Congress requires the Department to submit an annual report for each APY on the effectiveness of the policies, training, and procedures of the MSAs regarding sexual assault and sexual harassment involving academy personnel at the United States Military Academy, United States Naval Academy, and United States Air Force Academy. This year’s report consists of results from the biennial survey of sexual assault and sexual harassment at the MSAs conducted in April of 2024, data on sexual assault reports and sexual harassment complaints; military justice outcomes, academy self-assessments of programs to address sexual harassment and sexual violence; and the Department’s assessment of ongoing prevention and response initiatives.
The Department released a topline preview of the survey results and reporting information in December 2024, showing the significant decrease in sexual misconduct at the MSAs. The report released today provides additional information responsive to the National Defense Authorization Act requirements for Fiscal Year 2007 (Public Law 109-364).
“Enforcing standards is critical to enhancing unit cohesion and overall readiness,” said Dr. Timothy Hoyt, acting director, Office of Force Resiliency. “Given that active duty members report sexual assault at nearly twice the rate of cadets and midshipmen, more work needs to be done, to ensure our cadets and midshipmen see reporting as a pathway to recovery and restoring trust in our military. The Academies have taken steps in the right direction, and we must sustain these efforts to prepare our next generation of leaders to maneuver and win in our complex threat environment.”
The Annual Report of Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies, Academic Program Year 2023-2024, is available at https://www.sapr.mil/reports.
