, and one in five female students surveyed said they experienced unwanted sexual contact, the Associated Press has learned. WASHINGTON — — Reported sexual assaults at U.S. military academies shot up during the 2021-22 school year, and one in five female students told an anonymous survey that they had experienced unwanted sexual contact, The Associated Press has learned.
The military services and the academies have struggled for years to combat sexual assault and harassment, with a myriad of prevention, education and treatment programs every year. But despite reams of research, recommendations and a shift to more independent prosecutions, the numbers continue to grow.
Cadets at the Air Force Academy in Colorado reported 52, the same as the previous year, and those at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in New York reported 42, a slight decrease from last year's 46. U.S. officials provided details about the findings on the condition of anonymity because the report had not yet been publicly released. The report was expected to be released later Friday.at the academies during the shortened 2019-20 school year, when in-person classes were canceled and students were sent home in the spring to finish the semester online.
Based on the surveys, students at the academies are also less likely to report an assault than service members who are out of school. Students may worry more about the impact on their military career or even on the career of their attacker. Alcohol use was involved in well more than half of the cases reported in the survey, with a high of 65% at the Naval Academy. The report recommends additional alcohol use policies.