Military School Sex Harassment Continues

[j_shady]

WASHINGTON - Sexual assaults and harassment are still significant problems at the nation's military academies, polls of students at the schools show, despite recent scandals that triggered intensive training to prevent the behavior.

Up to 6 percent of the women at the Army, Navy and Air Force academies said they experienced sexual assault during the 2004-2005 school year, and about half or more said they were sexually harassed, according to a survey released Friday by the
Pentagon.

The survey comes more than two years after a sex abuse scandal rocked the Air Force Academy, leading to a purge in its leadership and a new, intensive focus on training to prevent abuse and sexual harassment.

The Pentagon's new emphasis on training and awareness, however, has not seemed to resonate on the campuses. While nearly all the students said they had received training in sexual assault and harassment prevention, half to two-thirds said it was either slightly or not at all effective in preventing the incidents.

The impact of increased training was most evident at the Air Force campus in Colorado Springs, Col., where reports of rape by dozens of women triggered the 2003 scandal.

According to the new survey, Air Force cadets reported a lower percentage of women students who said they were either sexually assaulted or harassed than the other two military academies. Four percent of the Air Force women said they were assaulted, while 49 percent said they were harassed.

Cadets at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., reported the highest number of assaults and sexual harassment. According to the survey, 6 percent of the women were sexually assaulted, and nearly two-thirds were sexually harassed.

Of those assaulted, about 4 in 10 reported it. And among those who reported it, nearly 40 percent said they experienced repercussions.

At the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., 5 percent of the women said they were assaulted and 59 percent said they were sexually harassed.

The Air Force Academy cadets reported that the situation there is improving. The survey said that 81 percent of the female cadets and 87 percent of the men said sexual assault was less of a problem in the 2004-2005 school year than when they enrolled. Similar numbers said sexual harassment was less of a problem.

Those percentages were well above those for the other two military academies.

"We are reviewing the findings carefully and examining our policies, programs and leadership efforts to determine how such incidents can be prevented and to ensure we respond effectively if they do occur," said David S. C. Chu, under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness.

More than 5,300 students at the three military academies were surveyed, and about 85 percent responded.

Also Friday, the Pentagon released a survey of sexual harassment among military reservists.

The survey of about 76,000 reservists found that sexual assault rates are lower than in previous studies of reserve veterans, with 2 percent of the women saying they were sexually assaulted, 19 percent reporting sexual harassment, and 10 percent saying they were sexually discriminated against.

The results for men were far lower, with rates of 3 percent or less in all the categories.

Reservists said they received training and believed it was effective. But more than half the women responding said sexual harassment was not less of a problem now than in recent years, and most said it was more prevalent in the military than in civilian jobs.