The number of military members reporting they were victims of sexual assault last fiscal year is up nearly 10 percent over fiscal 2016, but at the same time the Pentagon says fewer service members are actually experiencing sexual assault.
The numbers are contained in the latest report from the Pentagon’s Sexual Assault and Prevention office, which says since 2012 sexual assault reporting has increased by more than 88 percent, while prevalence has decreased by nearly 45 percent for the same period.
The report details 6,769 cases of sexual assault involving service members as either victims or subjects in fiscal 2017, representing a 9.7 percent increase over the 6,172 reports made in fiscal 2016.
The increase of reports shows that more victims of sexual assault are “coming forward and getting the help they need,” said officials, explaining why reporting was up while incidences of assault were declining.
Based on surveys, the Pentagon estimates the actual number of service members who experienced some form of sexual assault was 14,990.
“Taken together, increased reporting and decreased prevalence are strong evidence that the Department is making consistent progress toward the elimination of this crime from the military,” the report found.
