Pentagon announces crackdown on academies as female cadets report sexual assaults in ‘hazing’

Vanessa Guillén, a young soldier who was sexually assaulted and then killed at the base in Fort Hood, Texas in 2020, is once again the victim of sexual assaults taking place at military academies in the United States.

In fact, one in five female military interns said in an anonymous survey that they had experienced unwanted sexual contact at their academy. This was reported in a defense report about the experience of the students, with the aim of taking crucial measures to prevent aggression and intimidation.

These measures call for better leadership and more behavioral training in classrooms in an effort to counter the increasing incidence of bullying, from unwanted touching to rape.

According to data collected by the Pentagon, the 2021-2022 military training period saw an increase in sexual assaults against women in academies. The increase was 18% compared to the previous period.

Alcoholic beverages are often a key factor in sexual abuse. Soldiers usually consume alcohol during ‘hazing events’ held to welcome the new generation of students, but it was reported that in the case of the Air Force Academy, the older students often behave aggressively towards the new ones.

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Alcohol consumption was involved in 60% of reported incidents of sexual harassment, the 44-page report said.

“These numbers are extremely disappointing and disturbing,” said Beth Foster, director of the Office of Force Resiliency.

“This year’s report shows a significant increase in the prevalence of sexual assault in military service academies… This is the highest estimated sexual assault prevalence for women and men in military service academies since the department began measuring it in 2006.”

Officers say there is a discrepancy between what cadets learn and the often negative and unpunished behavior they see from their mentors.

“If cadets learn something about leadership or prevention in the classroom but don’t see it reinforced in other settings, it sends mixed signals about what to expect,” said a Pentagon official.

In addition, there is a very large influence of social networks.

The report says female students may receive inaccurate information about assault prevention, reporting, resources and military justice, making them less likely to seek help.

The focus on sexual assault comes at a difficult time for the U.S. military, which is struggling to attract new recruits and faced a shortage of soldiers last year and bigger problems ahead.

For this reason, it is important to purify the toxic climate of the military academies. The study calls for senior officers and enlisted leaders to work with students from Army, Navy and Air Force academies and provide extensive training.

Academies need to build better student leaders to help their peers.

Topics such as stress reduction, misbehavior, social media and other life issues should also be covered in classes and students should be assessed accordingly.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he expects the changes to be implemented quickly.

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