thedrifter
03-18-09, 01:01 PM
Number of Reported Sexual Assaults in Military Climbed 8%
Pentagon officials said Tuesday the higher number of sexual assaults suggest that more people are reporting the incidents rather than keeping quiet.
FOXNews.com
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The number of reported sexual assaults throughout the military jumped 8 percent from last year, according to the Pentagon's Sexual Assault and Prevention and Response Office.
Dr. Kay Whitley, director of the office, said Tuesday this is viewed as a positive indicator, suggesting that more people are reporting the incidents rather than keeping quiet.
In 2005, the military introduced the option of restrictive reporting, which allows victims to report an assault without revealing the identity of their attacker.
Victims are offered a full range of treatment, including a rape kit if necessary, and have the option of revealing the name of their attacker up to one year later if they choose. The Pentagon believes this program is working, and accounts for the increase in reporting.
"Sometimes a victim needs time to restore order to his or her life before getting involved in the justice system, and restricted reporting allows this to happen," Whitley said at a news conference Tuesday.
Because the Pentagon, however, is not able to tally the total number of assaults in the military, it is unknown whether the uptick in reporting is due entirely to the new restrictive reporting policy or there were simply more attacks this year.
But the Pentagon believes, based on anonymous surveys conducted over the past three years, that sexual assaults occur at a relatively equal rate over time.
In the fiscal year 2008, 2,923 people, whether they were service members or civilians subjected to service members, reported a sexual assault. That's up from 2,688 in the previous year.
Last year, 110 converted from restricted to unrestricted, choosing to later reveal the identity of their attacker. The total number of restricted reports last year was 753 before the conversions.
The Pentagon said one of the major barriers for reporting crimes among victims is fear of retaliation.
The military does not clearly track convictions. But in 2008, 317 service members received courts-martial, including some crimes originally reported in 2007.
In 2008, 588 service members reported that they were raped. Of that number, 95 said they were subjected to nonconsensual sodomy.
Whitley wants service members to know that sexual assaults are the most under reported crimes in the United States, and the military should not be a place where people are afraid to come forward.
"Our goal is to strengthen the knowledge and the skills of service members and empower them to identify and safely intervene in situations that may be leading up to sexual assault," she said.
"It is my hope today that the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who may see or read the reports from this press conference will be encouraged to come forward to report the sexual assault and to receive care," she said.
Ellie
Pentagon officials said Tuesday the higher number of sexual assaults suggest that more people are reporting the incidents rather than keeping quiet.
FOXNews.com
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The number of reported sexual assaults throughout the military jumped 8 percent from last year, according to the Pentagon's Sexual Assault and Prevention and Response Office.
Dr. Kay Whitley, director of the office, said Tuesday this is viewed as a positive indicator, suggesting that more people are reporting the incidents rather than keeping quiet.
In 2005, the military introduced the option of restrictive reporting, which allows victims to report an assault without revealing the identity of their attacker.
Victims are offered a full range of treatment, including a rape kit if necessary, and have the option of revealing the name of their attacker up to one year later if they choose. The Pentagon believes this program is working, and accounts for the increase in reporting.
"Sometimes a victim needs time to restore order to his or her life before getting involved in the justice system, and restricted reporting allows this to happen," Whitley said at a news conference Tuesday.
Because the Pentagon, however, is not able to tally the total number of assaults in the military, it is unknown whether the uptick in reporting is due entirely to the new restrictive reporting policy or there were simply more attacks this year.
But the Pentagon believes, based on anonymous surveys conducted over the past three years, that sexual assaults occur at a relatively equal rate over time.
In the fiscal year 2008, 2,923 people, whether they were service members or civilians subjected to service members, reported a sexual assault. That's up from 2,688 in the previous year.
Last year, 110 converted from restricted to unrestricted, choosing to later reveal the identity of their attacker. The total number of restricted reports last year was 753 before the conversions.
The Pentagon said one of the major barriers for reporting crimes among victims is fear of retaliation.
The military does not clearly track convictions. But in 2008, 317 service members received courts-martial, including some crimes originally reported in 2007.
In 2008, 588 service members reported that they were raped. Of that number, 95 said they were subjected to nonconsensual sodomy.
Whitley wants service members to know that sexual assaults are the most under reported crimes in the United States, and the military should not be a place where people are afraid to come forward.
"Our goal is to strengthen the knowledge and the skills of service members and empower them to identify and safely intervene in situations that may be leading up to sexual assault," she said.
"It is my hope today that the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who may see or read the reports from this press conference will be encouraged to come forward to report the sexual assault and to receive care," she said.
Ellie