American Academy of Nursing Policy Brief: Military sexual trauma

Abstract

The Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year2011, Public Law 111-383-Jan. 7, 2011; Sec. 1631. Retrieved from: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-111publ383/pdf/PLAW-111publ383.pdf Google Scholar (Public Law 111-383-Jan. 7, 2011; Sec. 1631) mandates the Secretary of Defense to submit an “annual report [to Congress] regarding sexual assaults involving members of the armed forces and improvement to sexual assault prevention and response program.” In compliance, the Department of Defense (DoD) Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) released several reports. The Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies (MSAs) for Academic Program Year (APY) 2016–2017 ( United States Department of Defense [DoD] Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office [SAPRO] 2018a United States Department of Defense [DoD] Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office [SAPRO] (2018a). Annual report on sexual harassment and violence at the military service academies for academic program year 2016-2017. Retrieved from:http://sapr.mil/index.php/reports. Google Scholar ) was the first to be released in February 2018. It contained information on sexual assaults involving cadets and/or midshipmen, and importantly, updates to policies, procedures, and processes implemented in response to sexual violence for FYs 2013–2016. Two months later, in April 2018, United States Department of Defense [DoD] Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office [SAPRO] 2018b United States Department of Defense [DoD] Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office [SAPRO] (2018b). Department of Defense annual report on sexual assault in the military: Fiscal Year 2017. Retrieved from:http://sapr.mil/public/docs/reports/FY17_Annual/DoD_FY17_Annual_Report_on_Sexual_Assault_in_the_Military.pdf. Google Scholar released Reports of Sexual Assault Received at Military Installations and Combat Areas of Interest, containing FYs 2016–2017 data about the number of nondomestic, abuse-related adult sexual assault allegations reported or managed at military installations throughout the world. In May 2019, DoD SAPRO released the Department of Defense Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military Fiscal Year 2018 ( United States Department of Defense [DoD] Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office [SAPRO] 2019 United States Department of Defense [DoD] Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office [SAPRO] (2019). Department of Defense annual report on sexual assault in the military: Fiscal Year 2018. Retrieved from: https://www.sapr.mil/sites/default/files/DoD_Annual_Report_on_Sexual_Assault_in_the_Military.pdf. Google Scholar ). The 2019 report indicates that 6.2% of active duty women experienced a sexual assault in the year prior to being surveyed; up from a rate of 4.3% in 2016 (Executive Summary, SA in the Military, 2019, p. 3). The documents reveal a continued upward trend in the number of sexual assault reports from military members during the 2017 and 2018 report periods. Of the 6,769 reports of sexual assault in FY17, 5,864 involved service member victims (Executive Summary, SA in the Military, 2018, p. 3). Of those 5,864 service member victims,“about 10 percent made a report for incidents that occurred to them before entering military service. In sum, 5,277 service members made a report of sexual assault… [FY 2017] for an incident that occurred sometime during military service,…[up] from the 4,794 reports from Service members received last year [FY 2016]” (Executive Summary, SA in the Military, 2018, p. 3).