US Service Members Increasingly Reporting Sexual Assault

A report released by the Pentagon on Friday shows that more US military personnel who experience unwanted sexual assault are reporting the incidents to authorities. While the number of victims coming forward has increased, the overall prevalence of such incidents declined over the past year. According to the report, an estimated 33% of active-duty service members who experienced unwanted sexual contact in fiscal year 2025 formally reported the incidents to Pentagon authorities. The figure was 25% in fiscal year 2023. The findings are based on a confidential biennial survey and reports filed with authorities.

“In simple terms, about one in three service members who experienced sexual assault reported it to military authorities,” the report said. This represents a significant increase from 2023, when only about one in four victims reported such incidents. The report marks another year of progress in addressing sexual assault in the US military. Pentagon reports from the previous two years also indicated a decline in the number of service members experiencing unwanted sexual contact. The change comes after nearly a decade of steadily rising cases, although the level remains a serious concern. The Pentagon publishes the report annually based on sexual assault cases involving military personnel or allegedly committed by them. Because such crimes are significantly underreported, the Department of Defense conducts a confidential online survey every two years to better assess the actual scale of the problem.

Defense officials have long maintained that an increase in reporting can be a positive development. Victims often hesitate to speak out, both in civilian society and within the military. Officials say higher reporting rates indicate that service members are gaining greater confidence in the reporting system and feel more assured that victims will receive support.
The total number of reported sexual assault cases also declined slightly from the previous year. The Department of Defense received 7,998 reports in 2025, down by 197 from the 8,195 reports recorded in 2024. According to the latest confidential survey, the estimated rate of unwanted sexual contact among active-duty women fell from 6.8% in 2023 to 4.3% last year. Among men, the rate declined from 1.3% to 1%.

The estimated rate of sexual harassment among women also dropped from 24.7% to 17.5%, while the rate among men fell from 5.8% to 4.4%. The Pentagon report suggests that positive changes may be emerging in the culture surrounding sexual assault and the tendency to conceal such incidents within the military. However, the latest figures cover only the first few months of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s tenure. Since taking office, Hegseth has shown little hesitation in dismissing senior female officials and ordering policy reviews, raising questions about whether his administration may seek to limit the role of women in the military.

Source: The Independent