A report released on Friday at the Pentagon revealed that about one third of women and about 6 percent of men in the military had experienced some form of sexual harassment. Another report, released simultaneously, revealed that 5 percent of women in the military experienced “unwanted sexual contacts” — ranging from sexual touching to rape. The total number of sexual assaults last year totaled 2,688 cases. Similar reports were conducted in 2002 and 1995. Because this is only the third time they’ve conducted the survey, the Pentagon is reluctant to make any claims on trends and the data is likely still very rough.
Women make up about 20 percent of military personnel today, and make up about 15 percent of active duty personnel. As an extreme minority in an ages-old patriarchal institution, some men will still try to prove their masculine dominance by targeting the women in their units. Unfortunately, some women simply accept this as part of their decision to enroll in the military and may not feel comfortable reporting such harassment. Others rightly pursue private lawsuits or military court martials. But the bottom line is there is still a great deal of looking the other way.
— Kay Steiger