WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - More military service academy cadets and midshipmen last year reported instances of sexual assault and harassment, indicating growing trust in the reporting system, the Pentagon says.
Dr. Nathan W. Galbreath, senior executive advisor for the Defense Department Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, or SAPRO, said that the increase in reporting suggests growing confidence in the response system.
Speaking on via teleconference and joined by Dr. Elizabeth P. Van Winkle of the Defense Manpower Data Center, or DMDC, Galbreath said the department's assessment teams found 'good indicators of progress' in the DoD Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies for academic program year 2014-2015.
The academies received 91 sexual assault reports last year, an increase of 32 reports over the previous year, Galbreath said.
He made it clear that reports of sexual assault do not reflect how often the crime actually occurs. Instead, the department and many civilian agencies use scientific surveys to estimate how many people experienced a sexual assault, he added.
Last year's academy survey results indicated that fewer cadets and midshipmen experienced a sexual assault over the 12-month period preceding the survey.
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