By The Epoch Times | Created at 2026-08-22 00:46:36 | Updated at 2026-09-02 14:20:16
1 week ago
The Department of War has released its report on sexual assault in the military for fiscal year 2025, showing a decrease in sexual assault reports for the third consecutive year.
The Pentagon’s 2025 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military, released on Aug. 21, showed an increase in service members who were willing to report unwanted sexual contact. However, the prevalence of sexual harassment and unwanted sexual contact both decreased compared to fiscal year 2024.
“Dignity, respect, and discipline are foundational to the warrior ethos and the overall preparedness of the force,” Anthony Tata, under secretary of war for personnel and readiness, said in a statement accompanying the report’s release on Friday. “Sexual assault and sexual harassment undermine these values, eroding trust and threatening the mission.”
Tata said the annual report underscores the Pentagon’s dedication to “maintaining high standards, protecting our people, and building a unified, ready, and lethal fighting force.”
The Pentagon is required to submit an annual report on sexual assault in the military to Congress. In addition to the report, the department is also required to conduct a confidential online survey every two years.
The number of reported sexual assaults decreased from 8,195 reports in 2024 to 7,998 reports in 2025, according to the Pentagon’s latest report.
Additionally, the 2025 Workplace Experiences Survey found that the estimated rate of unwanted sexual contact among active duty male service members decreased from 1.3 percent in the 2023 confidential survey to 1 percent in 2025. Meanwhile, the estimated rate of unwanted sexual contact among active duty female service members decreased from 6.8 percent in 2023 to 4.3 percent in 2025.
Based on the results of the survey, the Pentagon estimated that 20,492 U.S. service members experienced some form of unwanted sexual contact in fiscal year 2025—8,569 fewer than the Pentagon estimated in fiscal year 2023.
The Pentagon also estimated that the rate of sexual harassment for active duty male service members decreased from 5.8 percent in 2023 to 4.4 percent in 2025. The estimated rate of sexual harassment for active duty female service members also decreased from 24.7 percent to 17.5 percent.
About 33 percent of active duty service members who indicated experiencing unwanted sexual contact in 2025 reported the incidents to a War Department authority, marking an increase from the 25 percent who reported such incidents in 2023.
“In other words, about 1 in 3 Service members reported experiencing their sexual assault to a Department authority,” the Pentagon said in its report. “This estimate is up from the 1 in 4 Service members estimated to have reported experiencing sexual assault in FY 2023.”
Pentagon officials have consistently argued that an increase in reported sexual assaults is a positive sign, showing that people have more confidence in the reporting system and ensuring that more offenders are held accountable.
In May 2024, the Pentagon confirmed that the prevalence of sexual assault reports had decreased for the first time in nearly a decade. The Pentagon announced in May 2025 that the number of sexual assault reports also decreased in fiscal year 2024.
The Pentagon noted in its report that the department’s Integrated Primary Prevention Workforce serves as a group of “specialized advisors” to command teams, supporting them with tools needed to anticipate and neutralize threats to military readiness, including sexual assault and harassment.
“The Department remains committed to preventing sexual assault and sexual harassment, and continues to confront and counter harmful behaviors, provide victim assistance, and strengthen command climates,” the Pentagon said, adding that it remained focused on “strengthening prevention and response activities and ensuring that Service members can operate with confidence and maintain absolute focus on the mission.”
