Sexual assaults in the military rose nearly 38% from 2016 to 2018, according to survey results obtained by USA TODAY.
That spike in crime within the ranks comes after years of focused effort and resources to eradicate it.
The report, due to be released Thursday by the Pentagon, surveyed Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine personnel in 2018. Based on the survey, there were an estimated 20,500 instances of unwanted sexual contact – an increase over the 14,900 estimated in the last biennial survey in 2016.Unwanted sexual contact ranges from groping to rape.
Enlisted female troops ages 17 to 24 were at the highest risk of being assaulted, said Nathan Galbreath, deputy director of the Pentagon's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office. The Pentagon will target troops in that age range for prevention efforts, he said.
"We're very concerned about that," Galbreath said.
More than 85% of victims knew their assailant. Alcohol was involved in 62% of the total assaults.
