Sexual Misconduct at the Service Academies: Fear, Confusion Affect Reporting

No matter how much things change, they stay the same. That was my first reaction to a new Pentagon report that shows an eye-popping rise in incidents of sexual assault at the nation's prestigious service academies -- the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.; the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.; and the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. The number is up 64 percent, from 25 cases in the 2008-2009 academic year to 51 cases in 2009-2010. The Pentagon attributes the increase to students being more willing to report these crimes. But the report also acknowledges student discomfort at reporting sexual misconduct, despite steps the military has taken to ensure confidentiality. Students, mostly women but presumably some men too, are afraid of being singled out and somehow being made to pay, either by their superiors or their peers, for disturbing the illusion that all is well between the sexes.

There is also confusion among students as to whether behavior they consider offensive rises to the level of initiating a reporting procedure with built-in safeguards for the accused as well as the accuser. Physical assault and rape are clearer to define, but misconduct that occurs in a social context and triggers what is known as date rape becomes harder to prove, especially when alcohol is involved. Women, who are a minority in the service academies, no doubt feel that the burden is on them to justify making a complaint. The military for too long looked the other way, rather than confront sexual misconduct in its ranks, to expect the kind of trust necessary to encourage candor.

The service academies have come a long way. When West Point marked its 20th anniversary as a coed school in 1995, the Citadel in South Carolina was admitting its first woman, Shannon Faulkner, but only after she successfully sued to gain admittance. She didn't last beyond the first week, citing the unwelcoming environment and emotional abuse. The Citadel has since graduated more than 200 women, and in the last 15 years there has been significant generational change in the country on attitudes towards women and also toward gay service members and their contributions to the country. The military in many ways is the nation's finest meritocracy, having led the way in integrating its ranks when President Truman issued an executive order declaring an end to segregated troops.

In their eagerness to downplay what could be a significant increase in sexual assaults, however, the service academies risk looking like they're not taking the problem seriously enough. And when women suspect the mostly male chain of command is downplaying possible charges of rape, they rise up like Sarah Palin's grizzlies. Just ask Michael Moore, who is getting trashed in the blogosphere by women for bailing out and defending Julian Assange, who is wanted in Sweden for questioning on rape charges. A tweet from @samusclone summed it up: "Wikileaks good, rape apologism bad."