Harassment, assault reporting questioned

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- U.S. military academies may be underreporting sexual harassment and assault incidents, a government official said.

A Government Accountability Office study revealed Navy Academy midshipmen in Annapolis, Md., reported 26 incidents of sexual harassment from 2003 to 2006, while Air Force Academy cadets in Colorado Springs reported six, and cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., reported none, Navy Times reported Monday.

"That could be misleading. It could lead to an unfair comparison," said Brenda Farrell, director of the GAO's Defense Capabilities and Management office, noting the academies use different definitions and reporting practices.

Farrell noted a 2006 Defense Manpower Data Center study of 5,000 service academy students indicated about 9 percent of women and 1 percent of men reported unwanted sexual contact in 2005. That would mean about 300 victims, a much higher number than in the GAO report.

"Maybe the academies still don't have full visibility over sexual harassment and assault," she said.

The Naval Academy had 18 substantiated sexual assaults, compared to West Point's 15, and the Air Force Academy's three. The Naval Academy had only eight unsubstantiated sexual assault reports, compared to the Air Force Academy's 35 and West Point's 17.