Study released on Sexual Assaults
Color me skeptical but I do not believe that 1 in 25 male Sailors have been sexually assaulted. The issue here is what criteria are they using to define sexual assault. To some, anyone who questions the results of these kinds of studies is supporting a rape culture.
A sailor from Navy Expeditionary Combat Command carries a pair of shoes, painted teal to symbolize victims of sexual assault, as she participates in the Aug. 25 “Walk a Mile in Their Shoes” command event at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Lisa Reese/Navy)
Across the services, the safest places to work were at the Pentagon or other national capital region headquarters buildings, according to the report.
The Pentagon released the data on Friday as part of a much-anticipated report, that for the first time looks at the likelihood of sexual assault on a military installation or ship and ranks them by service.
The rankings were commissioned by the Defense Department and aim to help military officials to better identify the risk factors for sexual assault and how to most effectively deploy prevention and response efforts.
It is based on 2014 data that was gathered through more than 170,000 surveys of active-duty service members collected by the RAND Corporation. Because of the five-year time lag, defense officials said the rankings do not reflect what the most dangerous bases are today. The study faced other limitations too, such as that assaults reported that were linked to a base could have occurred off-base or off-ship, such as while on liberty or leave. But the information is still jarring:
NAVY
In one stunning example, RAND found that “on one of these ships, we estimate that close to one in every 25 men was sexually assaulted in FY 2014.”
But RAND won’t name the ship, saying it was trying to respect the anonymity of the respondents. In the survey, RAND eliminated ships and bases with fewer than 50 survey responses, or with ship or base populations of less than 100 personnel.
For Navy women, ships were particularly dangerous, according to the report.
For both men and women, Navy ships assigned to the FPO code 96671 — which based on Navy data includes cruisers Champlain and Lake Erie, submarines Louisiana and Louisville, and destroyer William P. Lawrence — “are associated with risk more than 100 percent greater than the average installation-specific risk in the Navy,” RAND found.
Navy officials did not receive an advanced copy of the RAND report but told Military Times that they look forward to working with the think tank on future surveys.
“We are aware of the 2016 RAND Military Workplace Study Survey, and we value the approaches that RAND takes to cutting edge research,” the officials said in a written statement emailed to Military Times.
“The Navy has further engaged with RAND to help us take a closer look at the conclusions of this report by conducting follow-on projects to provide more actionable information about where sexual assault risk is highest and lowest in the Navy.
ARMY
Fort Drum in upstate New York was one of the most dangerous places for both Army men and women in terms of risk of sexual assault.
For Army women, the top five locations in terms of risk of sexual assault included Fort Huachuca, Arizona; Osan Air Base, Korea; Fort Drum; Okinawa, Japan; and Fort Riley, Kansas.
For men, the top five locations with the highest risk were located in Italy; at Fort Myer, Virginia; Fort Benning, Georgia; Fort Drum; and Rose Barracks, Germany.
“While the lowest-risk installations for men are dominated by small, command or support installations, the highest-risk list includes many installations with a more prominent combat unit presence,” the study found.
“The Army remains fully committed to reducing sexual assault and sexual harassment in its ranks,” the Army said in a statement to Military Times. “RAND’s risk estimates, which are based on survey data from over four years ago, may help focus ongoing efforts to combat these harmful behaviors. While prevalence rates of sexual assault among the force have declined, the Army continues to integrate and update prevention programs.”
AIR FORCE
Undergraduate pilot training bases were among the most dangerous places for both Air Force men and women for the risk for sexual assault, the report found.
For men, the top five installations in terms of risk of sexual assault were Altus Air Force Base; Laughlin Air Force Base; Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington D.C.’ Luke Air Force Base, Arizona; and Columbus Air Force Base.
MARINE CORPS
Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, in California, was one of the top five most dangerous places for male and female Marines for risk of sexual assault, the report found.
Responses for male Marines showed that the other most risky locations to be assigned included Japan, Korea, and Afghanistan.
In a statement, the Marines said more research is needed to understand whether increased risk is really tied to an installation.
“The RAND study documented differences in sexual assault risk across installations; the reasons for the variations in the levels of risk is not highlighted in this report,” said Marine Corps spokesman Maj. Craig Thomas. “There are many possible causes for differences, such as command climate, alcohol availability and price, crime rates in the surrounding civilian communities, or the transitory presence of one or more sexual offenders. Although the current study cannot identify the relationship between risk factors and risk estimates, additional research may help answer these questions.”
Working to reduce risk
Galbreath said that now that DoD has the data, it will be able to look for installations where additional steps can be taken to reduce the risk of sexual assault. For example, around 2015, at Great Lakes Naval Base near Chicago, DoD noticed a spike in sexual assault reports and decided to take a closer look.
“What the Navy found out is that, locally there, on the weekends, all of the recruits were going off base and having hotel parties. And a lot of these hotel parties involved alcohol. And a lot of those situations ended up with sailors getting sexually assaulted,” Galbreath said.
With that, and training initiatives, Galbreath said, the numbers started to improve.
“Sexual assault began to fall,” Galbreath said. “So that’s the kind of local work [that can reduce risk of attack]. But there’s 270 places that we have to do that at.”
The next survey is currently getting sent to respondents now, Galbreath said, and the results should be available in April.
I do not have the time this weekend to read and research this study. I may not be a smart man but I know what bullshit smells like. Somebody or bodies are making a fortune publishing this kind of nonsense. 1 actual sexual assault is 1 too many, diluting what sexual assault is and having no means testing to verify numbers brings skepticism to the issue.
Category: Big Pentagon, Diversity
Color me amazed. Would that happen to be where most of the women serve? Liars, dammed liars, and statisticians.
Navy recruits going off base to party? WTF kind of Navy is this now? You got your butt reamed for just going to a geedunk stand when I was in boot camp, going off base..NOT NO, BUT HELL NO! And I have to wonder how much of this B.S. is padded to keep some people on their cushy desk jobs? Safer in the pentagon and govt buildings? Tell that to monica in the oval orfice!
I remember reading a study that something like 80% of all high school teachers have been sexually harassed.
When I finally cracked the data, the vast majority of the harrassment was from students “mooning”
I was harassed like that in high school. The visiting teams bus full of their cheerleaders went by me on the way to the high school football game and they all mooned me on the way by.
I was so traumatized I couldn’t go on. I became a drunk, started shooting heroin, ended up robbing a bank and murdered 7 cops on the way out. See what sexual aggression does to someone?
ok..actually I dreamed of that mooning for a year and became obsessed with girls backsides in high school. Hey, I was 14yrs old.
Remember that trip stateside after a year in the bush??
I watched every twitch and wiggle as the cabin crew did their duties.
So, I guess 80% of High School teachers have no sense of humour?
There ain’t a person alive who hasn’t been sexually harassed. The problem is some of aren’t sexually harassed as we’d like to be as we grow older; not saying that is one of my issues.
2banana…I would have thought from the principals LOL
I have no interest whatsoever in this crap. I will say, however, that actual reports of incidents are not what the study relied upon. I don’t want to hear the statistical mumbo-jumbo about how we can trust survey results. The same pap is said about many polls and pollsters which, in the case of the last presidential election, were nearly all wrong and in no small way.
A statistician would call the last election an outlier, Cav.
*grin*
Don’t know what the reason was, but I was selected for a lot of surveys (still even receive one survey’s materials 10+ years later). I started answering them honestly. Soon I got so freaking sick of filling out all these surveys that I started to fuck with them.
So like we discussed purposefully misleading phone polls, I question the veracity of self-reported data.
I remember the anonymous drug and alcohol surveys they gave us in high school, most of us saw them as fun to “Christmas Tree” with as many messed up answers as we could!
Oh, hell, I was constantly assaulted by sailors, especially the sailors that were shorter than I was and had really, really bad acne. Just being around them was an assault. Couldn’t make a move without being assaulted.
The Marines held doors open for me, even if my arms weren’t full of junk. You can see why a WAVE would date a Jarhead ahead of a sailor, right?
Hint to these bonehead surveyors:
A bump of the fist is not a sexual assault. It means ‘job well done’.
Someone flipping the bird at you is not sexual assault. It is just vulgarity and sometimes bad manners, but we do it all the time and it’s losing its effect.
Sea stories involving neon signs with “seven floors of whores” in large letters is not sexual assault. If it offends the delicate sensibilities of the wimmins, they need to be reminded that no one is forcing them to listen to that crap.
Using the term “dick” or “dickweed” is only an affront to someone whose hame is Dick Handler or Dick Blocker.
I could go on, but you get the drift, right? Right?
So, just HOW are these men getting sexually assaulted? Inquiring minds want to know. Are the women grabbing THEIR asses or something? Slapping their lower frontal quadrants? Referring to their guns?
C’mon, SPILL!!!
If this is such an awful thing, then how come romance novels have some of the highest sales volumes in the literary industry?
Were these surveyors are bunch of dried up old biddies who pretend they NEVER DID, or pigeon-necked twerps in off the raack Brooks Brothers suits?
I remember a guy in Germany that would stand in front of someone, throw a few pelvic thrusts and say “do me”.
He was ignored by everyone except the the guy that planted a boot in his crotch.
One of my NCO’s would hump your leg instead of saying good morning. Never did it to a female Soldier, nobody ever complained. I guess I was sexually assaulted and was too ignorant to realize it. #metoo
I do recall one fellow, not wearing a uniform at the time but said he was in the service, relaying a story in which he said he had been sexually assaulted by a woman.
Unfortunately, one of his listeners was a sailor in the crackerjack, who asked him if he was gay, or something like that.
A shipmate of mine, a real Studley Screwright, ended up on liberty in Pattaya and it just happened to be his birthday.
So, his “caring” brothers decided to get him a “present”: a very attractive young lady.
Well, my shipmate was thrilled and he decided to really celebrate. Lots of Singha was imbibed and eventually he ended up swapping spit with his “present” at the bar.
After a bit of impassioned kissing, he went for a recon of the strategic areas and was confused to find quite a large lump there.
You can fill in the blanks.
His brothers sitting in the corner almost passed out they were laughing so hard.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Always check the calves or Adam’s Apple.
Especially in Thailand.
The radar operator on my crew thought it would be a fine joke to scribe “Triple Penis Swabbed” in grease pencil inside the Gedunk LPO’s ball cap. She didn’t see the humor, and neither did the Skipper. Reduction in Rate, one month forfeiture of all pay and allowances, suspended for six months. And a written apology to the LPO.
He’s lucky. This was post-Tailgate and every one was walking on eggshells, not wanting to made an example.
A PO2 in one of the squadrons I supported thought it would be a great idea to wave his cock in the face of the CO’s wife at the annual Xmas Party.
Of course, alcohol was involved.
You can guess that the CO got his ears burned off about this and a Captain’s Mast was called for the next day…Sunday…with the entire squadron in dress whites attending.
When the skipper said to the sad sack Sailor, “Before I max you out on punishments, do you have anything you want to say?”
“Sir, I apologize, but in my alcoholic haze I figured that if an officer could do it, then it was okay for me.”
“ALL OFFICERS CALL!….NOW!”
O-ganger identified and letter of reprimand immediately issued.
A fun time was had by all.
Let me guess, an Ordie, right? Love ’em like brothers, but you can’t take ’em anywhere.
An AT IIRC. Aircrew.
Can’t trust those aircrew either!
Why is there a difference between sexual assault in the military and sexual assault outside the military?
Why is there a difference between suicide in the military and suicide outside the military?
If you answered “there is no difference” then congratulations. You can see all this bullshit for what it is, bullshit.
RAND Studies are usually bullshit. They email links to everyone and just wait for people to respond with an online survey.
They haven’t changed how they pull info in over a decade. Why they continue to get gummint funding is beyond me.
Just sayin:
Ha!
Your hose are too high up; too close to the kneecap. Need to roll down once more.
“My Privates Can’t Control Themselves”
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https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/crown-jewels/
Love the sign.
Good golly miss Molly! That guy is lucky most of the shithole postings in the British Empire are long gone. Perhaps a posting as recruiting officer in the South Georgia and South Sandwich islands (pop. 30) until he meets his recruiting goal.
I can’t say I remember one guy being harassed beyond the normal military crap guys do to each other when I was in. I also don’t remember any women reporting it but 5 of six in my unit got pregnant. Not to say it wasn’t going on but no-one took it personnel and none were such shrinking violets that they didn’t give back twice as good as they got. Actually, it was quite fun to hear the insults the females came up with. Much more creative than the men.
What we are raising is a generation of pussies that can’t deal with the real world
I think you are right. Women are naturally meaner and more vicious than men. Men go away too war to flee the Amazon at home.
You are absolutely right, Tom Huxton.
It’s the reason women don’t work well together in teams, and it’s also the reason for at least one of those container ship collisions with a USNavy shipt in an extremely busy shipping lane.
This report is going to ring a lot of bells on installations. Commanders will feel under the microscope and figure how to deal with crime in general. Back in the 70’s when Lt.Gen Moore assumed command at Fort Ord, it was known as “Dodge City” due to high crime rate. Permanent party and civilians were committing just about every crime under the sun and getting away with it.
Two weeks into being in command, Moore turned the hounds of hell loose (MP’s) with explicit instructions to detain/arrest any and everybody involved in the crime wave and those suspected of participating were under 24/7 surveillance. In matter of months, Ord’s crime rate was about nill thanks to LT.Gen Moore’s decision to put a halt to all of it.
A good number of permanent party were charged with armed robbery (they were robbing trainees on payday)and several homicides. Civilian employees detained/arrested were remanded to civilian custody and prosecuted in the same manner.
Whatever happened to “punch their frigging lights out and go about your business?”
I tried to find a definition of sexual assault or sexual harassment at that link. I got to page 34 before I gave up. I think that was a sufficient sample. Since a definition of what you are attempting to measure is the sine qua non (fancy, eh?) of a valid study my conclusion is that this study is worthless.
If I missed the definition I hope someone will correct me.
That being said, I would claim that according to my definitions, I was sexually harassed at least three times in my military service. This was back when such conduct guaranteed a less than honorable discharge.
Sexual assault is when someone beats you with a dildo.
Sexual harrassment is when they just wave it at you.
Not sure about sexual battery though.
I get battery and assault mixed up.
Does the dildo have a battery? Well there you go, easy. Assault AND Battery.
*grin*
I should have known better than to ask for enlightenment here.
And approx. 98.7% of inmates responded in the negative when asked if they were guilty of the crimes for which they were incarcerated.
Rose Barracks Germany? Isn’t Vilseck like one of the last places we have troops in Germany?
A couple of these posts touch on, but don’t ask, the key issue: What is a sexual assault? What is sexual harassment? Something like Kavanaugh is accused of definitely falls under the first, but at what point does ‘he tried to feel under my bra and I decided he was pond scum for doing so even if we had been making out over an hour’ turn into assault? ‘Hey baby sit on my face’ is gonna be harassment, but saying “aw, fuck” creates an ‘intimidating’ environment? I suspect a lot of us older types draw a much tighter line around what is each than some of the younger folks judging by the ‘snowflake’ or ‘why don’t you grow up and face the world’ sort of comments… but shouldn’t there be an easy to understand standard?
I did a salt my C Rats and did Battery on the Prick 25, does that count? Other than that, I got nothin.
First and foremost, please explain why on earth you are wearing women’s lingerie?
And what exactly is your source? As I understand it, Fredrik’s of Hollywood has been reduced to a shell of its former self, so those silk corsets are out.
This sounds like the witch hunt that they did several years ago, checking personal clothing lockers for any pictures or posters that might be offensive. A lot of people got into trouble for having a picture at the back of their locker (where you had to look hard to see it) that fell into the “forbidden” category. I’m sorry, but until someone proves me wrong, it’s my firm belief that the vast majority of these studies and reports are skewed from the onset to create the numbers to justify themselves – nothing more.
Exactly.
Dr. Alfred Kinsey (a zoologist) was the one that claimed 10% of the population is gay. This claim is still used today. His study was based upon that of prison populations.
No, as a zoologist, he was studying monkeys lol
When I was in the services they talked about people being raped in the car park. So I hung around the car park, day and night every chance I got for 4 weeks but not once was I raped, assaulted or even abused. I came to the conclusion that the report must have bull dust. My luck didn’t change until I went down to the O.R’s canteen and picked up a nice little nurse the first night. P.S 40 years latter we are still together and loving it.
Now THAT’S funny!
I can imagine how disappointed you must have been about the car park!
FPO code 96671
Which covers San Diego, Bremerton, Bangor, Pearl, Guam, and others.
Jesus, it’s not like they’re even trying.