A new study claims that the number of sexual assaults in the United States military is “likely two to four times higher than official government estimations.”
According to the study, which was conducted by Brown University’s Watson Institute’s Costs of War Project, researchers compared Department of Defense sexual assault data with independent data to determine sexual assault estimates in the U.S. military since 2001.
Researchers stated, “During and beyond the 20 years of the post-9/11 wars, independent data suggest that actual sexual assault prevalence is two to four times higher than DoD estimations — 75,569 cases in 2021 and 73,695 cases in 2023.”
The study noted that the Department of Defense estimates that there were roughly 35,900 sexual assault cases in the military in 2021 and roughly 29,000 cases in 2023. The report indicated that independent studies reveal much higher estimates of U.S. service members facing sexual assault.
“This report highlights a middle range — two to four times higher than DoD estimates — as likely providing the most accurate numbers,” researchers explained.
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NBC News reported that the Costs of War Project’s study comes a year after the Pentagon published a report that discovered sexual assault at the three military academies increased by over 18% from 2021 to 2022. A Congressional Research Service report in 2021 also pointed to evidence that a majority of sexual assault cases in the U.S. military are not reported.
The Cost of War Project’s study suggested that the Iraq War and Afghanistan War forced the U.S. military to prioritize military readiness over sexual assault and other issues in the military. The study stated, “On average, over the course of the war in Afghanistan, 24 percent of active-duty women and 1.9 percent of active-duty men experienced sexual assault.”
Researchers added, “In the Secretary of the Army’s own words, going to war has prevented the military from institutionally reckoning with its shameful longstanding epidemic of sexual assault.”
In response to the report, a Defense Department spokesperson claimed that it would be “inappropriate to comment on the methodology of studies not conducted by the Department.”
“The department continues our sustained progress to build strong command climates and prevent sexual assault, assist sexual assault survivors with recovery, and hold alleged offenders appropriately accountable,” the spokesperson stated. “Sexual violence will not be tolerated, condoned, or ignored within our ranks. Everything we are doing in this space is focused on helping us make lasting, meaningful change.”
