Military Sexual Assaults Drop; More Victims Report
Military Sexual Assaults Drop; More Victims Report
The News
The Pentagon says estimated sexual assaults in the U.S. military fell to 20,492 in fiscal year 2025, down from 29,000 in fiscal 2023 — the third straight year of decline.
At the same time, a larger share of victims is coming forward: 33% of affected troops filed a formal report, up from 25% in 2023.
The department released the annual report Friday. It combines formal reports filed with the military with an anonymous survey, conducted every other year, that asks service members whether they experienced unwanted sexual contact or harassment.
The Numbers
Estimated assaults: 35,900 in fiscal 2021, 29,000 in fiscal 2023, 20,492 in fiscal 2025.
Formal reports: 8,195 in fiscal 2024, 7,998 in fiscal 2025 — a drop of 197.
Among active-duty women, 4.3% reported unwanted sexual contact, down from 6.8% in 2023.
Reporting rate: 33% of affected troops filed a formal report in 2025, against 25% two years earlier. Two-thirds still do not report.
Retaliation: 17% of women who reported unwanted sexual contact said they faced legally prohibited retaliation.
Confidence in the system: 44% of women said they believed the new Office of Special Trial Counsel would treat them fairly, compared with 65% of men.
Reactions
Under Secretary Anthony Tata cited the results as evidence of the department's commitment to standards and readiness. The Pentagon has long argued that a higher reporting rate signals greater trust in the system rather than a worsening problem.
The advocacy group Protect Our Defenders disputes the rosy read. Its analysis finds 38% more unwanted sexual contacts than a decade ago, and senior vice president Josh Connolly said survivors are "more afraid" and the figures should not be taken at face value.
The Pentagon itself cautions that the survey methodology was revised in 2021, which makes long-term trend comparisons scientifically uncertain.
What's Next
The open question is whether the Office of Special Trial Counsel — which now handles prosecutions independently of the chain of command — produces measurably different outcomes for victims. Women's confidence in that office still trails men's by 21 points.
The prevalence survey runs every other year, so the next full comparison point will come with the following biennial cycle.
More
The two headline numbers move in opposite directions by design: the survey estimates how many assaults occurred, while the report count measures how many victims chose to tell the military about it. In fiscal 2025 the estimate fell sharply, the raw report count slipped by 197 — and the share of victims who reported rose eight points.
That is the core of the dispute over this report: whether falling prevalence reflects real progress or a methodology that undercounts the problem.
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