Incidents of sexual assault and sexual harassment in the United States military occur at dangerously high rates due to breakdowns in the reporting pipeline and inadequate preventative measures. Research conducted with official data from the Department of Defense, independent firms, and a series of self-reported surveys has consistently shown a vast discrepancy between reported incidents of sexual assault and sexual harassment and the amount estimated to occur annually. Ultimately, the DOD must overhaul the reporting pipeline and introduce new preventative measures to stop this epidemic. Specifically, unit leaders and command leadership need to be replaced as the sole authority to initiate investigative inquiries into reported instances of sexual misconduct. Preventative mechanisms need to be bolstered through comprehensive trainings and address specific harms minority communities face. Confidential and secure third-party reporting pipelines must be established to end this epidemic.

Jack would like to thank his faculty mentor, Kenya Brumfield-Young, for their support of this project.