Pentagon review calls for reforms to reverse spike in sexual misconduct at military academies
WASHINGTON — The U.S. military academies must improve their leadership, stop toxic practices such as hazing and shift behavior training into the classrooms, according to a Pentagon study aimed at addressing an alarming spike in sexual assaults and misconduct. But she cautioned that “not only are they going to take time to implement, but cultural change does take time.” Foster and Andra Tharp, the senior prevention adviser for the force resiliency office, said that while the academies offer a lot of strong programs, toxic and unhealthy command climates make them less effective. “Unfortunately, that didn’t stop once they left their freshman year.” The officials added that a contributing factor to the behavior problems is that — like other college students around the country — many more cadets and midshipmen are arriving at the academies with previous bad experiences, ranging from assaults and harassment to thoughts of or attempts at suicide. The report said students can get inaccurate information about assault prevention, reporting, resources and military justice from the app, making them less likely to seek help.
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