Sexual Violence in the Military


Military Makeup in 2017
1,335,120

Active duty members of the armed services
472,047 — Army
319,492 — Navy
318,580 — Air Force
184,401 — Marines
40,600 — Coast Guard


BY GENDER*

Male = 82.5%
Female = 17.5%


Unwanted Sexual Contact

20,500 Reported Victims
Male = 7,500
Female = 13,000


Sexual Harassment of Active Duty Personnel

Male = 6.3%
Female = 38%

The majority of victims were harassed by someone in their chain of command.


Military Personnel and Veterans Experiencing Military Sexual Trauma

Male = 4%
Female = 38%

Veterans with a Military Sexual Trauma (MST) history are more than twice as 
likely to experience homelessness.


The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) reported in August 2018 that they 
processed approximately 12,000 veterans’ claims per year for post-traumatic 
stress disorder (PTSD) related to MST over the last three years.


PROSECUTION RATES

Of the 5,805 cases that qualified for possible disciplinary action:

307 CASES were tried by court martial.

1.9% or 108 offenders were convicted of a non-consensual sex offense.


REPORTING STATISTICS

OVER 1 IN 4 VICTIMS who did not report feared retaliation from command 
or coworkers.

NEARLY 1 IN 3 VICTIMS  who did not report feared the process would be 
unfair or nothing would be done.


About this infographic 
This is an updated version of 2013’s Sexual Violence in the Military: Infographic created 
in collaboration with Crime Victim Center of Erie County, PA. The 2013 infographic was 
a visual snapshot of some of the statistics included in the NSVRC publication Sexual 
Violence in the Military: A Guide for Civilian Advocates. This guide focuses on the 
impact of sexual violence in the military. It includes resources for advocates who, 
through relationships and collaborations with the military, can offer support in responding 
to the needs of survivors and preventing sexual violence.


REFERENCES

MILITARY MAKEUP
U.S. Department of Defense. (2017). 2017 Demographics: Profile of the military community. 
https://download.militaryonesource.mil/12038/MOS/Reports/2017-demographics-report.pdf

SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN THE MILITARY DATA
U.S. Department of Defense. (2018). Appendix B: Statistical data on sexual assault. 
https://www.sapr.mil/sites/default/files/Appendix_B_Statistical_Data_on_Sexual_Assault.pdf

MILITARY SEXUAL ASSAULT CLAIMS
Office of Inspector General. (2018). Denied posttraumatic stress disorder claims related 
to military sexual trauma. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 
https://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG-17-05248-241.pdf


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