Accession Number:

AD1028000

Title:

Sexual Assault: Better Resource Management Needed to Improve Prevention and Response in the Army National Guard and Army Reserve

Descriptive Note:

Technical Report

Corporate Author:

U.S. Government Accountability Office Washington United States

Personal Author(s):

Report Date:

2017-02-01

Pagination or Media Count:

110.0

Abstract:

Sexual assault in the Army is often discussed in terms of its incidence among active-duty forces. Sexual assault is a crime that similarly confronts the more than 550,000 members who collectively serve in the Guard and Reserve, who together reported 604 sexual assault incidents in fiscal year 2015 however, sexual assault is generally an underreported crime. Congress included a provision in statute for GAO to review sexual assault prevention and response in the Armys reserve components. This report addresses the extent to which 1 the Guard and Reserve face any challenges implementing programs to prevent and respond to sexual assault and 2 medical and mental health-care services are available to victims in the Guard and Reserve. GAO reviewed DOD and Army policies administered two web-based surveys conducted site visits to four installations and interviewed officials.

Descriptors:

• sexual assault
• health services
• military personnel
• army personnel
• mental health
• crime
• traumatic stress disorder
• criminal investigations
• personnel management

Subject Categories:

• Sociology and Law
• Personnel Management and Labor Relations
• Military Forces and Organizations

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE