Pentagon Report Shows Decline in Military Sexual Assault Reports for FY 2025

The Department of Defense’s 2025 Annual Report on Sexual Assault recorded 7,998 reports, down from 8,195 the prior fiscal year. The estimate of service members who experienced unwanted sexual contact fell to 20,492 (9,860 women and 10,632 men), a reduction from 29,061 in FY 2023. Reporting rates rose, with roughly one-third of those who experienced unwanted contact filing a formal report, up from one-quarter in FY 2023.

Army Times

• Unrestricted vs. restricted reports: 5,022 unrestricted, 2,976 restricted.

The Hill

• Branch prevalence (women): Marine Corps 6.4 %, Navy 5.1 %, Army 4.5 %, Air Force 2.8 %.

Army Times

• Branch prevalence (men): Navy 1.5 %, Army and Marine Corps 1.0 % each.

Army Times

• Estimated prevalence: Women 4.3 % (down from 6.8 % in 2023); men 1.0 % (down from 1.3 %).

Army Times

• Sexual harassment: Women 17.5 % (down from 24.7 %); men 4.4 % (down from 5.8 %).

Army Times

• Confidence in the system: 64 % of men and 41 % of women believed privacy would be protected; 69 % of men and 45 % of women trusted the military to ensure safety after an assault.

Army Times

Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Anthony J. Tata said dignity, respect and discipline are “foundational to the warrior ethos” and linked the decline to ongoing reforms. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced plans to revamp the Inspector General and Equal Employment Opportunity offices to improve anonymous reporting and whistleblower protections. The report highlighted the Office of Special Trial Counsel, which removes the chain of command from certain serious-crime investigations, and regional assessments aimed at strengthening coordination across services.

Army Times

Protect Our Defenders’ analysis noted a 38 % increase in unwanted sexual contacts compared with a decade earlier and that the 4.3 % assault rate for women matches the 2016 figure. The DoD disclosed that the survey methodology was substantially revised in 2021, limiting direct scientific comparison with pre-2021 estimates.

Army Times

The Department frames reduced assault prevalence as a “readiness imperative,” arguing that trust in the reporting system and confidence in leadership are essential for unit cohesion and recruitment.

Army Times

• “The FY 2025 report underscores our ongoing commitment to maintaining high standards, protecting our people, and building a unified, ready and lethal fighting force,” — Anthony J. Tata, under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness

The Hill

• “Survivors are more afraid to come forward than they were two years ago, and this administration has spent the past year giving them reason to be – rolling back whistleblower protections, making it harder to report anonymously, warning people who come forward that they may be punished for it,” — Josh Connolly, senior vice president

The Hill