Sexual assault crisis': Unwanted contact reports hit all-time high at Coast Guard Academy

USNA2014PP

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Just dropped my DD off on Monday for swab summer. During the parents briefing they did discuss the improvement that is being made in getting the information out to all cadets and staff members what is appropriate and inappropriate contact with the cadets. There was no mention of the report that was published today.
I have to think they knew it was coming out and decided not to bring it up during the briefing. Not that it makes a difference, but talk about taking the winds out of your sail!
https://apple.news/A6D4pwqqHT5uuTn0jHGumcg
 
I just dropped my child off for swab summer. I agree there was no mention of this. I find it rather concerning, actually. No chatter of it.
 
My daughter will be SAP at MMI for the Coast Guard Academy. As a mother, I paid attention to reports of sexual assault and unwanted contact at the Service Academies over the years. As horrible as it is to say this, there are some professions where instances of unwanted contact and sexual assault are going to be higher.

We, as parents, can not change that environment for our them. What we can do is prepare our daughters for what they may encounter and give them the tools to combat it. Teach them to make it clear that certain behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated, instruct them to report that behavior, give our girls the strength to know it's okay to get up and walk out if they are uncomfortable, and if necessary fight back and don't be afraid to incapacitate an attacker.

Parents of boys need to teach their sons to respect boundaries, that No means No, and when in doubt, get the hell out. Remove themselves from a situation which could turn into he said, she said.

As parents, we can address our concerns to the Academies and Institutions that our children attend, making it very clear that we expect that all Cadets, Instructors, Staff and anyone who comes into contact with our students in that environment will receive appropriate training to address sexual assault and inappropriate contact. All parties need to know who to contact to report unwanted behavior, and what the process and procedures are for addressing it. A combined effort of instruction, education, awareness and aggressively, but fairly addressing sexual assault reports is the best way to reduce the instances of it's occurrence.

If it were up to me, all first year female Cadets would be required to take jujitsu, judo, aikido or a combination of the three with an emphasis an grappling with an aggressor that out weights them. Instruction on how to use what ever is in their environment as a weapon in the event they are attacked or need to defend themselves should be included.

Whether we like it or not, our daughters are going out into a world where we can not always protect them, one of the best things we can do for them is to teach them situational awareness and equip them with the skills to protect and defend themselves.
 
Parents of boys need to teach their sons to respect boundaries, that No means No, and when in doubt, get the hell out. Remove themselves from a situation which could turn into he said, she said.

I completely agree. However please bear in mind that this issue isn't restricted the females being the victims. Although not to the same degree male cadets are some instances also victimized. I think all parents need to teach their children boundaries and to be respectful of each other. Parents need to be parents not friends and on occasions need to bring down the hammer, only then will our children have a strong moral code and know the difference between right and wrong.
 
In my humble opinion, 90% of these incidents would be eliminated if there was a total ban on alcohol use by cadets.

Make it a condition of appointment. Over 21/under 21, on base/off base, - doesn't matter. If they want to get serious about stopping it then do something that will be effective, don't just play lip service to it.

To those who think it couldn't be done - Cadets are restricted from many things legal for non-cadets (e.g. marriage, cannabis in certain states, etc).

Moral codes and knowing right from wrong go right out the window while intoxicated.
 
Parents of boys need to teach their sons to respect boundaries, that No means No, and when in doubt, get the hell out. Remove themselves from a situation which could turn into he said, she said.

I had the conversation with my son about getting into a situation where it turned into the conversation of she said this happened ...and it didn't. That terrifies me. But as parents with sons and daughters, it is something we all worry about. I told my son to never be alone with a woman ever! Like he will follow that guidance.
 
Unfortunately this is an issue across America. My DD went to a regular university last year, and I just dropped her off for Swab Summer on Monday. Her regular university had the same issues. Almost every instance of these incidents has a chain of events leading up to the incident. Break one link in the chain and it can help prevent the incident. I’m hopeful that I have educated my daughter properly and prepared her for the situations to which she will find herself exposed.
 
I’m hopeful that I have educated my daughter properly

In the service academy world, one poor decision and it can be all over. Many that started with DS didn't make it to the finish line, often from a poor decision or series of poor decisions. We can only hope that the foundations we provided serve them at the academy and later in the fleet.
 
Inhibitions are obviously lessened but you still know right from wrong.

The Temperance movement believed that all societal woes would be cured by the elimination of alcohol, but that experiment didn't go so well.

The federal government's push at the state level to raise the drinking age to 21 has done little to curb drinking on college campuses.

I travel to Germany often for my job. In Germany you are able to drink at 16, but most Germans don't obtain their drivers license until 18. One German colleague remarked to me that in Germany you learn about drinking first and driving second - in America it's the opposite.
 

This is a problem across ALL service lines. Has been for years. The problem arises as above in the "he said she said" scenario. I am not schooled enough in the mental aspects of this whole thing, but I agree that we are sending our sons and daughters out into this world that is quite different than the one we as parents experienced. Removing alcohol is not the answer...….teaching our sons and daughters what is right and what is wrong is. JMHO, that societal changes and the overall reluctance to either report or prosecute without concrete evidence is causing this problem. The "Me Too" movement has caused problems because people are coming forward years after an assault and without evidence other than their word expect punishment. That is NOT how our system works. The fact that the CG has implemented a plan that has increased reporting of even minor unwanted advances is a good step and should go a way towards making us parents more secure that our sons and daughters are being taught what we maybe should have taught them earlier.

If we teach out children as they grow up what is right and what is wrong, maybe much of this goes away. There is a definite "legal" problem with any sexual assault, even a minor "touching" one in that often times there is no forensic evidence or witnesses to the event so it is "he said she said" and do we really want to punish everyone accused (either sex) and possibly ruin their lives without the proper standard of evidence.
 
Inhibitions are obviously lessened but you still know right from wrong.

The Temperance movement believed that all societal woes would be cured by the elimination of alcohol, but that experiment didn't go so well.

The federal government's push at the state level to raise the drinking age to 21 has done little to curb drinking on college campuses.

I travel to Germany often for my job. In Germany you are able to drink at 16, but most Germans don't obtain their drivers license until 18. One German colleague remarked to me that in Germany you learn about drinking first and driving second - in America it's the opposite.
So true. We are originally from the UK and it is not unusual in Europe to see young teenagers in restaurants enjoying a wine (usually diluted) whilst having a meal with their parents.
 
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Interesting how everyone assumes that males are the only alleged perpetrators. Would love to see a breakdown of the alleged offenses, by gender of both the alleged perpetrator and the alleged victim. The stories I hear about Shark Week paint a different story than what you all seem to be picturing in your heads.
 
Interesting how everyone assumes that males are the only alleged perpetrators. Would love to see a breakdown of the alleged offenses, by gender of both the alleged perpetrator and the alleged victim. The stories I hear about Shark Week paint a different story than what you all seem to be picturing in your heads.

https://apnews.com/e0d908503fa44a82ad9ef3169e64c9f5

https://apnews.com/67770a95d40a43cfb602ebd051a3edd8

These two links give a little more detail as to break down of the survey results.
 
Interesting how everyone assumes that males are the only alleged perpetrators. Would love to see a breakdown of the alleged offenses, by gender of both the alleged perpetrator and the alleged victim. The stories I hear about Shark Week paint a different story than what you all seem to be picturing in your heads.

https://apnews.com/e0d908503fa44a82ad9ef3169e64c9f5

https://apnews.com/67770a95d40a43cfb602ebd051a3edd8

These two links give a little more detail as to break down of the survey results.
Still no data on the gender of the alleged perps, and the gender of each alleged perps' alleged victims.
 
Interesting how everyone assumes that males are the only alleged perpetrators. Would love to see a breakdown of the alleged offenses, by gender of both the alleged perpetrator and the alleged victim. The stories I hear about Shark Week paint a different story than what you all seem to be picturing in your heads.

https://apnews.com/e0d908503fa44a82ad9ef3169e64c9f5

https://apnews.com/67770a95d40a43cfb602ebd051a3edd8

These two links give a little more detail as to break down of the survey results.
Still no data on the gender of the alleged perps, and the gender of each alleged perps' alleged victims.

Very interesting point. Most people's mind's instantly go to male perp/female victim, but where are the numbers? How many of these are two females, two males, or a female aggressor on a male?
 
In my humble opinion, 90% of these incidents would be eliminated if there was a total ban on alcohol use by cadets.

Make it a condition of appointment. Over 21/under 21, on base/off base, - doesn't matter. If they want to get serious about stopping it then do something that will be effective, don't just play lip service to it.

To those who think it couldn't be done - Cadets are restricted from many things legal for non-cadets (e.g. marriage, cannabis in certain states, etc).

Moral codes and knowing right from wrong go right out the window while intoxicated.

In regard to alcohol, my initial thought is, "but does this really prepare them for life after the Academy?" These young men and women will be under intense pressure after they commission and will have to learn about alcohol being a part of the equation.
 
I have to agree with coach. Alcohol makes stupid at all ages, but good judgement needs to happen at all times and places. Blaming the demon rum does not address the daily grind of real life. For example I met my wife at work in what would likely have been an illegal military relationship. The academies are conducted under very stressful conditions to build stamina for times of pressure. One temptation to leave in their path is drugs and alcohol, because legal or illegal there is a potential for abuse that has to be addressed head-on.
 
When my daughter was a non-rate, she had, lets say, an incident on her boat with her first class. This incident did not involved alcohol, or friendship outside the ship. It was just plain creepy. I think she would have just ignored it, if she wasn't a direct report to him. He ended up being masted right before he made chief. So, just not to pick on the men....the gossip on the women on that boat was not much better, both enlisted and commissioned.
 
Interesting how everyone assumes that males are the only alleged perpetrators. Would love to see a breakdown of the alleged offenses, by gender of both the alleged perpetrator and the alleged victim. The stories I hear about Shark Week paint a different story than what you all seem to be picturing in your heads.
Exactly the point I made as well. As the dad to 3 boys it is saddening that people automatically jump to the conclusion that the males are the aggressors.
 
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