This represents a 9 percent drop from a 1988 DoD survey, when 64 percent of women said they'd experienced harassment. It was a 3 percent drop for men. Dorn announced preliminary survey findings at a Pentagon news briefing July 2 and said other results, including service- specific data, would be announced later. He said the department's senior leadership remains determined to eradicate all such behavior.
Sexual harassment affects people's performance, good order and discipline.
Sexual harassment is a workplace problem in the military, according to the survey. Military coworkers of equal rank were the perpetrators for 44 percent of the women and 52 percent of the men. People of higher rank or grade were the perpetrators for 43 percent of the women and 21 percent of the men. Sexual harassment is occurring where commanders and NCOs can be most effective and where they have an obligation to be most attentive, Dorn said. Leaders throughout the chain of command need to recognize sexual harassment is happening, he said.