{
  "id": 2432861,
  "title": "More troops are reporting unwanted sexual contact, but numbers still fall, Pentagon says",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/more-troops-are-reporting-unwanted-sexual-contact-but-numbers-still-2432861",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-21T20:23:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Associated Press",
    "slug": "associated-press",
    "url": "https://apnews.com/article/military-sexual-assaults-reports-pentagon-562c258638a69931675a853780d9a271"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Pentagon has released a report indicating that more U.S. service members are reporting unwanted sexual contact to authorities, despite a decrease in the overall number of such incidents. In fiscal year 2025, approximately 33% of active duty personnel who experienced unwanted sexual contact reported it, up from 25% in fiscal year 2023. This upward trend suggests that more troops are feeling confident in coming forward with their experiences, which could be a positive indicator of a more supportive environment. However, the total number of reported sexual assaults declined from 8,195 in 2024 to 7,998 in 2025, a reduction of 197 cases. The department conducts a confidential online survey every two years to gather more accurate data on the issue, as sexual assault is notoriously underreported. Defense officials interpret the increase in reported assaults as a positive sign, reflecting greater trust in the reporting system and enhanced support for victims. The prevalence of unwanted sexual contact among female active duty personnel dropped from 6.8% in 2023 to 4.3% in 2025, while for men, it decreased slightly from 1.3% to 1%.",
  "summary": "WASHINGTON (AP) — More U.S. troops are reporting unwanted sexual contact to authorities, according to a Pentagon report released Friday, even as more service members are willing to come forward, the prevalence of such…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}