5% of women at military colleges report sexual assault

WARNING: This article contains graphic content and may affect people who have experienced sexual violence or know someone who has.

Five per cent of women surveyed at Canadian military colleges in 2023 said they had been sexually assaulted by being threatened, restrained or injured and forced to perform unwanted sexual acts in the past 12 months, according to survey results obtained by CBC News.

And nine percent of female students at a military academy said in the same survey that they had been sexually assaulted while under the influence of drugs or alcohol or in some other way during the past year.

Those findings on two different types of sexual assault are contained in a report the Canadian Defence Academy, which represents military colleges, shared with CBC News late last week – more than five months after CBC initially requested the results. The academy said it decided not to make the findings public until students were informed and received a copy of the report last week.

Most of the students surveyed – especially the women – said they had experienced unwanted sexual behavior in the past year, such as lewd jokes, inappropriate comments about their bodies or unwanted touching.

The survey also found that one percent of male students surveyed said they had been sexually assaulted.

The Canadian Defence Academy describes the reports of sexual assault and unwanted sexualised behaviour contained in the survey as “completely unacceptable”.

The Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) in Kingston, Ontario, and RCM Saint-Jean in Quebec provide basic and officer training to naval and officer cadets ages 17 to 24.

In the survey, conducted by the military academies in spring 2023, the Department of Defense asked all students at both military academies for the first time about their personal experiences with sexual misconduct.

The survey was launched in response to a 2022 recommendation from former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour, who was tasked with investigating the sexual misconduct crisis in the Canadian Armed Forces, which has seen a number of senior leaders face allegations.

A “hostile environment”

In her final report, Arbour called her interviews with female cadets “troubling” because they confirmed that long-standing problems with the culture at the military academies had not gone away. She said the cadets were mostly “young white males” and the colleges were from “a different era, with an outdated and problematic leadership model.”

Arbour concluded that “the ongoing hostile environment and mistreatment of many female cadets in itself warrants a thorough investigation into the future of military training at these colleges.” She called for more comprehensive data collection on sexual misconduct and discrimination.

In response, all 1,247 Marine and officer cadets in the regular officer training program at military colleges were asked to complete a survey about their student experiences, health and well-being in spring 2023. Less than half of the students (36 percent) chose to participate – more than 310 men and 120 women.

Students were surveyed about sexual misconduct in all college settings – on campus, on the way to or from campus, and at college-organized off-campus events.

A summary of the survey results shows that 82 percent of female students and 64 percent of male students reported being subjected to sexual jokes in the past year. More than half of the female students surveyed reported experiencing unwanted physical contact or inappropriate sexual comments about their appearance or body.

The survey also found that female cadets were “far more likely than men to experience any type of unwanted sexual conduct,” including inappropriate discussions about their sex lives, unwanted sexual attention, or sending or viewing sexually explicit messages, photos or videos.

The outlier was the exhibitionism incident: five percent of male cadets reported being victims of indecent exposure, compared to four percent of female students surveyed.

According to the DND report, the rates of unwanted sexual behavior are “significantly higher” than in In 2019, when Statistics Canada conducted its own survey of students at military colleges. The DND report states that the two surveys are not directly comparable because the questions were different.

The DND survey also found that many female students do not trust university administrations to take their allegations seriously.

More than 40 percent of female students disagreed with the assumption that military academies handle complaints of sexual violence fairly, and 45 percent also rejected the claim that their school does a good job of providing assistance to victims of sexual assault and harassment.

More than 90 percent of students surveyed at the college in Kingston said that the statement that “at a military academy, it is more important not to get caught than to follow the rules” is more or less true.

The survey also found that 20 percent of women at colleges said they experienced discrimination because of their gender, compared to just three percent of men.

Charlotte Duval-Lantoine of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute said the findings confirmed that there is still a “major problem” of sexual assault and unwanted sexual behaviour at military academies.

“It’s shocking to hear,” said Duval-Lantoine, who wrote a book about gender integration in the military. “But that’s part of what we’ve been hearing for years about what’s happening in military academies.”

Arbour’s report said military leadership has responded in the past that the problem of sexual misconduct at colleges is “in some ways comparable to the problems at civilian universities.” Arbour added that the “unique environment” at military academies “makes the challenge even greater, almost insurmountable.”

“First and foremost, damage is occurring in a public institution that is funded by Canadian taxpayers,” said Duval-Lantoine. “So there is a certain level of accountability here as well.”

“I don’t think the military is doing enough to protect its young members.”

Minister’s office: “There is still a lot to do”

The survey results were presented to senior Defense Department officials, including top military commander General Wayne Eyre and Defense Secretary Bill Blair, the report said.

Blair’s office said he had “made it clear that the culture at the Royal Military Colleges needs to change significantly” to ensure cadets are treated “fairly and with dignity”.

“The survey results clearly show that there is still much work to be done to eradicate sexual misconduct at Canada’s military academies and create a more respectful and inclusive culture,” Diana Ebadi, a spokeswoman for Blair, said in a statement to CBC News.

Ebadi said the government had implemented Arbour’s recommendation to set up a panel of inquiry to examine the future of the colleges. That work is ongoing and includes an investigation into sexual misconduct, misogyny and discrimination.

A spokesperson for the Canadian Defence Academy told CBC News that the well-being of naval and officer cadets “remains a top priority.” Both military academies are “committed to addressing the issues” and support the recommendations in Arbour’s report, said Maj. Krzysztof Stachura, a press officer for the defence academy.

Stachura pointed to several military academies’ initiatives designed to “reduce or eliminate” sexual misconduct. These include a “cultural development” organization created last year to teach the colleges about “inclusive, equitable and respectful interactions,” among other things. Advisory groups would also provide feedback to the chain of command, he said.

The survey is now conducted annually. Students completed the 2024 survey earlier this month. The Defense Academy said the results were not yet available as they were still being compiled and analyzed. This year’s survey will help colleges monitor progress and make changes, the academy said.