Mike Domitrz says the Department of Defense's rising sexual assault reports don't mean more assaults are happening. Better support systems like SAPRA make service members more willing to report. The increase reflects a safer environment to come forward, not a spike in actual incidents.
Okay, there are more support systems and resources available that if I have been done wrong to, I might feel safer telling someone. So, the DOD every year has to give reports on annual sexual assault, harassment, and assault numbers. And the numbers go up, and the media sees that and goes crazy, and says, oh my gosh, the military has more sexual assaults happening now than ever before in the history of the military. Is that a true statement? No. We don't know that at all. What we actually know is more people have reported, Which could be an indication we actually have better systems of support than ever before, and more people are coming forward than ever before, because we're creating a more supportive system through the SAPRA program. Which, by the way, if you look, that's probably more likely what's happening. Doesn't mean there still isn't problems going on, but there's more support. So yes, people can feel safer. Doesn't mean everybody does, but there are more people likely to feel safer.
