Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Chain Of Command: The Barriers Of Reporting Sexual Assault In The Military, Danielle Christenson

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Reported rates of sexual assault in the military have increased dramatically over the past 10 years (Groves, 2013). One reason for the pervasiveness of sexual assault is the reporting structure. Despite changes in the way sexual assault complaints are handled, there continue to be numerous sexual assault scandals (Childress, 2013). The purpose of this study is to examine how the military’s chain of command influences the reporting procedures, and how this may influence the military’s ability to prevent sexual assaults. This thesis examines three case studies specifically focusing on military sexual assault reporting.