Navy Investigation Finds Pervasive Sexual Harassment

An internal Navy study reported Wednesday that sexual harassment is a pervasive problem throughout the service and “inconsistent and ambiguous” job-assignment policies are hobbling the careers of many women.

The Navy investigative panel found that service policies designed to curtail sexual harassment and discrimination against women are enforced unevenly and are frequently misunderstood by commanders and service personnel.

The 500-page report also said Navy authorities are concerned about a 55% increase in reported rapes at naval bases in the past three years and criticized its own investigative service for insensitive treatment of rape victims in many cases.

The study was ordered by the top military and civilian naval commanders last fall after a series of controversial incidents involving sexual harassment and reported rapes at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis and the Naval Training Center at Orlando, Fla.

After conducting 2,700 interviews and 4,000 written surveys of men and women from 160 naval commands worldwide, the panel issued 150 recommendations for policy changes on issues ranging from job assignments to fraternization to rape investigations.

Rear Adm. Roberta L. Hazard, who headed the study panel, described its recommendations as “a recognition that progress has been made” but that the Navy needs to “continue the improvement.”

“Things are not perfect,” said Capt. Kathleen M. Bruyere, who oversees women’s policy issues for the Navy. “But they’re getting better.”

During the public presentation of the report Wednesday at the Naval Annex in Arlington, Va., committee members stressed improvement in the Navy’s treatment of women. But the report itself used harsher language to describe many of the service’s problems.

“Sexual harassment still exists in all forms,” the study concluded, noting that three-fourths of the women and one-half of the men surveyed said sexual harassment was occuring within their commands. Junior enlisted women and black women reported having the most frequent problems with sexual harassment.

“Both law and policy still restrict the assignment of women, reinforcing the perception that women are not equal contributors and impacting women’s career horizons negatively,” the report said.

“Policies governing decisions on the assignment of women were found to be inconsistent and ambiguous to such a degree that differing, yet reasonable, interpretations can unnecessarily restrict women.”

Navy rules concerning the assignment of women, for instance, frequently conflict with Defense Department policies, the study found.