A survey of sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces shows 960 members of the military reported they were sexually assaulted over the past year. One-quarter of women said they had been assaulted at least once over their careers, as did 3.8 per cent of men.
General ‘extremely disappointed’
Chief of the Defence Staff, Genl. Jonathan Vance commissioned the survey which included 43,000 respondents. He called the results sobering and said he was extremely disappointed in particular that they came after he had launched a plan to eliminate sexual misconduct.
“Actually, I am more motivated than ever to eliminate this behaviour and its perpetrators from our ranks…” he said. “My orders were clear; my expectations were clear. And those who choose or chose not to follow my orders will be dealt with…I’m happy if they leave our ranks permanently.”
Many kinds of ‘inappropriate sexualized behaviour’
The survey found that 79 per cent of military personnel saw, heard or experienced “inappropriate sexualized behaviour” over the previous year. This included verbal or non-verbal communication, unwanted contact, sexually explicit materials, or suggested sexual relationships.
Vance said there was some good news in that 80 per cent of respondents reported they trusted the military would deal with these issues. But he said the confidence must be backed up with results. The survey will help with the ongoing mission to deal with this issue.
‘I deeply regret’
Vance said the Canadian Armed Forces must reflect the values of society as a whole and that military personnel must make that happen. He also implied the issue of sexual misconduct must be dealt with because the military needs to include women.
Finally the chief of defence staff spoke directly to potential recruits and women who have suffered from sexual misconduct. “I deeply regret the past. But I assure you that I and my senior leaders are working tirelessly to change us for better.”
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