by Cameron Wilburn, Program Intern
Introduction
Service members dedicate their lives to protecting their country, yet many face harms within military culture and their ranks. Sexual assault and stalking remain serious and often overlooked problems in military communities, affecting thousands of service members and veterans each year (DoD, 2025). These harms are not evenly distributed among service members. Research shows that LGBTQ+ individuals and black women are more likely to experience stalking and sexual violence and are less likely to receive protection from the military (Schuyler et al., 2020; Breslin et al., 2022). By understanding the experiences of military-connected survivors of sexual violence, and addressing the barriers and inequalities they face, we begin to build safer, more accountable military communities for those who serve.
Statistics on Stalking in Military Communities
According to the Department of Defense (DoD)’s 2024 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military, there were a total of 8,195 reports of sexual assault across all branches. Of those reports, 6,973 involved incidents that occurred while the person was actively serving, and 235 involved incidents prior to military service (DoD, 2025). Of the 8,195 total reports of sexual assault across all branches in 2024, only 2,128 met the evidentiary standard to be investigated (DoD, 2025). Maryland-specific data on reporting in the military is not available.
In a large 2019 Military Health System study of veterans, nearly 38% reported being stalked while serving, meaning that almost two in five service members experienced behaviors such as repeated unwanted contact, monitoring, or threats (Military Health System, 2020). Women veterans reported higher rates of stalking. 1 to 11% of women said they had been stalked during their active-duty service compared to 1 to 2% of men (Lucas et al., 2021). Women veterans reported the following as the most commonly committed stalking behaviors: unwanted messages, calls, or emails. Men veterans reported the following as the most commonly committed stalking behaviors: unwanted or uninvited visits to the survivor’s home or workplace (Military Health System, 2020).
Vulnerabilities in Military Communities
Military life is different from civilian life in several ways. Many military installations are geographically isolated or overseas, limiting access to off-base advocacy, mental health care, and confidential reporting options (SPARC, 2025). Survivors may also live, work, and socialize within the same small environment as the person who caused them harm, making it difficult to avoid unwanted contact (SPARC, 2025).
Military culture also emphasizes loyalty, composure, obeying leadership, and “mission first” values which can discourage them from seeking help. In such close-knit communities, speaking out against a fellow service member, especially someone of a higher rank, can be viewed as disloyal to the military or disruptive to the mission (SPARC, 2025). As a result, many incidents of stalking and sexual violence go unreported in military communities, leaving survivors to navigate trauma alone.
Intersection of Stalking and Sexual Violence Among Underserved Populations
Stalking and sexual assault are highly interconnected forms of power-based violence. Sexual violence is intensified in military environments because service members are required to remain in close quarters, under strict hierarchies, and constant oversight (SPARC & NOVA, 2025).
One study found that (Lucas et. al, 2021), 57% of veterans who experienced stalking also experienced military sexual assault, compared to 24.3% of veterans who were not stalked but experienced military sexual assault (Lucas et. al, 2021). More specifically, 41.8% of men veterans who experienced stalking also experienced military sexual assault, compared to only 3.5% of those who were not stalked but still experienced military sexual assault (Lucas et. al, 2021). Women, ages 18 through 39, were most affected as survivors of stalking: 53.1% of women survivors identified as non-Hispanic white and 23.1% identified as lesbian or bisexual.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender service members represent one of the most underserved and at-risk groups in the military. Research shows that LGBTQ+ individuals are significantly more likely to experience sexual assault, harassment, and stalking during military service compared to their cisgender, heterosexual peers (Schuyler et al., 2020). In a study examining over 500 active-duty service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, LGBTQ+ participants were found to be two to four times more likely to report sexual assault and stalking compared to non-LGBTQ+ service members (Schuyler et al., 2020).
Research published in 2022 highlights black women as another underserved group within the military impacted by sexual violence (Breslin et al., 2022). One article, which used a large-scale 2018 survey, found that 17.9% of Black women serving active duty “in the military experienced sexual harassment in the 12 months prior to taking the survey” (Breslin et al., 2022, p. 414). Black women were more likely to identify their worst harassment situation as “being repeatedly told sexual jokes (39%), experiencing repeated attempts to establish an unwanted relationship (38%), and experiencing repeated sexual comments about their appearance or body (32%),” rather than a one-time incident of these behaviors (22%) (Breslin et al., 2022, p. 414). Of these women, 25% said that these experiences “made them take steps to leave the military” (Breslin et al., 2022, p. 414). These findings highlight the increased risk of harm for underserved populations within the military.
Military-Connected Survivor Safety
For survivors connected to the military, whether active-duty service members, veterans, children, or intimate partners, survivor safety extends far beyond physical security, including privacy and the ability to access help without fear of retaliation or compromises to one’s career. Safety planning for military-connected survivors requires recognizing how military environments can both limit and endanger a survivor’s ability to seek protection. Collaboration through Coordinated Response Teams, linking military, civilian, and advocacy organizations, can ensure survivor-centered responses across these distinct settings (SPARC, 2025).
References
Breslin, R. A., Daniel, S., & Hylton, K. (2022). “Black Women in the Military: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Correlates of Sexual Harassment.” Public Administration Review. Retrieved here.
Department of Defense (DoD). (2025). “Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military: Fiscal Year 2024.” Retrieved here.
Lucas, C. L., Cederbaum, J. A., Kintzle, S., & Castro, C. A. (2021). “An Examination of Stalking Experiences During Military Service Among Female and Male Veterans and Associations With PTSD and Depression.” Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Retrieved here.
Schuyler, A., Klemmer, C. L., Marney, M., Schrager, S., Goldbach, J., Holloway, I., & Castro, C. (2020). “LGBT Service Members Report More Sexual Assault, Sexual Harrassment, and Stalking Than Their Cisgender Heterosexual Peers.” International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Retrieved here.
Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center, & National Organization for Victim Assistance (SPARC) & National Organization for Victim Advocacy (NOVA). (2025). “Responding to Military Connected Survivors of Stalking.” Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center. Retrieved here.
