According to Rand Corp, Navy vessels "dominate" as "the highest-risk installations" for sexual assault among men and women across the military, military.com reported Friday. The federally funded think tank analyzed 2014 data from 170,000 service members to reach its result.
"Of the 15 highest-risk installations for Navy women, 13 are ships or clusters of ships, including eight of the 10 aircraft carriers," Rand's report added. Of the 15 highest-risk areas for men to experience sexual assault, 14 were ships.
"Each service member's estimated risk of being sexually assaulted in the next year depends, to a surprising extent, on his or her duty assignment to a particular unit, command, and installation," the study said.
For the year in which data was collected, some 500 incidents of sexual assaults were reported at US Army and Marine training hubs Fort Hood, Fort Bragg, Fort Lewis, Fort Campbell, Fort Bliss and Camp Lejeune.
The places and military installations where sexual assault rates were lowest included sites near the nation's capital, small support installations and medical facilities, according to the report. The lower risk of sexual assault experienced near the nation's capital was attributed to the "seniority or profession of soldiers assigned to Washington-area jobs."
"The differences may result from differences in command climate, alcohol availability and price, crime rates in the surrounding civilian community, or the transitory presence of one or more sexual predators," the report said.
