Hundreds of military kids are sexually abused each year, Pentagon data shows

Children holding the hand of a man in military uniform
(Image credit: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Children of military service members are sexually assaulted hundreds of times each year, according to an Associated Press report published Monday based on Defense Department data. The abuse is most often committed by enlisted men.

For perspective, there are more than one million military dependents in the U.S. But as AP notes, there's a lot we don't know about how the data breaks down, since the government omitted the ages of victims and offenders, locations, and branches of the military involved.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up
Latest Videos FromThe Week
Julie Kliegman

Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.