5% of women at military colleges report being sexually attacked

WARNING: This article contains graphic content and may affect those who have experienced​ ​​​sexual violence or know someone affected by it 

Five per cent of women attending Canadian military colleges surveyed in 2023 said they were sexually attacked during the previous 12 months by being threatened, held down or hurt and forced into unwanted sexual acts, according to survey results obtained by CBC News.

And nine per cent of female military college students told the same survey that they had been sexually assaulted over the previous year while drugged, intoxicated or manipulated in some way.

Those statistics on two different types of sexual assault are contained in a report the Canadian Defence Academy, which represents military colleges, shared with CBC News late last week — more than five months after CBC originally requested the findings. The academy said a decision was made not to publicly release the findings until students were briefed and received a copy of the report last week.

Most students surveyed — especially women — said they had experienced some kind of unwanted sexual behaviour in the previous year, such as sexual jokes, inappropriate comments about their bodies, or unwanted touching.

The survey also found that one per cent of male students surveyed reported being sexually attacked.

The Canadian Defence Academy calls the reports of sexual assault and unwanted sexualized behaviour in the survey “completely unacceptable.”

The Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) in Kingston, Ont., and RCM Saint-Jean in Quebec offer naval and officer cadets aged 17 to 24 an undergraduate education and training to become commissioned officers.

The survey, administered by the military colleges in the spring of 2023, marked the first time the Department of National Defence had asked all students at both military academies about their personal experiences with sexual misconduct.

The survey was launched in response to a recommendation in 2022 by former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour, who was tasked with reviewing the Canadian Armed Forces sexual misconduct crisis that saw a series of senior leaders face allegations.

A ‘hostile environment’

In her final report, Arbour called her interviews with female cadets “worrisome” because they confirmed that longstanding problems with the culture at the military colleges hadn’t gone away. She said the cadets were mostly “young white men” and the colleges are from “a different era, with an outdated and problematic leadership model.”

Arbour concluded that “the continued hostile environment and mistreatment of many female cadets in itself justifies an in-depth examination of the future of military training through these colleges.” She called for more data collection on sexual misconduct and discrimination.

In response, all 1,247 naval and officer cadets in the regular officer training program at military colleges in the spring of 2023 were asked to take part in a survey about their student experiences, health and well-being. Less than half of the student population (36 per cent) opted to respond — more than 310 men and 120 women.

Students were asked about sexual misconduct in any college setting — on campus, on the way to or from campus, and at off-campus events organized by the college.

A summary of the survey results shows that 82 per cent of female students and 64 per cent of male students reported facing sexual jokes over the previous year. More than half of the female students surveyed said they experienced unwelcome physical contact or inappropriate sexual comments about their appearances or bodies. 

The survey also reported that female cadets “were much more likely than men to experience every type of unwanted sexual behaviour,” including inappropriate discussions of their sex life, unwanted sexual attention, or being sent or shown sexually explicit messages, photos or videos.

The outlier was indecent exposure — five per cent of male cadets reported being subjected to someone indecently exposing themselves, compared to four per cent of female students surveyed.

DND’s report said rates of unwanted sexual behaviour are “notably higher” than they were in 2019, when Statistics Canada conducted its own survey of students at military colleges. The DND report says the two surveys are not directly comparable because the questions were different.

The DND survey also found that many female students don’t trust college administrations to take their allegations seriously. 

More than 40 per cent of female students disagreed with the suggestion that the military colleges would handle a sexual violence complaint fairly, while 45 per cent also rejected the claim that their college is doing a good job of providing services to victims of sexual assault and harassment.

More than 90 per cent of students surveyed at the college in Kingston said it was slightly to entirely true that “at military college, not getting caught is more important than following the rules.”

The survey also found 20 per cent of women at the colleges reported they faced discrimination due to their sex or gender; just three per cent of men said the same.

Charlotte Duval-Lantoine, a fellow with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, said the results confirm there is still a “big problem” of sexual assault and unwanted sexual behaviour at military colleges.

“It’s shocking to hear,” said Duval-Lantoine, who has written a book about gender integration in the military. “But it’s part of what we’ve been hearing about what’s happening in the military colleges for years now.”

Arbour’s report said that in the past, the response from the military’s leadership has been that the sexual misconduct problem at the colleges is “somewhat comparable to problems at civilian universities.” Arbour added that the “unique environment” at military colleges “makes the challenge even greater, almost insurmountable.”

“Harm is happening in a public institution funded by the Canadian taxpayers, first of all,” said Duval-Lantoine. “So there’s a level of accountability happening here too.

“I don’t think the military is doing enough to protect its young members.”

NDP defence critic Lindsay Mathyssen cited CBC’s reporting in the House of Commons on Wednesday. “When will the prime minister act to protect women who are the future generation of the Canadian Armed Forces?” she asked.

“Mr. Speaker, we absolutely agree that the culture at the Royal Military College needs to change,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau replied.

WATCH: Trudeau says culture at military colleges ‘needs to change’  

In an exchange during question period with NDP MP Lindsay Mathyssen, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to a new report that five per cent of women at military colleges say they were sexually attacked. Trudeau said the culture at military colleges ‘needs to change’ and his government won’t hesitate to make those changes.

Trudeau said the government has taken action by tasking the Canadian Military College review board last year with reviewing the future of the colleges. That review, now underway, includes an examination of sexual misconduct, misogyny and discrimination.

“No RMC cadet and no CAF member should ever be subject to harassment, discrimination or misconduct,” Trudeau said in the House of Commons. “The minister of national defence will not hesitate to implement the necessary changes to protect cadets and all officers.”

Speaking to reporters Wednesday morning, Defence Minister Bill Blair said the behaviour described by the students “is completely unacceptable.”

“No one in the Canadian Armed Forces — in any of our institutions, and in particular in our colleges and universities — no one should be subjected to that behaviour. It is unacceptable, it has to be dealt with and it will be dealt with.”

WATCH | Defence minister calls reports of sexual assaults at military colleges ‘unacceptable’

Defence Minister Bill Blair says reports of sexual assaults and unwanted sexualized behavior at military colleges require a rapid response and will be dealt with. Blair responded to a report that found five per cent of women at military colleges report being sexually attacked.

A spokesperson for the Canadian Defence Academy told CBC News that the well-being of its naval and officer cadets “remains a top priority.” Both military colleges are “committed to addressing the issues” and supporting the recommendations in Arbour’s report, said Maj. Krzysztof Stachura a public affairs officer for the defence academy.