Registrieren

Sexual assault can have immediate and lasting consequences for survivors, their teams, and entire organizations. In the U.S. Coast Guard, mission readiness depends on the safety, health, and trust of every crew member, including when personnel are at sea, where access to care, support, and resources may be limited. Preventing and responding to sexual assault is therefore essential, not only for individual safety and well-being, but also to the Coast Guard's ability to carry out its mission. Requested by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, Confronting Sexual Assault at Sea in the U.S. Coast Guard examines existing evidence on challenges and prospective solutions for preventing and responding to sexual assault onboard Coast Guard vessels at sea, including survivor care, forensic examinations, and evidence collection. The report reviews best practices for conducting sexual assault medical forensic examinations and evaluates the Coast Guard's operational capabilities in providing survivors immediate access to care. It provides recommendations to improve care for survivors of sexual assault at sea,strengthen accountability across the Coast Guard, create a climate of safety, and improve data collection to better understand the scope of the problem.