United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2008-07-31 monographic deposited born digital 25 p. GA 1.13:GAO-08-1013T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-1013T P0b002ee1803778b9 f:d081013t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-1013T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-1013T GAO-08-1013T Accountability Coast Guard personnel Crime prevention Crime victims Military forces Military personnel Military training Policy evaluation Program evaluation Program management Reporting requirements Sex crimes Sexual abuse Sexual harassment Statistical data Surveys Program implementation Program goals or objectives Executive agency oversight Policies and procedures Testimony A83188 In 2004, Congress directed the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish a comprehensive policy to prevent and respond to sexual assaults involving servicemembers. Though not required to do so, the Coast Guard has established a similar program. This statement addresses the extent to which DOD and the Coast Guard (1) have developed and implemented policies and programs to prevent, respond to, and resolve sexual assault incidents involving servicemembers; (2) have visibility over reports of sexual assault; and (3) exercise oversight over reports of sexual assault. This statement draws on GAO's preliminary observations from an ongoing engagement examining DOD's and the Coast Guard's programs to prevent and respond to sexual assault. In conducting its ongoing work GAO reviewed legislative requirements and DOD and Coast Guard guidance, analyzed sexual assault incident data, and obtained through surveys and interviews the perspective on sexual assault matters of more than 3,900 servicemembers stationed in the United States and overseas. The results of GAO's survey and interviews provide insight into the implementation of the programs but are nongeneralizable. GAO expects to issue its final report in August 2008 and to make a number of recommendations to improve implementation of sexual assault prevention and response programs and improve oversight of the programs in both DOD and the Coast Guard. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-1013T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-1013T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-1013T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-1013T.pdf GAO-08-1013T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-1013T Testimony GAO-08-1013T; Military Personnel: Preliminary Observations on DOD's and the Coast Guard's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Programs; Accountability Coast Guard personnel Crime prevention Crime victims Military forces Military personnel Military training Policy evaluation Program evaluation Program management Reporting requirements Sex crimes Sexual abuse Sexual harassment Statistical data Surveys Program implementation Program goals or objectives Executive agency oversight Policies and procedures Public Law 108-136 Public Law 108-375