Academies to standardize sexual assault reporting

A Naval Academy administrator says an upcoming conference should help the nation’s military academies standardize reporting of sexual assaults.The Pentagon requires all four academies to report “substantiated” sexual assaults. But Capt. Ricks Polk, the Naval Academy’s outgoing sexual assault response coordinator, says the Defense Department does not define such attacks, which leads to unequal reporting.

Polk says more details on the new reporting standards should result from a Pentagon conference this month, with official guidelines coming within the year. He also says military standards for domestic violence may become guidelines for the definition.