After studying Defense Department and Coast Guard programs to prevent and respond to sexual assaults, the government’s top watchdog agency says more needs to be done to ensure that all of the armed services approach the issue in a consistent manner. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) drew its conclusion in a July 31 report after interviewing more than 3,900 service members since 2004. Among the findings:
* DoD guidance may not adequately address issues such as the implementation of programs in areas where service members are deployed or operate in a joint environment;
* Not all commanders support sexual-assault mitigation programs;
* Program coordinators may not be able to perform the job well if it is a collateral duty;
* Prevention and response training is not consistently effective, and;
* The shortage of mental health care providers hinders efforts to help victims.
