A groundbreaking internal survey conducted by the Ministry of Defence has uncovered a deeply concerning culture of sexualised behaviour within the British armed forces, with two-thirds of female personnel reporting experiences ranging from inappropriate jokes to non-consensual sexual activity.
Damning Statistics Reveal Widespread Issue
The Armed Forces Sexualised Behaviours and Sexual Harassment survey, published on Thursday 13th November 2025, represents the first comprehensive effort to quantify this problem. The results paint a stark picture of the environment faced by servicewomen. The data shows that 67% of women experienced at least one form of sexualised behaviour in the past year, a rate nearly double that of their male counterparts, which stood at 34%.
The survey detailed specific forms of misconduct, revealing that 32% of women reported being "touched in a way that made them feel uncomfortable," compared to just 5% of men. Most alarmingly, 8% of women disclosed they had been "subjected to sexual activity which they did not consent to," versus 1% of men.
Impact and Location of Misconduct
The prevalence of this behaviour was not confined to a single service branch. The survey found it affected 69% of women in both the Royal Navy and the Army, and 63% of women in the Royal Air Force. For men, the rates were 38% in the RAF and Navy, and 30% in the Army.
The majority of these incidents, a staggering 76%, occurred within military environments—at work, in military accommodation, or at training facilities. This has had severe consequences for morale and retention. Exposure to such behaviour prompted 29% of women to consider leaving the military, while 58% said they lost respect for the individuals involved.
Official Responses and Pledges for Change
The findings were met with strong condemnation from officials. Louise Sandher-Jones, the Junior Defence Minister and a former army officer herself, described the results as "wholly unacceptable." She stated that the survey establishes a "no holds barred baseline to fully confront and address the root causes of this issue."
Echoing this sentiment, Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton, the head of the armed forces, acknowledged that the military has "much more" to do to "stamp out behaviour which has no place in the armed forces." Minister Sandher-Jones emphasised that new standards in transparency and accountability are being set, aligning with the government's central mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.
