Differences in the Nature and Processing of Reported Sexual Assault
by Offenders' Military Affliation

Sexual assault is consistently rated as a top problem in Anchorage, particularly among the Native population. At the same time, two large military bases are located just outside of Anchorage, Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson. Over 10 percent of the Anchorage population is estimated to be employed by the military, to be dependent upon military employees, or to be retired from the military, and active enrollments represent approximately 5 percent of the Anchorage population.

Past research shows that rates of violence against women are affected by the presence of military bases, but little to nothing is known about how the nature and processing of reported sexual assaults is affected by offenders’ military affiliations. This study seeks to document the differences in the characteristics of reported sexual assaults by offenders’ military affiliations and to examine how offenders’ military affiliations affect case processing using data from the Anchorage Police Department, Anchorage Department of Health and Human Services (SANE), Alaska Department of Revenue, and Alaska Department of Law.