Armed Forces Sexualised Behaviours and Sexual Harassment Survey 2025

Ministers have published the findings of a first-of-its-kind survey, carried out earlier this year, to better understand service personnel’s experiences of and attitudes towards sexual harassment in the military.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual harassment or inappropriate treatment while serving in the Armed Forces – whether recently or many years ago – our experienced solicitors can provide free, confidential advice. Please contact us today in complete confidence.

The key points from the Armed Forces Sexualised Behaviours and Sexual Harassment Survey 2025 (SBSHS) are as follows:

1.1 Regulars

1.2 Experiences of sexualised behaviour

• 67% of females experienced at least one sexualised behaviour in the last 12 months compared to 34% of males.

• Females were more likely to experience all four types of sexualised behaviours (Verbal, Non-Verbal, Cyber, Physical).

• Out of the 19 behaviours, both females (58%) and males (25%) most commonly experienced “jokes or comments of a sexual nature”.

• RAF females (63%) were less likely to have experienced a sexualised behaviour compared to RN and Army females (both 69%).

• Army males (30%) were less likely to have experienced a sexualised behaviour compared to RN and RAF males (both 38%).

• Female Other Ranks (71%) were more likely to have experienced a sexualised behaviour compared to female Officers (58%), male Officers (35%) and male Other Ranks (33%).

  
  

1.3 Contextual information of sexualised behaviour experiences

• Sexualised behaviour most commonly occurred in an open workplace at the military home or training unit (76%).  

• Regulars most commonly experienced sexualised behaviour from 2-3 different individuals (45%).

• Females are more likely than males to experience a sexualised behaviour from another person at their unit (Females: 34%, Males 25%) or more senior to them (Females 26%, Males 16%).

• Females are more likely to report feeling affected from experiencing the sexualised behaviour compared to males.

• 93% of females believed their experience of sexualised behaviour was sexual harassment compared to 78% of males.   

  
  

1.4 Regulars’ perception of sexual harassment

• 17 of the 19 behaviours were classed as sexual harassment by at least 80% of Regulars. The remaining two behaviours “jokes or comments of a sexual nature” and “referring to people of any gender in offensive terms” were classed by 67% and 62% of Regulars respectively.

• Army were the least likely of the Services to define 16 of the behaviours as sexual harassment.
  

1.5 Awareness of sexualised behaviour at work

• 73% of females have seen (or had knowledge of) at least one sexualised behaviour in the last 12 months compared to 43% of males.

• Females were more likely than males to have seen (or had knowledge of) all four types of behaviour (Verbal, Non-Verbal, Cyber and Physical).

• Out of the 19 behaviours, both females (66%) and males (38%) most commonly have seen (or had knowledge of) “jokes or comments of a sexual nature”.
  

1.6 Prevention and support at work

• Males were more likely than females to believe their Service “tries to prevent sexual harassment” (Males: 68%, Females: 42%) and “supports those who have been harassed” (Males: 58%, Females: 32%) to a “large-very large extent”.
  

1.7 Reserves

1.8 Experiences of sexualised behaviour

• 55% of females experienced at least one sexualised behaviour in the last 12 months compared to 34% of males.

• Females were more likely to experience all four types of sexualised behaviours (Verbal, Non-Verbal, Cyber, Physical).

• Out of the 19 behaviours, both females (47%) and males (25%) most commonly experienced “jokes or comments of a sexual nature”.

• Female Other Ranks (60%) were more likely to experience a sexualised behaviour compared to female Officers (42%), male Officers (29%) and male Other Ranks (36%).
  

1.9 Contextual information of sexualised behaviour experiences

• Sexualised behaviours most commonly occurred in the workplace at the military home or training unit (60%). 

• Reserves most commonly experienced sexualised behaviour from 2-3 different individuals (47%).

• Females are more likely to report feeling affected from experiencing the sexualised behaviour compared to males.

• 92% of females believed their experience of sexualised behaviour was sexual harassment compared to 82% of males.     
  

1.10 Reserves’ perception of sexual harassment

• 17 of the 19 behaviours were classed by Reserves as sexual harassment by at least 89%. The remaining two behaviours “jokes or comments of a sexual nature” and “referring to people of any gender in offensive terms” were classed by 74% and 73% of Reserves respectively.
  

1.11 Awareness of sexualised behaviour at work

• 62% of females have seen (or had knowledge of) at least one sexualised behaviour in the last 12 months compared to 44% of males.

• Females were more likely than males to have seen (or had knowledge of) all four types of behaviour (Verbal, Non-Verbal, Cyber and Physical).

• Out of the 19 behaviours, both females (58%) and males (39%) most commonly have seen (or had knowledge of) “jokes or comments of a sexual nature”.
  

1.12 Prevention and support at work

• Males were more likely than females to believe their Service “tries to prevent sexual harassment” (Males: 76%, Females: 51%) and “supports those who have been harassed” (Males: 56%, Females: 33%) to a “large-very large extent”.