Shocking figures reveal grim reality for defence force recruits, and raise questions of transparency

Defence force recruits are experiencing a higher rate of unacceptable behaviour and sexual harassment across all three military arms, but a lack of detail about the specific experiences of women has raised concerns about transparency.

In a recently published response to a question at the last round of Senate estimates from Greens senator David Shoebridge, Defence has provided basic data revealing at least a third of recruits had experienced “any unacceptable behaviour” in 2023.

While Mr Shoebridge said the information painted a “grim picture”, he took aim at the Australian Defence Force for not providing the more detailed breakdown, including by gender, year group and service, that he had requested.

Rudimentary detail aside, the data revealed that rates of experience of “any unacceptable behaviour” were highest among Navy recruits, up to 42 per cent in 2023 from 38 per cent in 2021. Reports of bullying were down slightly from the year prior with 20 per cent in 2023, but still up from 18 per cent two years ago.

Three per cent of naval recruits reported sexual harassment, up slightly from two per cent the year prior.

In the army, 35 per cent of recruits reported “any unacceptable behaviour”, 16 per cent reported they had been bullied, and two per cent recorded sexual harassment.

Meanwhile, for the second year in a row, 33 per cent of Air Force recruits reported any unacceptable behaviour, 15 per cent reported bullying, and two per cent reported sexual harassment.

The data was basic compared to a snapshot of the 2021 survey findings shared with the Royal Commission into Veterans and Defence Suicide, which broke down responses by gender and year group. That survey was explicit in revealing more than a third of female recruits across all three branches had reported sexual misconduct, and two-thirds reported “any unacceptable behaviour” at ADFA.

It also revealed a breakdown of where the behaviours had taken place and who instigated the reported misconduct.

The 2021 breakdown also included the five “most common reasons” for not reporting unacceptable behaviour, with “the behaviour is accepted around here” coming in second, and “it was easier to just keep quiet” in fifth — with a note women had “significantly higher selection of this reason than men”.

Mr Shoebridge, who asked Defence at Senate estimates to provide a similar breakdown for the 2022 and 2023 surveys, said he would demand they table the information he had asked for.

“We know that Defence has detailed Workplace Behaviours Surveys that provide a far more detailed breakdown of incidents of sexual harassment, bullying and other unacceptable behaviour by gender, age and service. It is so typical of Defence to not provide this material even when they have been formally required to provide it in Senate estimates.

“All the data we have to date shows that bullying and harassment are disproportionately targeted against women in Defence. This is why I will absolutely be ensuring we extract this information out of Defence despite their best efforts to hide it.

“Defence has an obligation to proactively release information. Good employers lean into transparency, they own up to problems and then fix them. Defence on the other hand is about as transparent as a brick.”

The Nightly contacted the ADF and asked for the breakdown, but did not receive a response.

When Senator Shoebridge was quizzing then-defence chief Angus Campbell, pictured, in June about the 2021 survey breakdown, the general conceded it was “all bad”.

“All of this is bad. All of this should be reduced as far as possible. All of this should be seeing the encouragement for individuals to be confident to make a complaint,” General Campbell said.

The ADF has come under growing pressure to deal with cultural issues within the force, which have led to low morale, stunted recruitment, and retention issues.

The Government is hopeful the new defence force chief David Johnston will turn the issues around.

One of the first major tests for Admiral Johnston will be the final report from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, due to be handed down next month.

During the years of hearings, commissioners heard several accounts from defence force members who’d experienced sexual assault, bullying and other forms of bad behaviour.

Defence Personnel Minister Matt Keogh was contacted for comment.