GAO urges VA to survey harassment prevalence at medical centers

The Government Accountability Office's latest report recommends that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) periodically assess the prevalence of harassment-related behaviors - including harassment, sexual harassment, and sexual assault - at its medical centers. The recommendation applies to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and any staff responsible for managing reported incidents.

GAO analysis of VA data from fiscal years 2020 through 2025 shows more than 31,000 reported incidents of harassment involving veterans at VA medical centers. Most of those incidents involved veterans or other patients acting against staff. The report notes that the figure likely underestimates the true number of incidents because studies indicate only 2 to 7 percent of individuals formally notify an institution about sexual harassment, and fear of retaliation further discourages reporting.

VA's 2022 policy mandates ending harassment-related behaviors and assigns certain medical-center staff responsibility for handling reported incidents. However, GAO found that VA has not implemented a systemwide effort to identify the prevalence of such behaviors regardless of reporting. VA officials said they collect information on veteran experiences at a subset of facilities, but no comprehensive survey exists.

GAO argues that an anonymous or confidential survey - whether added to an existing instrument or developed as a new, representative tool - would enable VA to determine whether rising incident counts reflect increased reporting or an actual rise in harassment. Accurate prevalence data would also help the department allocate resources to prevention and mitigation efforts targeting those most at risk.

The recommendation remains open; VA has not yet provided comments on the report. GAO will update the status when the agency's response is confirmed.