Pentagon: Lack of Oversight on Junior ROTC Abuse

Facts

On Wednesday, US Pentagon officials said that "additional oversight is necessary" to stop alleged sexual abuse in the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC), stating that measures to better supervise the program are being discussed.
This comes as Pentagon officials were questioned in a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing about a report accusing JRTOC instructors of sexually abusing and harassing students.
In July, the New York Times alleged that at least 33 instructors were charged with sexual misconduct involving students over the past five years, a higher-than-average rate compared to civilian high school teachers.
The JROTC program, which teaches around 500K students annually, has been targeted by US lawmakers in the House and Senate, who demanded explanations about the program and reported misconduct.
In early September, a Pentagon survey showed that reports of sexual assault across the US military grew by 13% in the 2021 fiscal year. Roughly 36K people, 8.4% active-duty women and 1.5% men, reportedly experienced unwanted sexual contact.
The US Army currently faces a recruitment crisis, far from meeting its goals for the fiscal year 2022. The eligibility rate of Americans aged 17-24 has reportedly fallen to 23%, with only 9% of those qualified to serve inclined to do so.

Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by New York Times. While it may have some positive aspects, the JROTC program is more troublesome than helpful as school districts are responsible for its oversight, not the military. On top of that, the very nature of its activities allows low-trained military veterans to have an unusual level of access to teenagers while teaching them obedience to orders, making students more vulnerable to sexual assault.
Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Fortune. While these cases of sexual misconduct are deplorable, they don't represent the experience of the vast majority of those who take part in the JROTC. Overall this program inspires patriotic American values in students, offering a place for teenagers to get involved with a community, find their voice, and transform their lives for the better.