Ethics Newsline®

LONDON
Young recruits in the British Army continue to face unacceptable levels of bullying, harassment, and injury, highlighting the need for immediate reform, an independent inquiry concluded last week.

Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram commissioned the review following the deaths of four young soldiers at Deepcut barracks between 1995 and 2002, reported the Guardian.

The new analysis, which recommends a top-to-bottom reform of the Armed Forces, comes one week after another review from the House of Commons harshly criticized the military culture on multiple counts.

The new review by the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) comes down hard on the military, saying that past pledges to improve the treatment of recruits have amounted mostly to lip service.

Much of the bullying “is tacitly or explicitly condoned as ‘traditional’ even though it is officially forbidden,” says the report, which also faults the military for lax safety procedures, degrading living conditions, and a slowness to grasp society’s understanding of equality and diversity.

The report warns that the failure to curb bullying has led not only to injury and abuse, but also to increased rates of recruits dropping out, damaging future military operations by reducing the number of quality soldiers and officers.

“The armed services have much to be proud of but the risks to young recruits, many of whom are away from home for the first time, are too high,” ALI’s chief inspector, David Sherlock, said.

Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram said he would respond to the ALI and House of Commons reports by proposing reforms to Parliament, according to the Guardian.