WASHINGTON, DC — Sexual assault reports filed against U.S. military members by fellow troops or civilians rose by 8-percent in 2008, according to the Pentagon.In Iraq and Afghanistan, reports of sexual assaults were up by a staggering 25-percent, to a total of 163.

Pentagon officials credit the increase in numbers to increased awareness of the crime and a new policy of encouraging victims to speak up. Still, they estimate no more than 20-percent of victims file reports.

“Given the fear and stigma associated with the crime, sexual assault remains one of our nation’s most under-reported crimes in both the military and civilian community,” Dr. Kaye Whitley, the director of the Pentagon’s Sexual Assault and Prevention Office, told BBC News.

The statistics should not be mistaken to indicate an increase in the number of sexual assaults, she warned.

“The department has been aggressively pursuing efforts to increase reporting and convince more victims to seek care and support services,” Whitley told the BBC.

According to Whitley’s office, the number of reports worldwide increased from 2,688 in 2007 to 2,923 in 2008. Two hundred fifty-one incidents occurred in combat areas; of those, 141 were reported in Iraq and 22 in Afghanistan.

Of the 2,763 reports that were investigated, 832 resulted in action against the service member. In 317 cases, the ultimate resolution was court-martial, representing an increase of 38-percent.

A Pentagon survey indicated 6.8-percent of women and 1.8-percent of men in the military have experienced “unwanted sexual contact.” Of those, 79-percent of women and 78-percent of men declined to report the event.

The Pentagon defines “unwanted sexual contact” broadly, ranging from a touch the victim considered inappropriate to rape. Among the sexual-assault reports, 63-percent comprised rape or aggravated assault.

According to Pentagon records, 1.4 million U.S. citizens are on active duty worldwide.