Problems involving sexual offenses have perpetually plagued many institutions - the family, schools, the church, the workplace - and the military often faces additional challenges when trying to deal effectively with the issue because of its hierarchy based on rank, a prevailing "don't rock the boat" mentality and a particular unwillingness by service personnel to be cast as victims.

A new report suggests the problem has re-emerged at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, where six of the slightly more than 1,000 cadets reported being victims of sexual offenses in the past two years, compared to none between June 2007 and May 2009. That seemingly trouble-free period followed one of the academy's worst years for bad behavior, 2006, when 10 people reported being sexually assaulted and the only cadet ever court-martialed at the academy was convicted on extortion, sodomy and indecent-assault charges.

The new findings, though troubling, would be much more disturbing if academy officials had taken a head-in-the-sand approach to the problem. Instead, they have launched a new program to help foster a "culture of prevention," and say they can't determine whether the number of assaults is really increasing or whether more victims now are willing to be heard.

This newspaper encourages this approach and applauds the top command's zero-tolerance attitude toward sexual offense.

"Anybody who assaults, offends, attacks a shipmate is not welcome in our service," Adm. Robert J. Papp Jr., the Coast Guard commandant, told Day staff writer Jennifer McDermott in a recent interview.

Last May the academy also ordered a full-time sexual assault response coordinator to assemble a team of specialists from within the military and the community to encourage more victims to come forward, and to teach cadets how to talk to their peers about rape.

According to the Service Women's Action Network, only about 20 percent of rape and sexual assault cases in the armed forces are reported, and an even lower percentage is likely at the service academies. This needs to change, and we take academy officials at their word that they are working to reverse this trend.

At the same time, encouraging more cadets to report all suspected inappropriate behavior runs the risk of creating an impression of widespread abuse.

The six most recent cases at the academy labeled sexual offenses, though potentially serious infractions, did not result in criminal charges. They include a female freshman cadet who reported that an unidentified male cadet entered her room twice and fondled her; a case initially labeled as sexual assault that later was called a consensual incident; a faculty member accused of touching a female cadet inappropriately during a ballroom dance class, and others, mostly involving alcohol, in which investigators could not substantiate claims of assault.

Though the problem appears to impact all branches of the military, the Coast Guard faces an apple vs. oranges comparison because it comes under the purview of Homeland Security rather than Department of Defense, and has a more comprehensive definition of sexual assault. The Coast Guard's definition includes "forcible kissing" and specifies that a current or previous dating relationship does not constitute consent, nor does the way the victim is dressed.

The academy deserves its reputation as an outstanding academic institution that serves as the principal training ground for Coast Guard officers. With the service's new role securing homeland security added to its established search-and-rescue and drug-enforcement missions at sea, the task of producing effective leaders of impeccable character is more important than ever.

We are confident the academy will choose the right course when navigating these troubled waters.