2021 Academy Climate and Networking Study (ACNS)

The Health and Resilience (H&R) Research Division of OPA has been conducting congressionally mandated gender relations surveys and focus groups since 2005. The 2021 ACNS used a mixed-methods approach, employing both a web-based survey and virtually administered focus groups. The survey contained questions about perceived acceptability and commonality of behaviors associated with harmful outcomes (such as alcohol abuse) and positive factors (like standing up to sexist jokes), hereafter referred to as “social norms.” Social norms include the behaviors that cadets and midshipmen actually do, those behaviors they expect from others at their Academy, and any incongruence between these actual and expected behaviors. The survey also used a social network analysis (SNA) approach to identify influential cadets and midshipmen according to particular criteria.