WASHINGTON (AFP) - President Barack Obama called on Saturday for a swift end to "the crime, the outrage" of sexual violence in the US armed forces and on college campuses.

An estimated one in five women is sexually assaulted at college in the United States, the White House says, something Mr Obama - a father of two girls - termed "totally unacceptable" and "a priority for me".

"Sexual assault is an affront to our basic decency and humanity. And it's about all of us - the safety of those we love most: our moms, our wives, our daughters and our sons," Mr Obama said in his weekly address.

He added: "We're going to keep combating sexual assault in our armed forces, because when a member of our military is attacked by the very people he or she trusts and serves with, that's an injustice that no one who volunteers to protect our nation should ever endure."

Mr Obama said that the creation of a White House task force was part of a stepped-up effort to protect young women at college.

But he stressed that "really, it's up to all of us. We've got to teach young people - men and women - to be brave enough to stand up and help put an end to these crimes. We've especially got to teach young men to show women the respect they deserve.

"I want every young man in America to know that real men don't hurt women."

He added: "Perhaps most important, we need to keep saying to anyone out there who has ever been assaulted: you are not alone. We have your back. I've got your back."