Category: Army Sharp

As a fellow Soldier and a former victim of sexual assault within military, this paper will discuss the improvements that can be done to the Sexual Harassment/ Assault Response and Prevention program (SHARP). SHARP is the military active effort to end sexual harassment/ assault in the military ranks. Why does SHARP occurs? What is the training we are doing? How are we ending it? These are the sub topics that we will go through to show why the program is so important.

As mentioned earlier, I am a former victim of a SHARP case back in 2016. It occurred back in Advanced Individual Training (AIT) as I was peer pressured into dating a fellow Soldier. Having been assault in front of everyone, not a single Soldier bother to help. They all kept saying that it was fine, since we were dating, that I was being racist and uneducated in the American culture. Since that day, I have never been the same.

The point of my story is that sexual harassment/ assaults can happen any time. That we need to train more on the SHARP program to younger Soldiers as they enter the military. Sexual harassments and assaults occur when Soldiers feel like they can get away with things due to they are dating the person, or when jokes goes too far. It is not just jokes aside, but as well as higher-ranking Soldiers that abuse their position and power. It takes one person to feel uncomfortable about a situation or what is being said for a SHARP case to happen.

The Army approach to SHARP training is usually death by power point. As training happens every quarter of the year, Soldiers are not taking it serious. The SHARP Representatives need to have more detail and be more professional when coming to demonstration/ play about the issue. The Army needs to post real life cases and the punishments of the perpetrator to show Soldiers that it is serious. Showing more real life cases and professional altitude, Soldiers will be able to understand the seriousness of SHARP.

Ending the violence of sexual harassments and assault is not an easy task. It first starts with showing everyone and using people as example that SHARP will not be taken lightly. Soldiers need to be aware of what they say and do around everyone. They need to feel that there is always someone there that might take it offensive. Inappropriate sayings and actions must be given punishments.

SHARP: Effective or Not?

Sexual harassment and sexual assault incidents may be an apparent flaw that the Army is trying to eliminate, but it is a flaw that is nationwide. According to the Department of Defense (DoD), the military service received 7,623 sexual assault reports and 932 formal sexual harassment reports in FY18. In comparison, one in five women and one in 71 men will be sexually assaulted in their life nationwide according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC). The military might be known for having high report/incident rates, but these statistics show that the prevention of sexual violence should be a focus in the U.S in general.

The culture that is today is the product of many generations of inequality, violence, and selfishness. Throughout history, women have been perceived as being weak and something to be achieved. Men are/were not afraid to get what they want, when they want it. This has stemmed out to feeling like one can overpower anyone they perceive as being weak; whether it be physically, mentally, emotionally, or sexually. It has also created a sense of entitlement; one thinking that they should have what they want no matter the cost. This part of our culture is what needs to change and it needs to start at a young age. Children need to be learning what is right and wrong including when it comes to equality and sexual encounters. Doing this would be a good start to changing the culture of the future; nationwide and in the military.

Since implementing the SHARP program in 2009, I believe the number of incidents has gone down in the Army. Soldiers now understand the process of reporting and feel more comfortable reporting so report numbers have gone up, but Soldiers are also more aware of the consequences as well. The SHARP program was a good step to bringing awareness to the issue and informing Soldiers how to report. That is a very import asset, now more can be done moving forward.

Sexual violence will never be eliminated completely in the military. The best we can do is decrease the number of incidents and help educate Soldiers on what to do when it happens. Despite the training received, Soldiers are still not sure how the process works and do not feel comfortable reporting. There are multiple different aspects that could be changed but I will focus on one that I think could have a large impact. Assigning an MOS to SHARP and having one in each company would make a great impact on reporting and even prevention. Currently, SHARP representatives or VA’s are voluntary or “volun-told” which can cause Soldiers to have the wrong motive. A Soldier might become one only to advance their career; not necessarily because they care or are motivated about the program. Having one person that is solely focused and trained in SHARP will make it so that person knows exactly how to train Soldiers and what to do when Soldiers come to them. It will also be someone who wants it.

Sexual violence is a continuous plague in the military and our nation. It weakens the strength of what our military could be and should be. The teaching of equality and consent needs to be starting at a younger age to start influencing the culture of the future for better. The Army may not be able to drastically change the amount of sexual violence incidents right now, but they can help Soldiers know what to do and feel like it matters. Having someone who cares and is educated will help instill comfort in reporting and a safer, stronger Army.

To lead, you need to motivate and positively inspire others whenever called upon, striving to improve the enlisted and your peers. The military constantly hears that Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) lead from the front and set the Standard but how can we improve and lead our Army when there is turmoil within itself. This is the reality that every soldier and leader faces when it comes to the Sexual Harassment Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) program. The SHARP program has brought awareness to our highest and lowest ranks but despite all the briefings, classes, and PowerPoints that Army provides, sexual assault and harassment still occurs. This is due to the assumption of victim stereotypes, fear, and lack of concern.

First, we must address the assumption of victim stereotypes, sexual assault and harassment happens to both genders and should treated with equal respect and care. According to the Department of Defense (DOD) annual report on sexual assault in the Military Fiscal year 2018 “7,500 men, experienced some kind of contact or penetrative sexual assault”. More attention needs to focus on this, as every incident involving male or female victims is no less important than another but equal, to end gender biased victim stereotypes.

Secondly the fear of speaking out or being revictimize buys the silence that hurts us in the end. This can occur due to hostile work climates, lack of trust, and fear that disciplinary action will occur to the victim, which could increase the possibility of sexual harassment or assault. Following Col Don Christensen, President of Protect Our Defenders said, “they are afraid the case won’t be handled well, and they are afraid they will be retaliated against.”

Let us address the lack of concern, due to intoxication or superior rank creates a false sense of security for the perpetrator. Two of the main factors that lead personnel to think it is all right to assault another is intoxication, which impairs soldier’s judgement and having the wrong mentality when being a superior rank.

Reference Page:

Essay must contain two references (ARs, personal interviews, peer review articles, etc.).

1. Army Regulation (AR) 600-20 chapter 7&8
2. https://www.sexualassault.army.mil/how-do.aspx
3. https://www.sexualassault.army.mil/whatweknow_militarymen.aspx
4. (https://int.nyt.com/data/documenthelper/800-dod-annual-report-on-sexual-as/d659d6d0126ad2b19c18/optimized/full.pdf#page=1)
5. https://www.protectourdefenders.com/about/

The SHARP program has brought awareness to our highest and lowest ranks with the overall goal to end unwanted advances of others whether verbal, nonverbal or physical to create a safe, unified workforce for the military.

Imagine ten people raise their right hand and pledge their loyalty to their country. Of those ten, three of those individuals will face social injustice. In the best-case scenario, they face unwanted sexual harassment which causes them to feel discriminated and isolated, severely decreasing efficiency. In the worst-case scenario, they experience sexual assault which traumatizes them and possibly end their careers. To prevent this, the Army implemented the Sexual Harassment/Assault Response & Prevention (SHARP) to educate and protect service members. Although SHARP is effective to a degree, sexual assault and harassment continue to persist because soldiers foster egocentric mindsets. Sexual harassment was a result of bygone era when sexism ran rampant.

Today, it is still so deeply ingrained in the culture that no one even bats an eye when hearing how someone would “tap that.” “Sexism and harassment are so common that they have become expected,” says retired COL Ellen Haring (Schulte, 2018). Sexual assault, on the other hand, is largely attributed to human’s impulsive nature enhanced through suppressants such as alcohol. “Up to 43.2 percent of active-duty military personnel indulge in binge drinking” (Murray, 2019). With lowered inhibitions, soldiers are much more likely to mistake signs of rejection and show increased aggression. To combat these problems, all personnel must be trained on how to prevent sexual harassment and assault.

Units are required to conduct semi-annual training on the SHARP program; however, they are not given strict guidelines on how to conduct the training. This leads to the required training being ineffective as most units treat it as another task to check off in a list. In an article by Brigid Schulte (2018) on sexual harassment, a staff sergeant recalls a training session in which a senior officer made the comment, “‘So, if you saw a naked, drunk girl on the bench outside your barracks, would you hit that? You’re not supposed to. But I probably would.’” Most Army SHARP training is ineffective precisely because of this attitude. To combat this problem, the Army is taking a new approach to SHARP training. In 2018, a pilot program called Mind’s Eye II was launched.

This project aims to revamp the current style of training, opting to focus on what to do rather than what not to do. Soldiers will be trained in recognizing the preemptive signs of sexual violence and encouraged to intervene. After the test study, participants showed higher levels of empathy and trust. Although the SHARP program has improved the situation since its inception, sexual violence will persist as long as the current mindset on SHARP training remains dismissive. The Mind’s Eye II program is a step in the right direction. By cultivating future leaders who empathize with their soldiers, sexual violence will be diminished to a negligible degree.

In the film “The Invisible War” Which is a huge problem in all the branches of the military which is affecting our members. From the article that inspired the documentary “Many female soldiers say they are sexually assaulted by their male comrades and can’t trust the military to protect them. ‘The knife wasn’t for the Iraqis,’ says one woman. ‘It was for the guys on my side.’ (Benedict). In the course of this essay, it’s going to cover possible solutions for this issue like having a real zero-tolerance policy, Reviewing the effectiveness of programs like the army sharp program, and the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response SARP. A more in-depth Dual trial and investigation process. Also a look at power abuse checks and balances. And finally an overhaul of cases being taken care of through the company. Will this help stop sexual harassment and sexual assault in the united states military so young men and women could enlist with confidence in today’s military without fear?

The Zero Tolerance policy in place right now isn’t very “zero tolerance”,” officials received more than 3,000 reports of sexual assault and less than 200 military members were convicted”(Brown). You’re watching that segment watching the numbers just getting filtered down and down till your left with two hundred. The policy in place right now is super effective all together there needs to be a huge stance on zero tolerance ground. If there was a huge stance like if you do this your out of the military and could serve possible jail time and it wasn’t a joke like it is now you would see a huge drop in the sheer amount of cases overall. In the documentary, you see the department of defense always saying its zero-tolerance but if that was the case there would have been way more then just 200 that had to deal with the consequences it’s a joke when they say that over and over saying that they’re making changes but nothing is happening to that doesn’t look like change does it look like it to you. “Sexual assault in the American military surged in the last two years, driven almost entirely by a 50 percent increase in assaults on women in uniform, according to a survey released on Thursday by the Defense Department.”(Philipps). That was a quote from an article from the New York Times in May of this year I think this shows that they haven’t done anything to stop these problems.

The military has many programs across the board the army has the Sharp( Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention) program. The Navy/Marines have the SAPR (Sexual Assault Prevention and Response) program which are the same thing but for the other branch, they are there for awareness and taking care of the vitamins for reports. In the army training environments nowadays they usually have one or two drill sergeants “trained” for dealing with these reports at my basic training they had one drill sergeant for the whole battalion which was five companies that each have four platoons of up to sixty-five trainee’s. So you have almost one thousand five hundred being taken care of by one man, it was an all-male basic but still, it happened. The programs are meant to take care of the victims than to prevent them say it’s meant to prevent but all the posters and the one time a year brief isn’t something that’s going to prevent those things. There need to be real relocations to scare someone away from doing these things, that’s the only way to make a person not do something bad you would touch a flame if it didn’t hurt you so they should make it hurt when they commit this crime. There was a part “In the film, former SAPRO Director Dr. Kaye Whitley is asked what methods of risk reduction she advocates to prevent sexual assault in the military, she responds that they tell women to have a buddy. The filmmakers ask if she knew of any other methods and she says, no. Under Whitley, SAPRO ran awareness campaign posters which read, ‘Don’t risk it . . . wait until she’s sober.'(Brown). The mission behind the sharp program is (Intervene, Act, and Motivate) they need to do a better part on the intervening and the acting part so that they can keep more of the new soldiers.

A problem that should up with a lot of the cases in the documentary “The Invisible War” was that a lot of the cases that were reported would be taken care of before there could be an investigation. There are a lot of these cases shouldn’t have been a thing in the first place they should have been conducted as any sexual assault case during the film they said this is caused by having people who are not trained in this matter deal with it. The training to be the “Sharp” rep is a seven-week course. You are leaving all these people that are having these terrible things happen to them to a person who took one 7 week class to help them in such a dire time of need. A person who took one class shouldn’t be dealing with people who got raped they wouldn’t be nearly qualified in the least bit. On the civilian to be a Rape Crisis Counselor some places require a master’s degree so why are we letting our soldiers and sailors be helped by a person with not even half of a quarter of a year of education which brings us to the next topic.

This cases of sexual assault and sexual harassment shouldn’t be handled by a company commander or even the military police every case they brought up was handled by the military police or the commanders there’s something is wrong and it’s not zero tolerance like they say there wouldn’t be nearly as many cases then something has to change. First, commanders shouldn’t have absolute power as they have now they have control of everything that goes on in the company which is fine for training schedules, paperwork, etc. Legal matters shouldn’t be affected by someone who has no degree in the subject. In war, it makes sense to have them control the unit but it doesn’t make sense for them to say if they should continue the investigation. There was a quote from Business Insider “Twenty-five percent of women didn’t report an incident because their commander was their rapist”(Brown) in the cases of those women how is it far to them if they aren’t a high rank they wouldn’t be taking serious especially if the commander was a major or higher the private wouldn’t be taken seriously. Commanders should only have control over the schedules and day to day paperwork stuff. There should be a separate department that handles the cases that a third party neutral that has trained professionals to help the victim and pursue the perpetrator in a thorough investigation.

Leaders often make the mistake of measuring their unit’s importance based on it’s level of activity. The packed calendar, the stress of training events, and the surge of taskings make it easy to overlook the personal moments that matter most for the Soldiers involved. Leaders put the Army in conflict with their personal lives and leave it to them to sort it out. Soldiers do indeed sort it out, but too often it’s years down the road when it comes time to reenlist. Who knows whether that new father had been told to come to work or if his supervisor was simply not aware. Regardless, situations like that can be immensely destructive to the family’s loyalty to the Service and continued commitment to serve. If we can send Soldiers back from overseas deployment to be home for childbirth (which I’ve coordinated many times), then there is not one reason to bring a Soldier back to work in the 5…7…or even 14 days afterwards.If the intent is to cancel that reenlistment date years in the future, disregarding significant personal milestones is a good way to do it. The same goes for times of personal crisis. It’s tough to argue that the job can’t be filled by someone else while a Soldier deals with the situation. The unit might sacrifice a few days of efficiency, but we might earn years of devoted service.

Here are a few other situations that leaders should strongly consider showing compassion when responding to:

• A complicated childbirth that will require numerous medical appointments
• Illness or death of a family member, including extended family and grandparents
• An unexpected financial hardship like a car crash or stolen identity
• Times of spousal relationship difficulty or severe challenges with children
• A Soldier’s move to a new duty station, where having adequate time to get settled ​sets the tone​ for the family’s time in the unit. (Come on, leaders, you ​do not​ need that Soldier at work the day after he signs-in to post. Figure out a way to manage without him for 10 days of Permissive TDY.)
• During scheduled leave, when Soldiers and families have been planning and looking forward to the time for themselves
• After an unexpected career shift, like not being selected for promotion, receiving individual deployment orders, or being found medically unqualified for service.

Soldiers know that personal sacrifice is an inevitable part of military life…but everyone has a threshold. Leaders can go a long way towards keeping Soldiers and families away from that threshold by paying attention to the moments that matter, by being pragmatic about unit priorities, and by treating Soldiers with the same compassion the leaders themselves would hope to receive. In a very literal sense, the future of the Service depends on it

Paying attention to military training makes it to where you never come to the situation when you look at your nco or first sgt or commander saying “ I shouldn’t receive this article 15 this negative cousling for this and that because i was not well informed on the matter, no soldier, you just weren’t paying attention and now you are receiving punishment

SHARP

7–2. Chain of command responsibilities Commanders and supervisors will—

• a. Ensure that assigned personnel (to include RC personnel under their jurisdiction) are familiar with the Army policy on sexual harassment.
• b. Publish and post written command policy statements for the prevention of sexual harassment. All statements will be consistent with Army policy. They will include the local command’s commitment to the Army’s policy against sexual harassment and will reaffirm that sexual harassment will not be tolerated. The statement will explain how and where to file complaints and will state that all complainants will be protected from acts or threats of reprisal. Each ACOM/ASCC/DRU, installation, separate unit, agency, and activity down to company, troop or battery level will publish a sexual harassment command policy statement. Units should coordinate these policy statements with the servicing staff judge advocate or legal advisor before publishing them. c. Continually assess and be aware of the climate of command regarding sexual harassment. Identify problems or potential problems. Take prompt, decisive action to investigate all complaints of sexual harassment. Either resolve the problem at the lowest possible level or, if necessary, take formal disciplinary or administrative action. Do not allow Soldiers to be retaliated against for filing complaints. Continually monitor the unit and assess sexual harassment prevention policies and programs at all levels within area of responsibility. Ensure all leaders understand that if they witness or otherwise know of incidents of sexual harassment, they are obligated to act. If they do not, they themselves are also engaging in sexual harassment. d. Set the standard.

7–3. Policy

• a. The policy of the Army is that sexual harassment is unacceptable conduct and will not be tolerated. Army leadership at all levels will be committed to creating and maintaining an environment conducive to maximum productivity and respect for human dignity. Sexual harassment destroys teamwork and negatively affects combat readiness. The Army bases its success on mission accomplishment. Successful mission accomplishment can be achieved only in an environment free of sexual harassment for all personnel.
• b. The prevention of sexual harassment is the responsibility of every Soldier and DA civilian. Leaders set the standard for Soldiers and DA civilians to follow.

7–4. Definition

• a. Sexual harassment is a form of gender discrimination that involves unwelcomed sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature between the same or opposite genders when—
  • (1) Submission to, or rejection of, such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of a person’s job, pay, career, or
  • (2) Submission to, or rejection of, such conduct by a person is used as a basis for career or employment decisions affecting that person, or
  • (3) Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.
• b. Any person in a supervisory or command position who uses or condones implicit or explicit sexual behavior to control, influence, or affect the career, pay, or job of a Soldier or civilian employee is engaging in sexual harassment. Similarly, any Soldier or civilian employee who makes deliberate or repeated unwelcome verbal comments, gestures, or physical contact of a sexual nature is engaging in sexual harassment.This was taken from AR 600-20 on the responsiblity of commanders and the rest of the chain of command when it comes to sharp, the policy, and the definition of sexual assualt

The army does a damn good job on keeping an open ear and eyes on sexual assualt and sexual harassment with I.A.M STRONG and the SEE SOMETHING SAY SOMETHING policy now even though the army is really good at keeping sharp problems at bay they still happen thats why we keep having annual sharp training every year

Sexual assault has always been a sensitive topic in the Army. The creation of the SHARP program has broken that stigma. Victims are now encourage to speak and males are taking a stand against these incidents. Although, the program lacks some training on areas that would help prevent many incidents. The program has proven to be successful and with a little improvement it could be the best prevention program the Army has ever seen. Having these type of resources help maintain the overall Army’s readiness.

Let it be known that incidents of sexual assault have always been happening in the army. It’s possible that many years ago it happened more often than today. However, those Soldiers didn’t have the resources that SHARP offers. Today SHARP offers qualified personnel, training, prevention and different ways of reporting. Now imagine not having any of these resources. Reporting would mean people won’t believe you or no one would listen. SHARP has broken that stigma and more victims are getting encourage to report. This encouragement to report is consequently going to raise the statistics.

The encouragement to report in the Army has been normalize and now males are being part of the statistics. The DOD has reported that 38 males are raped every day in our military. This has been happening for years. It is until now that resources like SHARP have encourage male survivors to report. For many years males where scared to report and ruin their career or self-image. This was the stigma that Kole Welsh described: “I had actually let the assault go, because I didn’t want it to interfere with my career”. It wasn’t until he tested HIV positive and got removed from the Army that he decided to report the incident. If the SHARP program would have existed back then the story would have been different. Although SHARP dedicates a big portion to helping the victims, they also focus on prevention training. Improving these training might be the key to reducing the statistics.

Statistics show that nearly 1 in 10 Americans suffer from sexual urges. It is natural for some human being to have these urges. However, they must learn to have self-control. The SHARP program lacks self-control training. Many Soldiers don’t understand their sexuality. This could be the reason for lack of control. Incorporating a self-control training into the SHARP program would help prevent many of these incidents. The lack of this knowledge is one of the reasons sexual assault incidents continue to rise. A soldier that has self-control is more likely to walk away than one that has no control.

The Army as a whole has actively been taking measures to prevent sexual assault and harassment. Training modalities have changed over the past four to five years with the main focus remaining the same: How do we prevent sexual assault and sexual harassment?

Semantics on a large scale. We must move forward by each of us considering ourselves to be in one of the three (3) proposed basic roles when approaching sexual assault and harassment:

1. Victim- all of us are potential victims
2. Witness- all of us are potential witnesses
3. Perpetrator- all of us are potential perpetrators

“While casualties on the battlefield are understood to be consistent with our military duties, I accept no casualties due to sexual assault within our ranks,” (Mattis). Yet sexual assault and harassment remain a consistent concern within the Department of Defense. According to our own DoD records, sexual assault and sexual harassment occurs everywhere.

Every training program within the U.S. Army is reviewed for adequacy and educational value. If it is found that the program is failing, it will be reevaluated and restructured to fit the current operational needs of our Soldiers. Just because something was effective five years ago doesn’t mean it will be successful in today’s environment. The SHARP program, being a training program in and of itself, should be no different. Sitting in a classroom on an annual basis, being presented with more facts about the program than facts about how we as humans interact with each other may not be the most effective way to help change our behavior. Removing the stigma from all three of the above suggested roles while also removing some of the current perceptions of the program itself will provide us with a clean slate with which we can begin to chisel our new path.

Several factors need to be studied and taken into account when rebuilding our SHARP training program. Due to the very sensitivity of the subject, all veils should be pulled back at the top, all possible scenarios that may present themselves should be discussed, and a plan for these variables be put in place so that those who receive the training all the way down to the very bottom trust the program itself. Issues such as victim shaming and the possibility that a small number of fraudulent reports can and will be made in the name of spite and retribution should be considered as well.

Our own Army Values state, in part, the following: “Treat people as they should be treated. In the Soldier’s Code, we pledge to ‘treat others with dignity and respect while expecting others to do the same.’ Respect is what allows us to appreciate the best in other people. Respect is trusting that all people have done their jobs and fulfilled their duty,” (Army Values 1).

Respect tends to come from honesty and honesty tends to lend itself to loyalty. If respect is present, all three (3) proposed basic roles can be trained and learned. Rather than regurgitate facts, NCO’s at the lowest level can begin to have an open and honest discussion with their Soldiers and be capable of establishing open communications, trust and respect.

Works Cited

1. 2019 The Army Values https://www.army.mil/values/
2. Baldor, Lolita C. 2018 Pentagon Chief Calls Sexual Assault a Cancer in Military https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2018-04-26/pentagon-chief-calls-sexual-assault-a-cancer-in-military

“The fact that this sexual assault still occurs in our ranks is heartbreaking, and it’s antithetical to everything we value in this institution. And at the risk of stating the obvious, it is simply unacceptable.”

– Army Secretary John McHugh

A soul weak in character may be tempted to prey upon the vulnerable. Whether victims of opportunity or misfortune, the survivors of sexual misconduct carry the scar of the encounter for the rest of their lives. The number of reported sexual assault cases for 2016 alone reached 14,900. According to the Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Annual Report, 68% of victims did not report the crime that same year. Disgraceful. Within the military, such lasting damage can be irreparable. These predators dishonor the legacy built by the men and women who gave their lives for this nation. Sexual violence remains a pervasive evil, the price of which is high for the service, and it decimates confidence in the chain of command.

Tony Porter, CEO and co-founder of “A Call to Men”, has described the Army as a microcosm of the entire society. He argues that sexual assault is not a military problem, but one of the entire society. Delving deeper past our military and into American society, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center presents disturbing statistics of its own. According to their data one in five women and one in 71 men will be raped at some point in their lives, 80% of rape cases involve someone the victim knew, and 8% of rapes occur while the victim is at work. The Army acting as a microcosm of society, mirrors and magnifies these statistics. Fiscal year 2017 shows that 81% of sexual harassment incidents occur while on duty with 90% of complaints coming from enlisted service members. Reporting of sexual assault incidents has increased significantly from 1 in 14 service members (SM) making a report in 2006 to 1 in 3 SM reporting in 2016. Although reported incidents have continued to increase each year since 2006 when the DoD began to measure these levels, sexual violence still occurs throughout the military to this day. Things are improving, but the above statistics are little comfort to the survivors of this crime.

Controls must be implemented at the lowest level. The forging of trust based on professionalism and passion for the members of an SM’s unit create a familial cohesion. A family protects their own. Bonds of vigor make the sacrilege of that trust less likely. This will vary from unit to unit and can be nurtured by a strong Non Commissioned Officer Corps. Sexual assault occurs when opportunity meets foul intent. An individual with malicious intent may exploit quid pro quo conditions for sexual favors. Environments that foster a hostile atmosphere may pressure the unwilling into compromising situations as well. According to AR 600-20: Sexual assault must involve physical contact. While sexual harassment can involve physical contact, it can also refer to verbal or other forms of gender discrimination of a sexual nature. Sexual assault is a crime punishable by the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Despite the harsh consequences that follow conviction, or perhaps because of this, a number of incidents have been brought to Congressional hearings on sexual assault in the armed forces. From a PBS Frontline report, March 2013: At a March Senate hearing on sexual assault in the military, senior officers from all five branches of the military said that while they were committed to addressing sexual assault, they also strongly opposed stripping commanders of the power to intervene in military justice. Enforcement of zero tolerance policies regarding sexual crime must be enforced at all levels without exception. This hypocrisy has caused many soldiers to lose faith in the judicial system. The ratio of unreported crimes is so high due to fear of retaliation by those within the chain of command and due to the low disciplinary action rate. Fiscal year 2017 saw 62% of cases involving accused SM’s with sufficient evidence to take disciplinary measures. The current SHARP Program must be implemented as a cultural change and promoted from the lowest levels to restore confidence in the legal system. If this does not occur, many more will remain silent in their suffering.

‘SHARP is an enabler of readiness. If you have Soldiers who have experienced sexual assault or sexual violence, they are not ready for the fight.’

-Director of Army SHARP Program Monique Ferrell

For years the United States has been preparing their forces to re-engage in peer to peer conflict. With countries like China and Russia modernizing their militaries in preparation to unseat American dominance, the Army needs every capable soldier ready to engage and destroy those who threaten the American people and our allies. Every incident of sexual harassment and assault degrades our ability to fight as a unified force. All available measures to enforce and promote cultural change throughout the Army must be taken, lest we atrophy in the face of our growing adversaries.

References:

1. https://www.sapr.mil/public/docs/reports/FY16_Annual/FY16_SAPRO_Annual_Report.pdf
2. https://sapr.mil/public/docs/reports/FY17_Annual/DoD_FY17_Annual_Report_on_Sexual_Assault_in_the_Military.pdf
3. https://www.sapr.mil/sites/default/files/FY17_AR_Report_Statistical_Highlights_Info_Graphic_FINAL.jpg
4. https://www.nsvrc.org/statistics
5. https://sill-www.army.mil/sharp/_docs/documentation/AR%20600_20.pdf
6. http://www.sexualassault.army.mil/faqs.aspx
7. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/why-the-military-has-a-rape-problem/
8. https://dod.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/1168041/dod-releases-fy-2016-annual-report-on-sexual-assault-in-the-military/
9. https://www.army.mil/article/208167/sharp_professionals_focus_on_prevention_intervention_at_2018_conference
10. https://www.army.mil/article/139526/Report_shows_Army_making_progress_in_SHARP_efforts/
11. https://www.army.mil/article/60756/new_sexual_assault_harassment_program_emerging
12. https://dod.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/613843/dempsey-us-forces-must-adapt-to-deal-with-near-peer-competitors/
13. http://www.dia.mil/News/Speeches-and-Testimonies/Article-View/Article/567087/worldwide-threat-assessment/
14. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/china-military-modernization/
15. https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/russia-procurement-plans-reflect-militarys-modernization-struggles-putin

Why do sexual assault (SHARP) violations keep rising despite all the training?

SHARP stands for Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention. Sexual assault has captured the attention of the media for a long time. It is persistent in the Army and does not seem to stop soon. SHARP violation rises in the army regardless of all the training.

The report has indicated that the most incidences of sexual harassment occur in the military and the airbases. Workers in this field experience incidences of sexual harassment from their seniors and their colleagues (Stander and Thomsen 25). The perpetrators take advantage of the location that they are in and carry out their acts. Additionally, many such cases are reported, but the perpetrators do not face the necessary prosecution. Therefore, as this is the trend, some victims prefer to suffer in silence. They know that even if they speak out, their victims will go unpunished (Thomas).

For instance, in 2017, the number of reports amounted to 6,769 cases, and they involved service members. In 2016, the number of cases that were 6,172. However, the number of people who got a prosecution for their action was less. 2,218 commanders had taken action. Out of this number, only 1,446 received action on their sexual assault charges (Ferdinando). A small fraction of this number, 3.54% entered the court-martial process. As much as such cases entered the process, there was not enough evidence for prosecution. The victims just got disciplinary actions from their commanders, which is not enough. They are likely to carry out the same acts soon (Stander and Thomsen 27).

In conclusion, the major reason why SHARP violation rise is because as much as many cases are reported, few people are prosecuted because of this action. Some perpetrators go unpunished because their commanders have the powers to stop the pursuit of the allegations. Therefore, in many instances, these people take advantage to carry on with these acts. After all, they know that they will not face the prosecution.

References:

1. Ferdinando, Lisa. “DoD Releases Annual Report on Sexual Assault in Military.” May 1, 2018. https://dod.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/1508127/dod-releases-annual-%20report-on-sexual-assault-in-military/
2. Stander, Valerie A., and Cynthia J. Thomsen. ‘Sexual harassment and assault in the US military: a review of policy and research trends.’ Military Medicine 181.suppl_1 (2016): 20-27. https://academic.oup.com/milmed/article/181/suppl_1/20/4209390
3. Thomas, Connie L., et al. ‘Sexual harassment, sexual assault, and physical activity among US military service members in the Millennium Cohort Study.’ Journal of interpersonal violence (2019): 0886260519832904. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0886260519832904