Photo By Master Sgt. Anthony Florence | Monique Y. Ferrell, Director, Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention Office...... read more read more
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ATLANTA – Every day, the vast majority of U.S. Army soldiers and civilians serve honorably around the world and meet the standards embodied in the values troops learn. However, there are a few who commit offenses that break trust and block success of the overall Army mission. This is the subject more than 200 U.S. Army Reserve leaders from nearly 40 command teams gathered to discuss at the Sexual Harassment and Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) Summit from July 8-10, 2015.
Lt. Gen. Jeffrey W. Talley, the Chief of the Army Reserve, met with leaders from all over the Army Reserve to have tough, candid discussions about the challenges their organization faces.
“I have zero tolerance for those found to be toxic leaders or predators because these acts are a violation to our culture and values as a military family,” said Talley, who hosted the three-day summit. “Sexual harassment and sexual assault is a crime and is an attack on our Army family.”
Talley urged senior leaders to follow through with the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) when sexual harassment or sexual assault cases are brought to their attention. Civilian authorities may be investigating the crime but that does not mean the military should sit back and do nothing. It also has a responsibility to see that the incident is fully investigated and if the perpetrator is found guilty, that person should be sentenced and dishonorably discharged from the Army.
The event was themed, “Not in my squad, not in our Army, we are trusted professionals.” The emphasis was an Army command message that states sexual harassment and sexual assault are incompatible with army values. The Army is committed to reducing, and eventually eliminating, sexual assault from the ranks through a comprehensive SHARP campaign plan that is focused on enhancing prosecution, investigation, victim advocacy, assessment and accountability.
Talley said the Army often does not do a good job of letting the victim know what happens when a sexual harassment or sexual assault case has come to an end and a verdict has been reached. He believes this is why some cases of sexual harassment and sexual assault go unreported; often the victim feels that nothing will be done, so he or she should not bother reporting the crime.
He wants the victim to know that if the two soldiers are serving in the same unit they will be separated, thus encouraging the victim to report the crime. “We can break the stigma of being a sexual harassment or sexual assault victim and let it be known that justice will be done, even if the victim decides to leave the Army,” Talley said.
Talley is hopeful we can make this change and eradicate sexual assault and harassment from our ranks. Of the six top operational command priorities, two deal with sexual assault and sexual harassment:
Man and Care for our Force – Everyone has the responsibility to recruit and retain. Reach out to those who are hurting. We can prevent sexual harassment/assault and suicides. Know what Fort Family is and use it.
Live the Army Values, Enforce Accountability & Discipline – We have no place in our Army for sexual assault or harassment of any kind. Don’t tolerate anyone who fails to meet these non-negotiable values – let’s stay Army Strong!
Russell W. Strand, Chief of the U.S. Army Military Police School, Behavioral Sciences and Education and Training Division, is a nationally recognized expert in the areas of sexual assault, domestic violence intervention, critical incident peer support, trafficking in persons and child abuse investigations, and he spoke passionately about achieving a cultural change.
“I believe in alcohol reduction,” said Strand, “and all too often alcohol is a risk factor for everyone and many times the victim feels that the assault would not have happened if they had not been drinking.”
Strand also stated that along with alcohol use, victim blaming and double-standards holding women responsible for sex are all factors that prevent victims from reporting a sexual assault or harassment crime.
The Army needs to hold people accountable for the little things – name calling, rude jokes and bias in our ranks. Strand believes that sexual assault and harassment needs to be viewed as a “big deal” with 680,000 women and 100,000 men forcibly raped last year in the United States.
Strand explained that sexual assault is not only a female problem but a male problem. Often the fear of being called less than a man prevents men from reporting a sexual assault or harassment.
“As warriors we know how to fight and we need to teach that it is manly to report sexual assault and harassment,” Strand said. To get men encouraged, you have to show them that it’s not only a female problem but a man’s problem as well.
Monique Y. Ferrell, the Department of the Army (DA) G1 SHARP director, addressed the audience and reinforced the idea that Army leaders must achieve success with SHARP. “Although the Army Reserve has geographic challenges, we are building key relationships to help bridge the gap,” she said.
Ferrell stressed that the prevention and response to sexual harassment and assault is a collaborative effort. To help bridge the geographic gap in the Army Reserve, the SHARP program has implemented positions to help those in need by appointing SHARP Program Managers, Sexual Assault Coordinators, Victim Advocates, Special Victim Prosecutors, Special Victim Investigators, Special Victim Paralegals, Special Victim Counsels, and a Special Victim Witness Liaisons across the force.
Ferrell’s view is that first line leaders need to own the issue of sexual assault and harassment and pass this on down to the platoon, squad and team level to achieve a cultural change. The need to increase awareness, prevention and training strategies along with accountability are effective markers for success. “We must emphasize the signs of leading up to sexual assault and harassment and know how to intervene,” Ferrell said, “and know that intervening is the right thing to do.”
Ferrell’s office will be collecting data on sexual assault and harassment in order to provide feedback to the force, and she believes collective efforts and teamwork is about doing everything we can do to prevent sexual assault and harassment. Through these efforts we hope to allow those who have suffered, time to heal and continue your career – “we will not let you down.”
| Date Taken: | 07.08.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 07.10.2015 11:11 |
| Story ID: | 169638 |
| Location: | ATLANTA, GA, US |
| Web Views: | 388 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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