Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Lance Pounds | Monique Ferrell, Department of the Army Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and...... read more read more
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These are the first words summit attendees saw when they arrived at the Vicenza Military Community Junior Leader Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention Summit Oct. 6-7.
The two-day summit brought Soldiers and civilians from U.S. Army Africa and the Vicenza Military Community together at the Golden Lion Community Center to discuss the Army SHARP program.
The SHARP program trains Soldiers and Army Civilians in the programs, policies and processes dealing with sexual harassment and assault in the Army.
Monique Ferrell, U.S. Army SHARP Program Office director, encouraged everyone at the summit to take personal ownership of the behaviors of those in their units, including their peers and subordinates.
"You are being empowered to intervene, to take charge in your units," said Ferrell.
Maj. Gen. Darryl A. Williams, USARAF commander, said the SHARP program was an important element of increasing readiness of the total force to get "everyone into the fight."
Sexual harassment and assaults diminish the capability of military units to complete their missions, said Williams.
"SHARP readiness is as important as the physical readiness you do every day as a Soldier," said Williams.
Breakout groups discussed ways to overcome barriers and enhance SHARP programs in their units. Attendees brainstormed and shared ideas for implementing these ideas both in their own units and across the Vicenza Military Community.
"We're talking about cultural change, and real cultural change takes time," said Ferrell.
Participants addressed stigmas that prevent victims of sexual harassment and assault to report abuse.
Sexual assault incidents erode the trust victims have in their leadership which prevents victims from reporting occurrences, said Dr. Howard Fradkin.
Fradkin is an expert in the field of male sexual assault and victimization.
"To be an effective military you have to be able to ask for help," said Fradkin.
Fradkin and other guest speakers presented vignettes and statistics that challenged participant's perceptions about sexual assault incidents.
"This program has been labeled as a female program, as something that only happens to females. But our statistics show that it isn't," said Ferrell.
Some people think male sexual assault doesn't exist, but it occurs, it exists and is ongoing, said Ferrell.
A survivor's panel brought male victims of sexual assault to the conference from across the U.S. to share their personal stories and answer questions from conference attendees.
"This is not a female problem. It's a human rights problem," said Ferrell.
Survivors shared details of consequences they faced for years afterwards. Some admitted to waiting more than 30 years before coming forward with their accounts of assault.
"The trauma is frozen in the body. The memories get put away. Survivors can take a long time before memories resurface," said Fradkin.
"It's something you live with forever," said Ferrell.
The survivors offered tips on how current Soldiers and leaders could prevent similar incidents in their units.
Discussions during breakout sessions explored the motivations and causes behind sexual assaults and the repercussions of sexual violence for individuals and units.
"Would you do these things to your mother, sister, brother, father, nephew or niece? No, you wouldn't, because you trust them and respect them," said Ferrell.
The call to action from guest speakers and senior leaders present at the summit was for each junior leader to be "an agent of change" in the Army, said Williams.
Ferrell said she was personally invigorated by the ideas shared by participants at the summit, and that junior leaders had the responsibility to continue the dialogue started at the summit.
"What you do when you leave this conference matters in the lives of those who place their trust in you, it matters to the U.S. Army, it matters to the nation," said Ferrell.
| Date Taken: | 10.07.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 10.13.2015 02:50 |
| Story ID: | 178447 |
| Location: | VICENZA, IT |
| Web Views: | 91 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Summit challenges leaders to own SHARP at all levels, by MAJ Jason Welch, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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