Photo By Jason Bortz | Capt. Sarah Martin, commanding officer, NHP, signs a proclamation on April 1 declaring...... read more read more
April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAPM). This year’s Department of Defense (DOD) and Navy theme is “Prevention is Possible.” The theme focuses on the ways individuals, communities and the private sector can take action to promote safety, respect and equality.
“Every service member is impacted when a sexual assault occurs,” said Lt. Courtney Pollman-Turner, the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) point of contact at NHP. “Not only are the individual victims of sexual assault harmed, but it is corrosive to the trust, discipline and morale within a unit. It is the duty of every Sailor and civilian to uphold the Navy's zero tolerance policy for sexual assaults.”
Sexual assault is defined as intentional sexual contact characterized by use of force, threats, intimidation, abuse of authority or when the victim doesn’t or can’t consent. It can occur without regard to gender or spousal relationship or age of victim.
Naval Hospital Pensacola has numerous events scheduled for April to raise awareness on sexual assaults including educational display booths at the hospital with SAPR victim advocates on-hand to answer questions. The month started with Capt. Sarah Martin, commanding officer, NHP, signing of a proclamation declaring April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month at NHP.
“When someone is a victim of sexual assault, it affects not just them, but their families and work place,” said Martin. “It is important that sexual assault victims know that it is OK to come forward and receive the support they need.”
Since its inception in 2001, SAAPM has become the highlight of the Navy’s SAPR Program, which helps prevent sexual assault involving service members through training and education programs, treatment and support to victims of sexual assault.
Victims of sexual assault have two reporting options—unrestricted and restricted. Unrestricted cases are reported through the chain of command, while restricted reports are made confidentially, which allows victims to get help without reporting it through their chain of command or law enforcement.
According to Safe Helpline, the DOD’s crisis support service, one of the most effective methods of preventing sexual assault is active bystander intervention.
The active bystander intervention approach encourages people to identify situations that might lead to a sexual assault and then safely intervene to prevent an assault from occurring. The three components to active bystander intervention are: recognizing when to intervene; considering whether the situation needs attention; and deciding if there is a responsibility to act.
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response is an important element of the 21st Century Sailor and Marine initiative, which consolidates a set of objectives and policies to maximize Sailor and Marine personal readiness, build resiliency and hone the most combat-effective force in the history of the Navy and Marine Corps.
Anyone in immediate danger should call 911. To report a sexual assault, please call the toll-free DOD Safe Helpline at 877-995-5247, the Naval Air Station Pensacola Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) at 850-452-5109/9017 or your command SAPR victim advocate.
| Date Taken: | 04.01.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 04.01.2016 16:17 |
| Story ID: | 194122 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 95 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Naval Hospital Pensacola recognizes Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, by Jason Bortz, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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