Photo By Jason Bortz | Captain Sarah Martin, commanding officer, Naval Hospital Pensacola, emphasizes the...... read more read more
According to the Department of Defense’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, there were approximately 6,000 reports of sexual assault involving service members in fiscal year 2015.
April is recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAPM) by both military and civilian communities. This year’s DoD theme is “Protecting Our People Protects Our Mission.” The theme is to enforce that everyone within the DoD can care for each other while ensuring the mission is accomplished.
“Every service member and civilian employee in the Navy must know, understand and adhere to service values and standards of behavior to eliminate sexual assault,” said Lt. Courtney Pollman-Turner, the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) point of contact at Naval Hospital Pensacola. “Not only are the individual victims of sexual assault harmed, but a sexual assault can severely impact a unit’s readiness to perform its mission.”
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.
NHP 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, emphasizing the importance of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month to the Sailors and civilian staff at NHP.
“We must encourage positive behaviors by recognizing acts that contribute to a supportive command environment,” said Capt. Sarah Martin, commanding officer, NHP. “We can protect each other and our mission by ensuring everyone is committed to advancing an environment where sexual harassment, hazing, bullying and sexual are not tolerated or ignored.”
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.
“It is the duty of every Sailor and civilian to uphold the Navy's policy for sexual assaults,” said Pollman-Turner.
SAPR 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 a command SAPR victim advocate.
| Date Taken: | 04.04.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 04.04.2017 11:28 |
| Story ID: | 229119 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 151 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month at Naval Hospital Pensacola, by Jason Bortz, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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