In observation of Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Month (SAAPM), sailors at Navy Recruiting District Raleigh went above and beyond in their efforts to spread awareness of sexual assault.
As it has done for many years, the Navy is working to alleviate the problem of sexual assault in its ranks through focused education, comprehensive response, and compassionate advocacy. CDR Stanley Dickerson, NRD Raleigh Commanding Officer, has seen significant improvements to the Navy’s sexual assault prevention program since he joined the Navy in 1991.
“Since I’ve been in the Navy, the sexual assault awareness program has definitely grown,” said CDR Dickerson. “In the Navy, we are training at a higher level than we ever have before to prevent sexual assault. We do a better job of educating sailors on what resources are available for dealing with sexual assault. For example, members of the Navy can now make restricted reports and immediately get the help that they need without fear of retribution; the emphasis is on helping the victim.”
The message is clear: the Navy is committed to fostering a culture of awareness and prevention with regard to sexual assault. Sailors at NRD Raleigh are doing their part to help prevent sexual assault by, first, creating an environment in which members of the command are not afraid to report sexual assault. Secondly, officer and enlisted leaders ensure members receive thorough training on sexual assault prevention, reporting and resources available to sexual assault survivors.
“A lot of people now have the courage to step forward,” said CDR Dickerson. They know that they are not alone. In the past, people may have suffered in silence. Now that the Navy is talking about sexual assault more, we can deal with the problem. I think that spreading awareness comes down to the training that we do on a regular basis. We also run awareness campaigns through social media. We have incorporated small group discussions about sexual assault into our training plan. Members of the command not only hear about sexual assault awareness and prevention from me, but the message is echoed by various leaders at every level throughout the command.”
Sexual assault awareness efforts extended beyond the command this year when NRD Raleigh recruiters reached out to help sexual assault survivors in their local community. In struggling to cope with the trauma of sexual assault, survivors may become incapable of supporting themselves and their families. So, NRD Raleigh held a toiletry drive to support sexual assault survivors in their greatest time of need.
“We did a collection drive, to donate toiletries to one of the local abuse crisis response centers,” said CDR Dickerson. “We want to send the message that sexual assault awareness and prevention is extremely important to us. As sailors, we have to set a positive example for potential recruits and society as a whole.”
This year's SAAPM theme: "Protecting Our People Protects Our Mission. The Difference Starts with You. Step Up and Step In to Stop Sexual Assault”, is a brief, but compelling summary of why eliminating sexual assault from the Navy is so important.
“As a commanding officer one of my responsibilities is to ensure everyone in my command has a safe environment to work in,” said CDR Dickerson. “If someone does not feel comfortable coming to work for fear of being harassed or assaulted, they are not going to be an effective sailor and the mission will not be accomplished. Sexual assault awareness and prevention is very important to me. It’s a number one priority.”
| Date Taken: | 04.24.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 04.25.2017 11:35 |
| Story ID: | 231473 |
| Location: | RALEIGH, NC, US |
| Hometown: | CHICAGO, IL, US |
| Hometown: | MILLINGTON, TN, US |
| Hometown: | RALEIGH, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 32 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NRD Raleigh Goes Above and Beyond for SAAPM, by MSgt Tamara Dabney, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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