YOKOSUKA, Japan – In fiscal year 2015, the DoD had 6,083 reports of sexual assault. That is an average of 16 reports each day.
Inhabited by more than 3,500 Sailors, it is especially important for everyone aboard the Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier to do their part to create a culture to help eliminate sexual assault.
“To put it in the context of our shipmates,” said Lt. Nicole Scherer, from the Commander, Naval Forces Japan (CNFJ) sexual assault prevention and response office (SAPRO). “Since October 2015, 33 of our shipmates (USS Ronald Reagan Sailors) have reported that they were sexually assaulted; 10 this fiscal year alone.”
Ronald Reagan’s victim advocates (VA) in the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) program are combating these statistics year-round by educating Sailors on different ways to step in and take action. April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAPM) and this year’s theme is “Protecting Our People Protects Our Mission.”
“We are trying to combat sexual assault that is largely preventable,” said Lt. Miranda Krasselt, Ronald Reagan’s senior SAPR victim advocate. “Educating our Sailors to realize that something is not appropriate behavior is the start.”
According to Krasselt, if you identify a potential assault it’s important to recruit a friend or bystander and step in to intervene.
“If you see something wrong, say something,” said Krasselt. “Empower your Sailors to get involved and say ‘let’s get this person out of this situation.’ Or create a diversion that is long enough to get someone to a safe place.”
An anonymous survey shows that for every report made in the military, about six survivors are not yet ready to come forward to report their sexual assaults. This means that nearly every Sailor will know a shipmate, close friend or co-worker who has been assaulted and hasn’t told anyone.
“To anyone who is afraid to report sexual assault I want them to know the victim advocates are a friend to reach out to,” said Krasselt. “They have access to get people the help they need without their chain of command being involved. Sailor’s should know our biggest priority, aside from them being safe, is their privacy and to act for what they want.”
There are two types of reports that can be made: restricted and unrestricted. This applies to all service members and military dependents 18 years and older who have been sexually assaulted, regardless of when or where the sexual assault took place.
“The SAPR program is about the Sailor,” said Krasselt. “It’s about what they want and what will help them feel better about what has happened to them. It is never their fault. Empowering them to be able to deal with that is our job.”
If you or someone you know wants to make a report you can call a ship SAPR VA at 080-8777-2826 or the Safe Helpline at 877-995-5247 for live, confidential, one-on-one help over the phone (in the U.S. and worldwide via DSN). Safe Helpline staff can also transfer calls directly to DoD and civilian resources.
“It starts at our deck plate level and empowering our Sailors to say no, to stand up, to step in, and when they see something to report it,” said Krasselt. We all have a part to play and the sooner we come together to fix our culture, the better off everyone is going to be.”