PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. (Oct. 23, 2013) -- Not only did the speaker capture the attention of the audience with his booming voice, but he also repeatedly hammered away at several key themes, much like a boxer landing steady punches to a heavy bag.
"There are no bystanders anymore."
"Every Soldier and civilian has a duty to intervene."
"Take ownership."
"Support the victim and show respect."
Speaker John Stahlschmidt, along with his colleague, Maria Correa, from Army Community Services at Picatinny Arsenal, gave a series of presentations recently as part of the Army's Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) program.
SHARP is dedicated to reinforcing the Army's commitment to stop sexual harassment and assaults by providing a training program that focuses on awareness, prevention, victim advocacy, response and report, as well as accountability.
The program is part of the Ready and Resilient Campaign, which aims to promote a positive culture where Soldiers can do their job and the Army family can reach its full potential.
Sexual harassment and assault can not only harm the victim, but also degrade the mission, decrease the unit's readiness, and affect the community.
For victims of sexual harassment and assault, their experiences can have a snowball effect that can lead to depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide.
"Before in the Army, we used to think we would be able to eliminate the crime, but can we really eliminate the crime? No." said Correa during one of her presentations. "But can we change the future of how we think? Yes! We can do that."
In one of his talks, Stahlschmidt noted that a number of factors can deter Soldiers and civilians from getting involved to prevent harassment and assault before it happens: fear, peer pressure, a desire to avoid conflict, perceptions of social norms, and perceived standards of behavior.
"Everybody has to lead by example," Stahlschmidt said, adding that there has to be a command climate of prevention.
AWARENESS AND INTERVENTION
During one of her training sessions at the Lindner Conference Center, Correa began by defining sexual harassment and assault.
Sexual harassment, said Correa, is a form of gender discrimination that involves unwelcomed sexual advances, favors, or other verbal and physical conducts by the same or opposite gender.
For example, withholding a promotion based on whether someone will accept a date, or providing a promotion in exchange for sex, are considered to be sexual favors.
However, sexual assault is different. Sexual assault is when the perpetrator creates sexual contact by force, authority, or physical threats when the victim does not consent.
While Correa noted that the key difference between these acts was that sexual assault included force, and harassment did not, she emphasized that it's important to recognize both forms as they often coincide.
"Thirty percent of sexual assault is preceded by sexual harassment," Correa said. "So, we have to attack it at its earliest point!"
In addition, Correa also identified potential behaviors for sexual predators.
"We tend to focus on the victim of sexual harassment and assault, when they are not at fault," said Correa. "We have to focus on the perpetrator!"
Three main categories include verbal, non-verbal, or physical acts. Making a sexual joke, for example, would be a form of verbal assault while non-verbal could range from the uncomfortable way someone looks at you to following you outside to the parking lot.
With physical assault, the perpetrator directly contacts the victim, such as by blocking someone's path or trying to give a back massage.
Applied techniques to intervene safely for both situations include five responses: direct, indirect (write an email), file complaint, third party, and chain of command (reporting to your supervisor).
If you're a supervisor and you don't do anything, be careful. You have the responsibility to intervene and not be a passive bystander.
"We always think 'Okay, it didn't happen to me. That's not my problem. It's none of my business,'" said Correa. "But it's very important because it's everyone's responsibility. We need to take ownership because let's say you're a supervisor and you have a victim and somebody is harassing them. Now you have two people out of the mission."
RESPONSE AND REPORT
Restricted reporting is recommended for victims of sexual assault who wish to confidentially disclose the crime to specifically identified individuals and receive medical treatment and counseling without triggering the official investigative process.
Unrestricted reporting is an option recommended for victims of sexual assault who desire medical treatment, counseling and an official investigation of the crime.
"If you don't report it, it continues to happen," Correa noted. In one of his sessions, Stahlschmidt noted that failure to report sexual assault means repeat behavior, no investigation and no opportunity to disciple the perpetrator.
"We need to own this problem," said Correa, "and we can through education!"
For more information contact Picatinny's SHARP Personnel: John Stahlschmidt, SHARP Coordinator, 724-4180; Maria Correa, 724-3463 or Veronica Morgante, 724-2533. Picatinny's 24/7 Hotline is (962)210-0296.
Related Links:
2013 Combined Federal Campaign launched at Picatinny Arsenal
Secretary of the Army affirms Picatinny's importance to national security
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Picatinny hosts kickoff of Ready and Resilient Campaign tour
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