Sexual Harassment In The Army Essay Example

📌Category: Government, Military, Social Issues, Violence
📌Words: 510
📌Pages: 2
📌Published: 14 April 2022

The purpose of this essay is to address the climate surrounding sexual harassment and assault within the Army, and the current Sexual Harassment and Assault Response and Prevention Program (SHARP), used to combat the issue. At some point in a military career, everyone will meet an individual who fell victim to sexual assault or harassment. Sexual harassment and assault continues to be an issue despite all of the training, resources, and regulations provided. AR 600-20 chapter seven outlines the standards of conduct in this area. The focus will be on why sexual assault still occurs, SHARP training, and how to end sexual assault and harassment. 

Sexual assault and harassment continues to occur because society struggles to adapt and change the way we perceive others (http://vpva.rutgers.edu/sexual-violence/why-does-sexual-violence-occur/). This issue presses on because there is a decrease in self-awareness and an increase in entitlement. Gender roles are still accepted as the normal function of society even though they are no longer relevant (http://vpva.rutgers.edu/sexual-violence/why-does-sexual-violence-occur/). Somewhere along the line the need for mutual respect and compassion among comrades was lost or forgotten. There is no single soldier who holds more importance or is superior to another, or who deserves more than their fellow comrade. The negative stigma around reporting lets perpetrators stay in the ranks and continue to create problems. In this Army, everyone is equal and deserves to be treated as such with no exceptions.

The current method of training is not ideal when it comes to the prevention of sexual harassment and assault. Overall the focus of SHARP training is informing and educating individuals on what constitutes as one of those actions, and the options available if they find themselves in a SHARP related situation. This is valuable information, but it does not help prevent incidents from happening. The emphasis is on what options are available, not what should be done to prevent these situations. Learning how to identify warning signs of problematic behaviors caused by compromised morals and how to address these attitudes should have a larger focus in the program education. More preventative education would benefit the program along with ending the negative stigma around reporting.

The only way to end sexual assault and harassment is to enforce policies in the way they are intended and end troublesome behavior as soon as it starts. Army doctrine states that "The Army does not tolerate or condone sexual assault, sexual harassment, or associated retaliatory behaviors" (AR 600-20). Letting small occurrences slide will only create an environment where such incidences continue to develop into more serious problems down the road. NCOs have a responsibility to look out for the welfare of their soldiers and it starts here. Building a strong team based on trust, mutual respect, and safety should be a top priority. Everyone has value, and NCOs should enforce that belief across the board. Strong NCOs who lead by example create strong soldiers.

In conclusion, sexual harassment and assault continues to be an issue throughout the Army despite all the measures taken to combat it. Gender roles do not exist in the Army: everyone deserves equal respect. Time needs to be taken to properly educate soldiers on what the SHARP program is truly about, and take prevention seriously. This change starts with NCOS. We cannot win a war against others if we cannot win the war within our ranks.

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