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Major General Camille M. NicholsDirector, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO)Department of Defense, Office of the Secretary of Defense
FY 16-17: Agency Priority Goal
End sexual assault in the Department of Defense (DoD)
Priority Goal
Goal Overview
1) Problem / Opportunity:
Sexual assault is a significant challenge facing the United States military and the nation. It is a detriment to the welfare of men and women in uniform and is antithetic to core military values of trust, dignity, and respect. Although the military has made great strides in sexual assault prevention and response in recent years, sexual assault remains a problem in the Department. According to the 2014 RAND Military Workplace Survey, about four percent of military women and one percent of military men experience a sexual assault in a given year. Based on these prevalence rates, an estimated 18,900 Service members experienced unwanted sexual contact in 2014, down from the 26,000 Service member victims estimated in 2012. However, less than a quarter of them report the allegation to a military authority. The Department’s approach promotes a military climate that empowers all to do their part to prevent sexual assault, and encourages Service members to report the allegations. Increased reporting signals growing trust of command and confidence in the response system. Increased reporting also serves as the primary means by which the Department can provide restorative care and hold offenders appropriately accountable through the military justice system, which in turn contributes to improved force readiness.
As outlined in the 2014 Report to the President of the United States on Sexual Assault Prevention and Response in the Military Active Bystander, “Intervention” is a, “philosophy and strategy for prevention of various types of violence, including bullying, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and intimate partner violence. The approach is based on evidence that people make decisions and continue behaviors based on the cultural conditioning and norms through subtle reactions from others and the resultant expectations of social interaction.” Bystander intervention is unique in that it:
- Discourages victim blaming
- Offers the chance to change social norms
- Shifts responsibility to all Service members
Measuring interventions and reporting rates annually provides an indication of positive cultural change that can be sampled on a re-occurring basis. The Department employs multiple data collection efforts at varying timeframes. The Workplace and Gender Relations surveys for Active Duty and Reserve Component personnel are fielded every two years on off-years from each other. Other surveys and focus groups also occur inside and outside of that timeframe.
Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit related to Performance Measure #3:
GAO-15-284, Military Personnel – Actions Needed to Address Sexual Assaults of Male Service Members.
Issue(s):
- DoD needs to improve its ability to prevent and respond to sexual assaults of male Service members. DoD has not used all of the available data on male victims, such as analyses that show significantly fewer male Service members than females reporting sexual assault, to inform program decision making.
- DOD has not generally portrayed male sexual assault in its sexual assault prevention training material.
Recommendations:
- Develop a plan for data-driven decision-making to prioritize program efforts.
- Revise sexual assault prevention and response training to more comprehensively and directly address the incidence of sexual assault allegations by male service members and how certain behavior and activities – like hazing–can lead to a sexual assault.
DoD Actions: The Department has taken steps this past year to build a foundation of data sources to shape policy and programs and to advance the appropriate prevention and response systems that meet the needs of both men and women. DoD’s research and data collection efforts have broadened our understanding of the differences in how both men and women experience the crime of sexual assault in the military. Since 2006, our biennial Workplace and Gender Relations Survey of the force has provided invaluable data on the extent of sexual assault in the military. As part of the 2014 Military Workplace Study, DoD enlisted the support of the RAND Corporation to take a closer look at gender differences in sexual assault patterns. As a result of that study, it appears that the experience of an assault may be interpreted differently. While viewed as an assault by some, other victims might see an act as a form of “hazing.” These differences in how a victim interprets the crime often fall along gender lines. Some men may not even consider the act to be something sexual, but rather abusive and humiliating. In addition, results reveal that men are more likely to report experiencing sexual assault in their place of duty; whereas women are more likely to report experiencing sexual assault outside of the workplace. The Department is incorporating key findings about gender differences into the advocate certification program and training for Service Members, as well as enhancing the male-focused information and resources on the DoD Safe Helpline. Our prevention focus leverages commanders to regularly assess their environments and take corrective action, as appropriate, with sexual assault and hazing being specific targets for intervention. Additionally, these findings motivated the Secretary of Defense to direct that the Department fully evaluate its gender-focused treatment capabilities and provider training to ensure they address the specific needs of women and men.
2) Relationship to Strategic Goal and Objective:
This performance goal supports the Department's mission through the following strategies:
- DoD Agency Strategic Plan (ASP), Goal #2: Strengthen and Enhance the Health and Effectiveness of the Total Workforce; Strategic Objective 2.2: Support and retain the DOD workforce by fostering and encouraging workforce initiatives to ensure employees are trained, engaged and retained.
- Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) 2014, Strategic Goal: Maintain the strength of the all-volunteer force and implement new reforms.
- DoD Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Strategy, Strategic Objective 1: Deliver consistent and effective prevention methods and programs, Strategic Objective 4: Deliver consistent and effective victim support, response, and reporting options.
3) Congressional Inputs:
The Department works closely with Congress to improve its programs and policies and to eliminate sexual assault from the military. National Defense Authorization Acts for fiscal years 2012 through 2016 include over 75 sections of law and contain more than 100 requirements related to sexual assault in the military, many of which were built on or in parallel with existing Secretary of Defense initiatives. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 alone provided the most sweeping changes to military law since 1968. Additionally, the Congressionally mandated Response System to Adult Sexual Crimes Panel provided over 130 recommendations to the department to improve sexual assault prevention and response in the military. In December 2015, the Department submitted the first comprehensive military justice reform package in more than 30 years to Congress, which includes 37 statutory additions and substantive amendments to 68 current provisions of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Combined, these provisions seek to improve the military justice system’s capability to appropriately and effectively handle sexual assault and sexual harassment cases.
4) Key Barriers and Challenges:
Although the military faces some of the same challenges with preventing and responding to sexual assault as civilian society, there are some unique barriers and challenges:
- Individuals within the DoD come from a wide variety of backgrounds and their past experiences shape their attitudes and behavior, which may be inconsistent with serving in the military. This, coupled with the significant turnover of personnel each year, is a challenge to maintaining force readiness and eliminating sexual assault from the military.
- There is a perceived stigma associated with reporting sexual assault allegations in an environment that idealizes confidence, decisiveness, and strength. Thus, military members are particularly impacted by this stigma, as many are concerned about being mislabeled as weak or experiencing inappropriate scrutiny of their sexual orientation. This is of particular concern with men. The military is roughly 85% male and we estimate that more men experience sexual assault each year than women. However, men report the crime at a much lower rate. Approximately 10% of men estimated to have experienced a sexual assault make a restricted (confidential) or unrestricted report, and approximately 40% of women estimated to have experienced a sexual assault make a restricted or unrestricted report to DoD. We must overcome the stigma and myths that suggest that only weak people are victims of crime.
- Research indicates many civilian and military sexual assault victims fear being blamed for the crime. Victim blaming is often predicated on the false belief that a victim’s behavior somehow caused the offender to perpetrate the crime. We must overcome the stigma surrounding victim blaming within the military environment.
- Maintaining confidentiality in the military environment is difficult, even with the protections afforded certain communications in both policy and law.
- Fear of negative career impact is also a factor in many victims’ decisions not to report a sexual assault allegation.
5) Mitigation Efforts:
DoD has an existing leadership structure, empowered by law to promote good order and discipline. In seeking ways to eliminate sexual assault, the Department is leveraging its existing culture of honor, dignity, and respect to drive organizational changes that empower every Service Member to take action against disrespectful and dangerous behaviors.
The Department will continue to deliberately solicit victim feedback and engage subject matter experts to inform SAPR policies and programs.
Strategies
1) Implementation Plan (Resources, Human Capital, Technology, Information, Doctrine, Training, and Operational Processes):
The Department has made significant changes over the last three years to reinforce and sustain an appropriate culture. To eliminate sexual assault from the military, DoD is employing a proactive and multidisciplinary approach across the Department. The centerpiece of this approach is the Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Strategic Plan. While the full Strategic Plan is not publicly available, its lines of effort are summarized in the FY 2014 Department of Defense Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military (pg. 12-13). This approach engages leaders at all levels and requires a personal commitment from every Service member to uphold military core values. The strategy identifies priorities, objectives, and initiatives that leverage existing systems and structure to inculcate a culture where Service Members are motivated to intervene against inappropriate behavior. This inculcation creates an environment where Service members feel supported when reporting allegations of sexual assault. The framework for execution of the strategic plan, along with key initiatives/tasks is outlined below:
- Prevention – focused elements at multiple levels to prevent the crime:
- A climate assessment process required annually or within 120 days of a change of command, which includes senior leader oversight;
- Standardized Core Competencies and Learning Objectives for all SAPR training (individual, professional military education and first responders);
- Service Bystander intervention training;
- Enhanced training for Commanders and Senior Enlisted Advisors; and
- “DoD SAPR Connect” – Community of Practice (Virtual, Prevention Roundtables, and Community Tool Kits).
- Investigation – competent investigations to yield timely and accurate results:
- Per DoD policy, all unrestricted reports of sexual assault are referred to a Military Criminal Investigation Organization (MCIO) for a professional and independent investigation;
- Establishment of a Special Victim Investigation and Prosecution (SVIP) Capability within each Service (MCIO, Judge Advocates, Victim Witness Assistance Program Personnel and Paralegal Support Personnel); and
- Specialized training for investigators that contains the latest research on the impact of sexual assault trauma on victims, to include memory effects and counterintuitive behaviors.
- Accountability – offenders held appropriately accountable:
- Enhanced training for attorneys, paralegals, and victim-witness assistance personnel;
- Elevation of initial case disposition decisions for the most serious sexual assault cases to senior leaders (grade of O-6 or above); and
- Enhanced pre-trial investigations.
- Advocacy/Victim Assistance – victim services and care provided:
- Professionally certified Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Coordinators and Sexual Assault Prevention Response Victim Advocates;
- 24-hour access to an anonymous helpline;
- Confidential reporting option;
- Legal representation for Service members who allege they are victims of sexual assault; and
- Incorporation of victims’ rights into military law.
- Assessment – qualitative and quantitative measures to inform programs/policies:
- Defense Sexual Assault Incident Database (DSAID) – centralized, case-level database for the collection and maintenance of information regarding sexual assaults involving members of the Armed Forces;
- Initiated the Survivor Experience Survey (SES); and
- Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) Organizational Climate Survey (DEOCS) – assists Commanders in identifying and correcting a wide variety of potentially damaging attitudes and behaviors within their units.
The Department also leverages relationships with external civilian experts in sexual violence and prevention research to assist with identifying best practices, and to develop and enhance innovative strategies to prevent and respond to sexual assault in the military.
Additionally, the Department continues regularly to engage with Congress, the White House, and other interagency, non-governmental and international partners to collaborate on SAPR initiatives.
Measurement of bystander interventions and sexual assault reporting rates are a means for the Department to assess the environment and effectiveness of its prevention and response approach (Investigation, accountability, Advocacy/Victim Assistance and Assessment). They provide indications of positive cultural change.
2) Targeted Efficiencies:
The Department’s targeted efficiencies are inculcating a culture where Service members are motivated to intervene against inappropriate behavior, and creating an environment where Service members feel supported reporting allegations of sexual assault results in:
- Preventing the crime before it happens through increased interventions;
- Increased reporting by Service members that results in more Service members being connected with support services and the opportunity to hold offenders appropriately accountable; and
- The ability to maintain a highly-skilled workforce and improved overall force readiness.
3) Key External Factors Affecting Achievement:
Sexual assault in the military is a topic of special interest, both for Congress and the public at large. Congress has passed over 75 pieces of law with over 100 provisions that address prevention, response, and accountability. External evaluative agencies (e.g., GAO, US Commission on Civil Rights, Congressionally-appointed oversight panels) are also very interested in the Department’s efforts and have provided over 200 different recommendations about how to improve the SAPR program. It will take time to assess the impacts and benefits of the implementation of so many changes. An environment with overall declining resources may also impact DoD’s sustained ability to maintain programs.
Progress Update
Q4 Progress Update
Bystander Intervention
Services continue to train and reinforce members on bystander intervention. The DoD Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) and the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) continue to identify gaps in assessment of the prevalence of bystander intervention to educate leaders on how they can encourage unit members to intervene in situations with high risk of sexual assault. SAPRO is developing a prevention plan of action that will educate leaders and bystanders on tools and tactics to further increase rates of bystander intervention.
Percent increase of sexual assault reports
SAPRO will not be able to determine percent increases from FY15 to FY16 until the release of its Congressionally mandated report in May 2017. SAPRO continues to improve upon the capabilities of the Defense Sexual Assault Incident Database (DSAID) platform to document incident and reporting details to understand trends and patterns in sexual assault reporting.
Percent increase of the proportion of male Service members reporting sexual assault
SAPRO and the Office of People Analytics continue collaborations to assess prevalence and population estimates to reduce the gap between those who report experiencing a sexual assault to authorities (assessed using DSAID) and those who report experiencing a sexual assault but DO NOT report it to authorities (assessed using the Workplace and Gender Relations Survey for the Active Component (WGRA)).
Next Steps
Bystander Intervention
- Raise awareness across the force to the risks of sexual assault through policy, communication campaigns, training, and special events. Members need motivation to intervene, which involves not only awareness of risk but awareness of the impact of a sexual assault on unit and individual readiness.
- (FY1718) Health Related Behaviors Surveys will be conducted [on a sampling of Service members, across the force (including a subset of Active and Reserve members)] to assess Service member engagement in preventive and risky behaviors impacting health. Information gathered from the DEOMI Organizational Climate Survey (DEOCS) and related surveys are socialized at the Service level Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) program for training implementation and prevention guidance.
Percent increase of sexual assault reports
- Continue collaboration with Service SAPR program personnel through the monthly Change Control Board meetings regarding improvements needed for expeditious and valid data entry.
- Changes to the Defense Sexual Assault Incident Database are currently underway and will be launched in fiscal years 2017 and 2018.
- Data pull for the Fiscal Year 2016 Annual Report are complete and analyses are underway for the congressional report.
Percent increase of the proportion of male Service members reporting sexual assault
- The Workplace and Gender Relations Survey for the Reserve Component will be executed in FY17 and the WGRA will be executed again in FY18.
- The Defense Manpower and Data Center (DMDC) recently completed the 2016 WGRA and the results are currently undergoing analyses. Results from survey will be published with its companion annual report and provided to Congress in 2017.
Expand All
Performance Indicators
Percent increase of bystander interventions of sexual assault
Percent increase of sexual assault reports
Percent increase of the proportion of male Service members reporting sexual assault
Contributing Programs & Other Factors
1) Contributing Initiatives/Programs (Agency Internal, and External):
Program/Initiatives:
Climate Assessment Process: The climate assessments involve three primary activities:
- The Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) Organizational Climate Survey (DEOCS): Commanders leverage results to drive unit change, employing Service member feedback to address inappropriate actions, as necessary;
- Senior Leader Involvement: Results from the climate survey are automatically shared with the unit commander’s immediate supervisor. Unit commanders are responsible for using survey results and additional information gathering activities to address any challenges facing the unit; and
- Officer Evaluation Reports: Senior leaders rate unit commanders on their actions to address unit climate.
Standardized Core Competencies and Learning Objectives: Sexual Assault Prevention and Response content has been integrated into military training, as follows:
- All levels of Professional Military Education;
- Pre-Command and Senior Enlisted Leader Training;
- Accession Training (within 14 days of entry on active duty);
- Initial Military Training;
- Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Annual Training; and
- Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Pre-/Post-Deployment Training.
Confidential Reporting Option: This option gives Service members a confidential avenue by which they may access healthcare and SAPR services.
DoD Safe Helpline:
- Provides live, one-on-one support and information to the worldwide DoD community. It is confidential, anonymous, secure, and available worldwide, 24/7 by click, call, or text; this provides Service members with the help they need anytime, anywhere; and
- Provides embedded, male-focused information and specialized training to help men who have reported allegations of unwanted sexual contact.
Professional Responders: Professional responders are certified as Sexual Assault Response Coordinators (SARC) and Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Victim Advocates (VA).
Special Victims’ Counsel/Victims’ Legal Counsel Program: Military judge advocates provide independent, personalized legal advice and representation to Service members who allege a sexual assault, which protects their rights and empowers them to successfully navigate the military justice system.
Standardized and Voluntary Survey of Sexual Assault Survivors: This survey provides direct and confidential feedback on survivors’ experiences throughout the reporting process.
Laws/Regulations/Policies:
- Public Law 111–383, Ike Skelton NDAA for FY 2011, Sections 1602 thru 1631
- Public Law 112-81 NDAA for FY 2012, Section 581 thru 586
- Public Law 112-239- NDAA for FY 2013, Sections 570 thru 578
- Public Law 113-66, NDAA for FY 2014, Sections 1701 thru 1753
- Public Law 113-291, Carl Levin and Howard P. “Buck” McKeon NDAA for FY 2015, Sections 533 thru 552
- Change 2 to DoDDI 6495.02, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Program Procedures, dated July 15, 2015
- Change 2 to DoDD 6495-01, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program, dated January 20, 2015
- DoDDI, 6400.07, Standards for Victim Assistance Services in the Military Community, dated November 23, 2013
2) Partners (Agency Internal and External):
Internal:
Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel & Readiness (OUSD (P&R)) to include:
- Health Affairs;
- Defense Human Resources Activity (DHRA);
- Office of Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity (ODMEO);
- Military Personnel Policy; and
- Military Community and Family Policy (Family Advocacy).
DoD Office of the General Counsel (OGC)
Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Secretaries of Military Departments and Chief National Guard Bureau
Military Services:
- SAPR Offices; and
- Military Criminal Investigative Organizations.
External:
Department of Justice (DOJ)
- Office for Victims of Crime; and
- Office on Violence Against Women.
Department of Veterans Affairs
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
No Data Available
