Military Sexual Harassment Prevention Training
Both the U.S. Army and Navy strongly oppose sexual harassment, acknowledging that unwanted sexual advances against a member of the same or other sex violates the trust and undercuts the morale of these bands of brothers and sisters. Both military groups have similar action plans in case the crime occurs, but first they educate soldiers on the problem to prevent it from arising.
Other People Are Reading
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Army Gets SHARP
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Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) is the Army’s answer to curbing, or penalizing, unwanted behavior. Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) is the program that service men and women must participate in to understand the gender discrimination that occurs from unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and any verbal or physical acts that create a hostile environment or affect employment or work performance, according to the Army’s SHARP website.
I. A.M. Strong
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"I. A.M. Strong" (POSH’s campaign) explains that sexual harassment compromises the Army’s goal of “placing mission first, never accepting defeat, never quitting and never leaving a fallen comrade.” Unwanted behavior damages “the very moral fiber that gives our Army its innermost strength,” the campaign says.
I. A.M. Strong requires service men and women to “Intervene,” “Act” and “Motivate” when dealing with sexual harassment, hence the program’s name. Soldiers should involve themselves when witnessing criminal behavior; they should report inappropriate encounters, if necessary; and they should set an example by correcting others who use demeaning or offensive language or gestures that, unchecked, could invite trouble later on, according to the campaign. -
Training
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Army units hold small-group, mixed-gender sexual-harassment training twice annually; the meetings—which focus on different themes based on attendees’ ranks—include role-playing scenarios to invite discussion among soldiers, according to the Army Policy on Sexual Harassment.
Topics focus on “defining sexual harassment and gender discrimination, sanctions that may be used to punish harassers, techniques for soldiers to deal with sexual harassment and methods of filing a complaint through the complaint system … promoting a healthy work environment within the section or unit as well as techniques for receiving, handling and resolving complaints,” the policy states.
Sessions—which are documented by date, time, attendance and themes discussed—are attended by unit commanders who must evaluate their effectiveness.
Constant Reminders
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The Army’s command supervisors must educate assignment personnel with the sexual harassment policy, which must be published and posted where everyone can see that unwanted behavior among the sexes is not tolerated, and which must explain how soldiers can file complaints if crimes arise. All complaints will be handled seriously and they will be investigated thoroughly, without judgment or penalty for the accuser, the policy states.
Those who witness sexual harassment or its precursor are reminded that they have several options on how to answer it. Depending on the degree (whether it’s possibly harmless or potentially hurtful; mild sexual innuendo or an outright request of sexual favors), they can: verbally or in writing tell the harasser that such behavior was unappreciated and must stop; ask a third party to convey this same message; report the crime to an immediate supervisor; or file a formal complaint, the policy states.
U.S. Navy Policy
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The U.S. Navy does not use abbreviations or acronyms that succinctly evoke its sexual-harassment guidelines, but it’s just as proactive in helping to ensure a productive workplace.
Team members must monitor their own behavior in addition to that of their co-workers. Everyone should be prepared to “speak out about inappropriate conduct and clearly inform the offender(s) that it will not be tolerated,” the Navy’s policy states. The same applies if someone notices offensive materials posted in the workplace.
Avoid Yellow, Red Zones
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U.S. Navy members are advised that certain unwanted behaviors can be categorized as “yellow zone” and “red zone,” according to the Department of the Navy’s Prevention of Sexual Assault policy.
Yellow-zone offenses—those the Navy believes could make most people uncomfortable—include: invasion of personal space; whistling; asking probing, personal questions; expressing sexually suggestive remarks; displaying provocative posters or calendars; “leering”; requesting dates; and "sitting or gesturing sexually,” the policy states.
Red-zone offenses—which the Navy believes are “always considered sexual harassment”—include: conditioning employment rewards on sexual favors; posting sexually explicit posters or calendars; pulling rank to request dates; and anything from “forcefully grabbing to fondling, forced kissing, or rape,” the policy states.
Those who witness sexual harassment or its precursor have the same options as those in the Army. They can tell the harasser that such behavior must stop; ask someone else to convey opposition; report the crime to a supervisor; or file a formal complaint, the policy states.
Accountability
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In addition to education on sexual harassment and its prevention, Naval officers must hold themselves accountable for the message’s effectiveness.
According to “Sexual Harassment of Women in the Military,” a military-issue paper by Shirley Sagawa and Nancy Duff Campbell, officers must consider: how often they send reminders on the policy and how receptive units seem to it; whether proper disciplinary actions were taken when yellow- and red-zone offenses occurred; and whether the work force seems comfortable with reporting sexual harassment—and if not, what can be done to ensure its members know accusers won’t be penalized.
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