Sexual Assault: Why no grass-roots movement?

GySgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 15:03:51 -0400

So I'm very concerned that our servicemen are not acting as gentlemen. Why is everyone waiting for "leadership" to take action? Why aren't male "brothers" stepping up in their defense -- you would if someone attacked your "brother" ....... or would you? This comes down to common decency. We need "society" to step up and apply pressure (or pain). NCOs, you need to square it away.

Response by PVT Mark Brown made Aug 22 at 2017 4:05 PM

PVT Mark Brown — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 16:05:27 -0400

Sexually predatory activity usually take place behind well placed curtains. I am assuming by "sexual assault" it is meant an actual physical confrontation between an aggressor and a victim. I would think that the aggressor would go to any length to keep his/her aggression secret. Such a person would be afraid of the operation of law, societal disgrace, dishonor amongst friends and neighbors. It would seem to me that sexual assault occurs far more often than is ever reported. The acceptance by those authority must give credence to the reporting party. Often times the victim is held to a portion of blame based on the general circumstances surrounding the event in question. The other side of this well used coin is the incidents of false reports by "victims" using the allegation of sexual assault as a weapon to be used against a person one wishes to hurt or destroy. I really don't know if boys will be boys will allow some men to admit to a close buddy what h has done. In the event, the "buddy" has a severe legal and moral responsibility to bring the crime to the attention to the proper authority. In the military I would think that would very difficult depending on rank. Maybe skipping a few links up the chain of command would be in order. Any service member, E-1 through O-10 are capable of such activity and have been accused and convicted. The reporting party needs to be careful in reporting the situation. In the civilian world the same minefield exists for the reporting party. I don't have any answers, I can only say that sexual crimes sicken me more than any other, except racism along with all is ramifications. The questions is "why no grassroots movement" to which I must opine that there is indeed a great grassroots effort to uncover as many incidents of sexual assault as humanly possible. This starts with education. Boys and girls, men and women must be educated that if you are a victim, you ARE a victim. IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT. Educate to uncover the dark crime. Encourage victims, provide places for victims to go anonymously (if necessary), educate law enforcement, social services and any other agency that would become involved in such cases. Make hospitals more sensitive to sexual assault victims. The greater the support the victims receives the greater chance that future victims will take that big scary step to report the aggression.

Response by SGM Erik Marquez made Aug 22 at 2017 4:06 PM

SGM Erik Marquez — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 16:06:09 -0400

GySgt Private RallyPoint Member ft "Why aren't male "brothers" stepping up in their defense"

Honestly i think this is and always has happened..
Just like the asexual assaults have and continue to happen.

Can we use more of "it " happening? Absolutely ..See something Beat Someone....... oh, wait I think the PSA marketing is See something SAY something, but still you get the idea...

Fellow SM don't always step up Id guess for concern of being on the wrong side of a he said she said (or he said he said, she said she said)

Its one thing if you walk by the barracks laundry room, see a struggle and find a fellow SM sexually assaulting another SM.. Thats an easy one.... someone goes for counseling, someone goes to the ER...Ohhh, I mean the MP station...

Its another thing, If you "heard" SM X was accused by SM Y .... I think thats a tough one.. does SM Y even want it brought forward (its their call, your feelings or wants DO NOT MATTER)

If SM Y wants it brought forward, then sure, help as needed to get things rolling...but false accusers are real...the SM reporting has to know that, and thats a hard thing to accept, you are setting up a fallow SM for a fall, even if found unjustified, the stigma will be there... But just as hard, what if you don't report you THINK something MAY have happened , and it was real, the SM was attacked.... you just helped an attacker get away with it, you just let a fellow SM suffer in silence....

Response by SGT Christopher Hayden made Aug 22 at 2017 4:53 PM

SGT Christopher Hayden — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 16:53:24 -0400

Because it's also the NCOs. That kind of activity isn't something that becoming an NCO suddenly "cures" as its a cultural issue, both in the military and nationwide.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 22 at 2017 5:16 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 17:16:00 -0400

I've seen things from 3 different angles.. It's going to be a big issue in combat arms, just like it's a quiet issue in places like the MPs. In aviation though, every unit that I've been in that has had females the females are protected. On a few occasions it looked like POTUS was walking down the street because she was in a protective circle.. lol

Response by SSG Robert Perrotto made Aug 24 at 2017 12:39 PM

SSG Robert Perrotto — Thu, 24 Aug 2017 12:39:08 -0400

Speaking as a former SHARP advocate, the rhetoric is easy to put forth, the truth is this - most cases of this nature do not happen when there are others around to witness it. So it becomes a he said/she said or whatever variation of this is accurate. False accusations do occur more frequently than you would believe and the stigma is very very real and career ending. My Job was to believe entirely with the person coming forth and to facilitate every possible assistance for the "victim" possible even though I know of at least 5 instances where the "victim" was lying - 2 of which were revenge/retribution for things that leadership denied, the other 3 were to deceive their spouses on infidelity. (they caught STD's). The rest were variations of harassment in the workplace, some just needed a talking to to change their perspective, a couple really did need a formal complaint in order to protect the person(s) around the individual.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 3 at 2017 6:09 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 03 Sep 2017 06:09:57 -0400

This comes across as a loaded question. I do believe soldiers do the right thing most of the time, the times that they don't are the ones we never hear the end of. These situations are so hard to address without giving a knee jerk reaction, and are most of the time not so black and white. We have programs in place to handle these complex situations that only work if we use them.

Response by GySgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 7 at 2020 12:59 PM

GySgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 12:59:18 -0400

I want to add another perspective to my own post.

I had taken over as a Intel Chief At a major command. My predecessor had been accused of sexual harassment by one of the troops.

Fast forward a couple of months. I received a call from the First Sergeant that the Marine (accuser) would be going to NCO school.

In normal manner, I delivered the order as if my own. The Marine immediately accused me of sexual harassment for assigning them to NCO school.

While the Marine was in my office, I called the First Sergeant (a woman) and told her of the Marine’s response. She told me to have the Marine report to her and they would go visit the Battalion Sergeant Major (a woman).

Suffice it that the Marine went to NCO school.

Female servicemembers, you too need to police your ranks. Let’s deal with legit sexual harassment, but not weaponize it.