SHARP sucks and it's ineffective! Here's why.

2014-09-08T17:27:48-04:00

You've seen it. It's in the hallways: posters taped to walls, pop up figures in corners with SHARP banners, tables with cards and other literature promoting the program. Where I work, there are even stickers on the bathroom mirror like a picture frame saying that I am part of the SHARP program. No I'm not.

Like most of you, I have sat through the dry, boring SHARP power point slides and videos. Sexual Harassment/Assault Response & Prevention. Oh joy - who actually looks forward to these things?

In every video the scenarios are the same. Here it is, blunt as can be for you: Girl gets drunk and can't keep her legs closed. Guy gets drunk and becomes a sexual predator. What's the solution the Army comes up with: YOU better go to the bar and baby sit people. Why? They're over 18, they're adults. What's that? Someone say "it's your responsibility?" No. Absolutely not.

I am 30 years old, have a wife and two small children. Where was I at 0230 hrs on Saturday when PFC Idiot was drunk and having sex with the drunk PV2 She-idiot? I was a home, where a married father should be. Why wasn't I at the barracks Friday night checking on people? Because those are the single soldier's quarters. Married individuals have no business there. I've seen what married Soldiers do in the barracks - it damn sure ain't their job.

That's like blaming TV for a kid's actions instead of crappy parenting. How about the military address the real problem: Can't control your alcohol without making bad decisions? DON'T DRINK! Oh my goodness...a logical, mature thought. Besides - two drunk people having sex isn't rape. Just because one party wakes up and thinks "oh no! I shouldn't have done that" doesn't mean you were attacked and doesn't warrant filing a report on someone. You got drunk and made a bad choice. It means you're an idiot and lack self control, period.

Lets talk more about this SHARP failure. All videos/scenarios point to lower enlisted Soldiers. Anyone keeping up with the news? Seems like here lately our offenders are mostly senior enlisted and officers. Hmmm...profiling the wrong crowd with all this stuff much?

Our SHARP program goes into how to report an incident that's already happened, or other Soldiers having to make on the spot corrections as they see something happening. "Hey man, that's not cool, don't do that." "Why are you letting him talk to you that way". "She's not a piece of meat, bro." Then they slide into how to tell on someone for their behavior. Tell on them. What, are we in kindergarten?

How about this...instead of running and telling a third party that a guy just slapped you on the ass or said something way, way off center, you ball your fist and you break his nose? Kick him in the satchel. How about you make it so abundantly clear that you are not to be fucked with and harassed that it never, ever happens again? Call it excessive? I don't. Rape and being sexually harassed is serious - so destroy the behavior with a serious response to it.

Think of it this way: what you would tell your daughter if she said something was going on? Easy dad...me too, I'd find the little bastard and I would - I'm right there with you. But seriously: what would you tell her? Go tell the principal? Or would you tell her to put the kid on his ass and end it right then and there?

So why do we tell our Soldiers NOT to stick up for themselves and just go tell a third party to handle a problem? Did tattling on people ever solve anything in your life? Didn't work for me either.

Lastly, its now on my NCOER. How do I help support the SHARP program? Easy, I keep my d#*% in my pants and my hands to myself while at work. Seriously?

Our kinder, friendlier culture doesn't want anyone to stand up for themselves. They want you to report, tell, and play nice about it. There is no Prevention in this program. Until the actual issue here: drunken stupidity, immaturity, and taking responsibility for one's personal well being is addressed, nothing will change.

Response by SSgt Gregory Guina made Sep 8 at 2014 5:36 PM

2014-09-08T17:36:46-04:00

SSG Wiley while I agree that SHARP is a pain in the ass at least there is something going on. However I am surprised that your NCOER includes a spot on how you support SHARP. Every sane person should be supoprting the SHARP program in the way they live their lives.

Response by MSG Wade Huffman made Sep 8 at 2014 7:17 PM

2014-09-08T19:17:35-04:00

I have a feeling that you have just said what a WHOLE lot of people have been thinking, but we both know it's NOT going away for the reasons that many others have already mentioned.
Yes it's a pain, yes it's broken, but as long as there is a need for awareness and reporting training, there will be awareness and reporting training, and it will be for everyone. If it helps one person, then it really is justified.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 9 at 2014 2:12 PM

2014-09-09T14:12:40-04:00

When it comes to the SHARP program everyone got a take on it, some opinions are popular, some are not, some people are sick and tired of the briefings and some people believe that we need to do more. Only thing I am going to say is that I agree that is stupid to have to put a bullet in my NCOER saying I support the program, of course I support it, just like I support EO and the Army Values, just make it a yes or no in the front. What is more stupid is that I have to put the same bullet here in the student's 1059 when they leave this place.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 17 at 2014 7:52 AM

2014-09-17T07:52:11-04:00

Many of the prevention programs were initiated as CYA procedures. Even the highest ranked person can admit that no amount of classes or briefings will change human nature. If a person is going to commit an offense no amount of training is going to dissuade them. In fact I have heard soldiers joke about the classes being training videos on how to get away with it.
Fortunately alcohol is not a complete defense in criminal proceedings despite it common being used as such. I have investigated many cases over the years where Johnny and Jenny were drinking and having a good time, but someone passed out before 2nd base. Where the other figured it was ok to take it to home plate without the others consent is beyond me.
Much like Jeff Foxworthy used to joke about warning labels, they wouldn't be there if someone didn't do try to do it.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Sep 17 at 2014 12:19 PM

2014-09-17T12:19:40-04:00

Sexual Harrasment/Assault is not an Army issue, it is a parenting issue. Good, decent, well raised human beings do not require training to know that these behaviors are wrong and morally reprehensible. If they need to be taught that at this stage, there is nothing we can do for them. Their formulative years have been wasted. All we can do is identify them and remove them from the service.

There is no amount of training that will undo 17 + years of bad parenting.

Response by SPC Christopher Smith made Sep 17 at 2014 1:02 PM

2014-09-17T13:02:00-04:00

SHARP is a case of, "It's broke, but don't fix it". It seems like everytime see spend money on bettering this program things get worse. More briefings, and less actual absorption of information. The more you brief something, does not equal the better it is retained. You might have successfully schooled he herd, but they are more likely to just be repeating the information without even hearing themselves speak. Understand education vs. schooling. We have not been educating the forces, we have been schooling them.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 17 at 2014 1:19 PM

2014-09-17T13:19:36-04:00

Although I wanted to not like your post after our "discussion" yesterday, I can't help but agree. You said it all a bit more harsh than I would, but I completely agree that our current program doesn't work. I wouldn't go so far as to say that battle buddy teams shouldn't police each other up in the club, but as a friend, that should go without saying. If I am two sheets to the wind and forcing myself on some private, please, battle, help me out of that situation. However, I don't need to be taught to do that in a sharp class and it shouldn't be our solution to the problem.

Response by CPT Zachary Brooks made Sep 17 at 2014 1:51 PM

2014-09-17T13:51:38-04:00

The new SHARP program should be restructured to be SING (Solar plexus, Instep, Nose, Groin)? While I agree its important to know how to defend oneself, and it should be taught and encouraged (and threatened) it is also expected of any soldier or leader to look our for and protect their buddy, when they can.

I will not find myself out partying with my peers as that is not me as a person, but if I happen to be out I do in fact speak up and try to make sure others are ok.

Response by SSG Robert Burns made Sep 17 at 2014 3:19 PM

2014-09-17T15:19:49-04:00

SSG Jacob Wiley I would pay money to see you design a SHARP poster. What would it say. Maybe SSG Scott Williams could help you with the graphics.

Response by SSG Jason Neumann made Sep 17 at 2014 11:25 PM

2014-09-17T23:25:21-04:00

So I have told this to my daughter AND also my son. If someone were to put hands on you or do something you didn't want to be done, tell them so. If they decide to do that crap again......knock them on their ass. This isn't just happening in our military, but it is also starting at our elementary, middle, high schools. We have to be the more kinder, gentler way as human beings.

Don't forget is happens in the Civilian workplace as well. Again, in this particular instance, which I have witnessed, the woman didn't want what the guy was selling and kneed him in the crotch and pushed him over. Did he get the point? Yup, he sure did. Each individual has their right to protect themselves against unwanted activities, so do just that; be blunt and straight to the dome or to the point. And if both are drinking, it's a bad decision on both parts; not let's see who can get to the SHARP rep first. Be an adult, take ownership for your actions and suffer the consequences.

Again, both my son and daughter know they can defend themselves and I got their back if anyone says otherwise; just like I have my Soldiers back whomever they may be.

Response by SSG(P) Auston Terry made Sep 18 at 2014 11:15 PM

2014-09-18T23:15:47-04:00

This probably isn't the most professional thing I will ever say, but my issue with the SHARP program is the "slippery slope" idea that a bunch of guys sitting around in the sandbox talking about vieny male genitalia is the breeding ground of an incidious rape circle. Our SARC actually posted a graphic around the battalion that litterally made that argument (less the word circle).

I'm additionally irked by one of the scenarios in the Sharp online training where a dude is propositioned out of nowhere by a female and taken home, in the morning she says that he may have sexually assaulted her. They were both drinking and she was the aggressor, but he's at fault. The real reason that EO and POSH/SAPR got split must be because there is no such thing as equal opportunity in the SHARP program.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 19 at 2014 8:35 AM

2014-09-19T08:35:46-04:00

It seems to me the entire SHARP program was invented/bred by the Army powers that be because of negative publicity and questions being asked on Capitol Hill by members of our Government.
This I feel is the flavor of the month to address in terms to a knee jerk response to Senior Leadership in our branch of service as a CYA to show the press and the rest of America that they are actively engaging the issues that the Army is having with Sexual Assault.
The above statements are not by any means to be taken as my having a perception that Sexual Assault isn't an issue. I whole heartedly feel that it is. However I don't feel that the Army's approach is correct in terms of prevention. Posters, signs, mundane powerpoints and adding a bullet on an NCOER is not effective.
I feel that a more suitable approach would be to maintain the current zero tolerance policy but add to it. By adding to it I mean bringing back post correctional facilities, where Soldiers serve a term of 30 days hard labor and grueling make you throw up PT every day for small infractions to this policy, then an expedited discharge while at that correctional facility. Followed by a registration on a national sex offender registry. For serious violations of the SHARP policy, mandatory jail time at a military correctional facility.
If you make the consequences of an offense so heinous compared to the current punishments that MOST will correct themselves and never even think of commiting the act. As you all know there will always be the few that are just broken and will do what they want.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 21 at 2014 11:16 PM

2014-09-21T23:16:33-04:00

I am probably the only person on this thread who believes that the SHARP program works. The key words that I want everyone to focus on are "response and prevention". The program is a man-made program, therefore it is not perfect and will never be. This is where the "response" part comes in. The prevention part of the program is not entirely on the SHARP instructors to execute, its on every single one of us. If anyone has a better idea to fight sexual assault and sexual harassment, I am willing to bet that their installation SHARP representative would love to hear it out…including myself.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 11 at 2014 11:47 PM

2014-10-11T23:47:17-04:00

I have seen these videos. And they are awful. I can understand the intent behind them, but much of this SHARP program is a PC CYA exercise.
It takes the focus off of individual behavior and places the responsibility on third parties. Should we watch out for each other...absolutely. But at which point do we emphasize the reason we got into a situation that requires us to be held accountable for someone else's poor decisions?
We have got to get to a position in which we can discuss and evaluate this entire concept of "victim blaming." Taking personal damn responsibility is a good start, male or female.
To me, as a woman, many of these videos are sickening. They portray women as weak, naive idiots who place themselves in avoidable situations. And demand that other people take responsibility for the consequences.
I teach my own three daughters to be responsible for themselves. My seven-year-old grasps this concept. It's insulting to be promoted to the mostly-male military as "princesses", especially in light of the constant demands on our occupation for "equality in the ranks."

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 12 at 2014 12:05 AM

2014-10-12T00:05:09-04:00

A key problem of the military's sexual assault saga is putting responsibility for being sexually assaulted on the victims. I think with the current strategy is part of the reason victims are afraid to report incidents. If you're a victim and you've done one of the things on that SHARP reporting poster, you now feel like its your fault that you were sexually assaulted.

Whoever is a SARC coordinator or VA here, answer me this, does one of your questions ask the victim what they were wearing or if they were alone or were drunk? If so, how does this promote culture change support victims as opposed to tearing victims down by plastering these types of posters all over the base/post etc. When asking these questions aren't we re-enforcing victims fear and make them feel like its their fault all over again. If the sexual assault wasn't enough, now degraded by asking "were you drinking". At that point I would probably not tell you a damn thing.

Is it me or does the training not help? In all my years, I've never heard anyone say anything about what's being done to stop the perpetrators. Who here has seen the 'Invisible War', an investigative documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military? After watching this I made an eerie discovery: all the armed forces have mishandled sexual-assault cases by discouraging victims from pursuing complaints, conducting flawed investigations and depriving victims of support services. Military officers/NCOs often have ignored or hidden problems and findings related to sexual assaults. Many fear retaliation, damage to their careers and being portrayed as disloyal. And those who do report are often punished, intimidated, ostracized or told they are crazy by their superiors.

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 14 at 2014 7:10 PM

2014-10-14T19:10:12-04:00

In my humble opinion, the military is forced to produce these programs due to the media and PC "culture". We have states (California) that require a signed consensual sex waiver before any intimate relations are to ensue. And require an annotated update for each occurrence in some areas. We have colleges (Penn State) that require an affirmation from both parties before each stage of intimate progression.

The Main Stream media has for the last 40 years or more had it in for the military, and the powers that be are doing their best to make us change into something that the Media will portray in a positive light. So now we have all these programs that are designed to make us more "human" and "likeable" to the masses that are in fact degrading our own culture in the military.

If you ask me PTSD is not the largest problem for the Armed Services going forward its PC-BS.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 14 at 2014 5:46 AM

2014-12-14T05:46:50-05:00

I would like you all to come to one of my SHARP briefings. I don't tell people not to be rapists and I don't lecture people on how not to be victims. Both of those things, in my opinion are as well received (and by that I mean not well at all) as many of you seem to suggest. Instead of that, I talk to people about positive relationships, and dignity and respect. I bring up hard questions about how the Army values play a part in day to day interactions between people. I ask people to really evaluate how much they are truly likely to "blame the victim" by asking what he or she was wearing and how much they had to drink. I make sure people know the only person who is responsible for the crime is the criminal and that we have a responsibility to our battle buddies to make sure they are as safe as possible in every situation. In my opinion, the SHARP message is a good one and there are plenty of opportunities to have the kinds of discussions we need to have to show the rest of the US population what right looks like. So far, we have a ways to go before we can stand on that moral high ground. That means we still have some work to do.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 14 at 2014 10:55 AM

2014-12-14T10:55:13-05:00

I would posit that all mandatory briefs "suck".
When it is cold outside, you might get frostbite, hypothermia, trench foot, etc. Wear warm clothes.
When it is hot outside, you might get heat stroke, heat exhaustion, etc. Take breaks and drink water.
When you say "jokes" that dehumanize a group of people, it might offend them.
When you go out and drink too much, you make poor choices.
When you take advantage of or force yourself on someone, it is wrong.
No kidding.

Almost all of them have one thing in common, police each other up when they look to be getting in trouble. This is common sense, or at least common enough that I should not have to sit through annual (or quarterly!) reminders of it.
Why do we have these classes? Because General guy got to sit in front of a senior or Congressional Committee and explain what he was doing about it. What is he doing? Something! Does it work? Well, considering that the statistics they like to quote are in terms of total number or percentage trained, you get your answer. When they get asked why the rate of incidence goes up, they say it is because of increased reporting. Perhaps. Not to worry, we'll increase the frequency of classes; then we are doing something, more! Hence the death spiral of mind-numbing, mandatory classes.

Look, human behavior is a pretty predictable phenomenon. Take a demographic, model behavior, and certain conditions, and you get the macro-models that DoD uses to come up with this stuff.
Nor are individual Soldiers all that hard to figure out. An NCO worth his salt will spot a deviant or vulnerable individual a mile away. Smart ones focus their energy there. Individual attention will solve far more than putting everyone in the theater to listen to compelling reenactments all day, every day.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 9 at 2015 12:40 PM

2015-12-09T12:40:26-05:00

I wouldnt have said it the way you did but I do beleive SHARP has alot of holes that needs to be fixed. If two adult Soldiers consent to sexual acts with each other and the next morning one of them have regrets. What stops him or her from filing a report? Its now she said she said.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 21 at 2016 8:56 AM

2016-03-21T08:56:03-04:00

too many SHARP violations boil down to two drunken Soldiers having sex, the next morning he is a rapist and she is a victim.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 25 at 2016 1:20 PM

2016-03-25T13:20:14-04:00

You make alot of good points and the SHARP debacle is just another example of mass punishment because Army leaders simply do not manage personnel very well. Congress mandated that the DOD do "something" about sexual harassment and they are able to check every box (posters, training, more training, even more training etc) while the SM suffers and wonders what the heck is going on

Response by PO3 Aaron Hassay made Jul 11 at 2016 8:56 PM

2016-07-11T20:56:11-04:00

Maybe things have changed since "Don't Ask Don't Tell" 1990s era when I was on that FFG(combat ship).

But that other e3 who cornered me in berthing(sleep area) and in close proximity 1 foot away, sleeping right above me or below I can not recall, openly suggested, asked for, coerced(no one will know) sexual BS with that piece of crap(sorry I get angry when I think about it) on the ship out at Sea, was more then a bit disheartening.

It was an attack both mental and physical on me. It is not the clearest of lines, but he made me feel unsafe in hundreds of ways. A verbal threat in close proximity, with intent to do physical things, can have a negative physical reaction on the service member being "PREYED" on.

One thing I think he may have been trying to do was remove himself from the Navy by doing this stunt. He was actually no on the ship very much longer, and I have proof of that, through MUSTER REPORTS. But I was never told why he was no longer there. Usually Deck SN e3 20 year olds on their first command stay a bit longer, without special circumstances. But me being the victim of his threats, did not make me a person who still looks for confirmation of why he was removed from the ship, and his personnel records through FOIA. They say that is covered by Privacy Act as not releasable. Hell I do not want to know his home address. I just want to finally know what the hell went on, on that ship, behind the scenes, as a victim, now talkinag about things hidden for quite some time.

I have no idea what 2 dudes do on a ship in today's navy who like each other. But hell I am not gay. I was actually engaged to a beautiful girl off the ship, and some of the other Deck SN who met her, were jealous and amazed I pulled such a beautiful girl. Hell I was serious about my life and only 19.

The incident, if I can use words to describe made me less trusting, more confused, panicked, disillusioned. For one, I thought he was a friend before that. It was out of the blue from no where. I was completely fuckin angry confused, felt at risk, and embarrassed. My reaction to this situation was not to violently kick him, punch him risking my own UCMJ proceedings, his words against mine. I was not that trusting of the leadership to back me, if he had a bloody nose, and I CLAIMED he was trying to get sexual with me risking my navy career and life.

How do you know the outcome before hand of these known consequences of bludgeoning a pervert who is risking your life and career and future on duty on a Navy Ship in the Middle of the Ocean with no other witnesses?

So what do I do punch the guy, kick the guy, the be put in some kind of Captains Mast, where the CO or XO, is actually undercover sympathetic Gay, and then sets me up as the actual aggressor?

Those are split second things you consider on a Navy Ship. It is not the streets where I could punch a dude right in the mouth, and walk away happy.

So what did I do 1998, instead of kicking or hitting him? Well, after this dude did this to me, and scared me, I RAN, through him, around him, as he tried to make me calm down, and stop me from fleeing, out of berthing, not completely dressed, just in my white shirt, not my complete dungarees, into the galley, where everyone would be eating, screaming literally, about SN DikWad, who just tried to do what he did to me.

Guess, what, some of the sailors listened. As I was obviously panicked. No one took a report. I calmed down. And the seas kept on moving. But, I was definitely not sure about what to expect from that point on. No mental health leadership questioning was ever rendered. It may have been a command wide problem of undercover male on male things going on, which I find is actually the truth, through some documentaries I have found online of Navy Sailors of the 80, 90s.

It is creepy crap like that that I kept hidden in my head for the longest time only to talk about now, some 20 years later, fiance gone, career gone, on SSDI for anxiety and mood disorder.

After that incident or before, on this ship, I remember going past, the TV break room and multiple guys junior and senior were watching porn together.

Maybe I was to young. Maybe I was not brought up like that. Maybe I was a good church going guy with a fiance off the ship.

But whatever it was I walked away, disgusted, and confused from that experience also, that would go unreported, being I was like 20, and did not want to stand out. I just tried to believe "I JUST DID NOT SEE THAT"!. But you don't forget that.

Anyways I do not know what this brings to the conversation. But recently, trying to seek treatment for MST, the Younger Air Force "Sharp" MST therapist, openly asked me, if he grabbed my groin, or something like that, or was he naked, or something like that, and because I did not remember if he was naked, as we all showered and slept in similar berthing space and were disrobed on occasion to change, I thought that was a by gone conclusion.

But the bastard said I did not suffer MST. Which infuriated me even more. So MST actually takes physical contact of the groin, on a Navy Ship, in berthing, from the predator on the prey?

F-Him

I would like to meet his Girlfriend in a closed space on a Navy Ship and openly subject her "ALONE" in a 1 foot distance, intimidate over her, but NEVER TOUCH HER, to my forward masculine sexual desire for her, and him not call that MST.

Response by PO1 Donald Hammond made Sep 8 at 2016 12:53 PM

2016-09-08T12:53:36-04:00

I went to an EEO training as a contractor at a military facility. The EE Officer was black female. The video about sexual harassment, sexual assault, racism etc all had a white male as the bad guy. So when she asked for questions I asked about that. I also asked why a white male had never been EEO there. I was escorted from the meeting as a trouble maker.

That is the mindset nowdays that white males are the problem.

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Apr 4 at 2019 4:57 PM

2019-04-04T16:57:58-04:00

All of these type trainings are no brainers. But for the idiots you identified, who were raised wrong it is not. Hopefully you and you fellow leaders have serious dialog during the training discussing exactly why it is wrong and what you would do to the so and so who treated your daughter, sister etc. this way. That is why we have the trainjng, so that you will place your morals on the table and help to redirect poor behavior. Lastly you are their to identify the potential idiots in your organization that laugh and joke their way through it as potential predators. Bottom line is that if it prevents one idiot from harming another person then it was worth it to have you go through it. Stop complaining “NCO” and take part. Thank you for your service.