Sexual Harassment In The Military

In the Army, sexual assault and sexual harassment are a substantial problem, have been for many years, and are continuing to grow of unwanted sexual harassment or sexual assault (verbal, nonverbal, and physical contact). In 2013 sexual assault increased by over fifty percent. More recent reports indicate over 6,700 cases of sexual assault took place during the 2017 fiscal year. Even though the number of reports has increased exponentially over the recent years, this is a good thing as it allows proper action to be taken against the perpetrator and helps build the culture of trust between the various rankings in the community. The start of this was in 2008 when “Sexual Harassment, Assault Response, and Prevention (SHARP) was introduced. Victims are getting more comfortable with the system, which in return is making reported incidents increase just

based on their knowledge.
The reason why the number of sexual assaults continue to increase over the years in the Army is that soldiers are becoming more aware of what sexual assault and sexual harassment are and actually reporting the incidents or intervening.
A recent study on consent showed that the average person tends to conflate consent with sexual desire.

In other words, they thought if he/she stopped responding to sexual interaction, does not resist you in any way than they are on the tipping point of consent. If there was a verbal refusal then they understood the sexual interaction was not invited, or wanted.
Sexual harassment or assault happen due to a combination of several factors, for example one individual may misread another’s sign of consent without asking. Examples of possible misreading’s would be eye contact, gestures, exchange of words, or even accepting a dinner invite.
It all comes down to morals, the difference between doing what is right and what is wrong. The current approach in the Army is proven reduce the risk of sexual assault and harassment. The knowledge that the SHARP NCO’s are spreading with their presentations are very informative on consent, and knowing that you literally need to ask for consent, if they say anything but “Yes” or do not respond at all, then you have literally no permission to have any contact of any sort with thee

individual.
One possible way to end sexual violence in the army is cultural change, every single member will receive the respect and admiration they deserve, where all reports of unwanted sexual behavior will be taken with immense seriousness, victims will have complete trust that they will be protected at all times. Onlookers will step in and where the criminal must be held liable by justice until proven guilty. Another possibility would be to remove sexual assault allegations from the chain of command to ensure the trial is fair in the court of law.
Sexual assault and harassment are a problem in the military, but steps are being taken to get in front of it and fix the issue. Soldier’s odds of being harmed by a fellow soldier dwarf the odds of being harmed by the enemy. When it is unclear to you weather or not someone wants any contact what so ever, it is everyone’s individual duty to just ask. It is everyone’s duty to be vigilant in his or her actions and gain clear forms of consent when engaging in relations. If there is any indication of hesitation or no clear form of consent, then it is your duty to respect the other individual’s wishes.