How to help someone who has experienced sexual harassment or assault

Sexual assault is a persistent, sometimes life-changing problem across all military branches. It impacts Service Members’ mental health, performance, and readiness. The Department of Defense (DoD) received 8,866 reports of sexual assault in 2021, most of which were from active-duty Service Members. Reports of sexual assault increased 13% from 2020 to 2021. In 2021, 8.4% of all active-duty women and 1.5% of all active-duty men reported experiencing unwanted sexual contact. And DoD estimates the actual numbers are higher because of underreporting.

What can you do to help someone who has experienced sexual harassment or assault?

Immediately:

Ongoing:

  • Enroll in SHARP training to understand how to intervene as a bystander. Data from 2018 show that 88% of Soldiers intervened when they saw risky behaviors related to suicide, and 74% intervened when they saw risky behaviors related to alcohol abuse, but less than half of Soldiers intervened when they saw sexual assault or harassment. Understanding the bystander intervention process can empower you to prevent or reduce the problem of sexual assault and harassment moving forward. The Army offers a variety of Sexual Harassment and Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) training modules you can do.
  • Know your role in reducing sexual assault. Part of being a responsive bystander is recognizing when to intervene. Sometimes sexual assault results from other risky behaviors, such as drinking too much alcohol. For example, if you see a friend or colleague who’s too drunk to make good choices, you might want to intervene when you see them leaving the bar with someone they don’t know (or don’t know well).  

To learn more about the holistic health approach of Total Force Fitness—including mental, spiritual, and social health—visit HPRC-online.org.

Published on: June 12, 2023


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References

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Elliman, T. D., Shannahoff, M. E., Metzler, J. N., & Toblin, R. L. (2018). Prevalence of bystander intervention opportunities and behaviors among U.S. Army Soldiers. Health Education & Behavior, 45(5), 741–747. doi:10.1177/1090198117752788

Holland, K. J., & Cipriano, A. E. (2019). Bystander Response to Sexual Assault Disclosures in the U.S. Military: Encouraging Survivors to use Formal Resources. American Journal of Community Psychology, 64(1-2), 203-218. doi:10.1002/ajcp.12333

U.S. Army SHARP. (2023). Module 2: Bystander intervention. Retrieved 15 February 2023 from https://rdl.train.army.mil/catalog-ws/view/sharp_gta_supplement/intervention.html

U.S. Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response. (2023). Reporting options. Retrieved 6 March 2023 from https://www.sapr.mil/reporting-options

U.S. Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office. (2022). FY 2021 annual report on sexual assault in the military. Retrieved 15 February 2023 from https://www.sapr.mil/sites/default/files/public/docs/reports/AR/DOD_Annual_Report_on_Sexual_Assault_in_the_Military_FY2021.pdf