Prevention requires a comprehensive approach that incorporates multiple, reinforcing activities implemented and sustained over time. Successful prevention requires everyone’s involvement and commitment. 

It starts within everyone doing their part to live and uphold our Army Values and Army Ethic.

The second layer of Peers, Friends, and Family, depicts the individual’s closest social circles that are typically the most influential to the individual.

The third layer of Unit/Organization, depicts the surrounding work environment. Developing a positive command climate is vital, as well as establishing a strong command sponsorship program and encouraging leader involvement at all levels.

The outside layer, Post/Community, represents the broader environment in which we live and work. Communities that establish and maintain safety and security through policies and programs, make the support and services readily available, and communicate their importance and accessibility, create a positive environment in which people have a sense of belonging and a shared responsibility to contribute.

Healthy relationships bring out the best in you and make you feel good about yourself.

Some characteristics and behaviors of healthy relationships include:

Honesty – You can be truthful and candid without fearing how the other person will respond.

Trust – Confidence that your partner won’t do anything to hurt you or ruin the relationship.

Independence – You have space to be yourself outside of the relationship.

Respect – You value one another’s beliefs and opinions and love one another for who you are as a person.

Equality – The relationship feels balanced and everyone puts the same effort into the success of the relationship.

Kindness – You are caring and empathetic to one another and provide comfort and support.

Fun – You enjoy spending time together and bring out the best in each other.

Healthy Conflict – Openly and respectfully discussing issues and confronting disagreements non-judgmentally.

1 Source: OneLove, 10 signs of Unhealthy and Healthy Relationships, joinonelove.org

The stair-stepped, colored boxes show the decline of a unit’s readiness from green to red, which is common in all Unit Status Report (USR) briefings.

The silhouette Soldiers/Civilians depict the available personnel in a unit. The dark silhouettes represent personnel that are ready and capable to execute the mission. The grayed silhouettes depict Soldiers or Civilians that engage in and/or are affected by sexual assault or harassment who may still be present in the unit. However, their readiness and the readiness of the unit is compromised due to several reasons including investigations, medical appointments, support meetings, and the emotional effects of lack of trust, Esprit de Corps, respect, etc. The transition of the silhouettes from black to gray demonstrates how these events degrade the unit’s ability to complete its wartime mission..

When observing early warning signs or more serious behaviors along the continuum, leaders must intervene early and often to maintain a professional work environment.

Sexual Harassment is defined as:

Conduct that involves unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and deliberate or repeated offensive comments or gestures of a sexual nature when—

(a) Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of a person’s job, pay, or career; or

(b) Submission to or rejection of such conduct by a person is used as a basis for career or employment decisions affecting that person; or

(c) Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment; and

(d) Is so severe or pervasive that a reasonable person would perceive, and the victim does perceive, the environment as hostile or offensive. Unwelcomed sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, verbal comments, and physical conduct of a sexual nature where submission to or rejection of them can impact or interfere with someone’s job, pay, or career.

Sexual Assault is defined as:

Intentional sexual contact characterized by use of force, threats, intimidation or abuse of authority or when the victim does not or cannot consent. Consent may be revoked at any time. (DODI 6495.02 Change 4) The term includes a broad category of sexual offenses of the following specific UCMJ offenses: rape, sexual assault, aggravated sexual contact, abusive sexual contact, or attempts to commit these offenses.

Consent Definition

Under the UCMJ, consent is defined as a freely given agreement to the conduct at issue by a competent person.

Lack of consent may be inferred based on the circumstances of the offense. All the surrounding circumstances are to be considered in determining whether a person gave consent, or whether a person did not resist or ceased to resist only because of another person’s actions.

Sexual acts or sexual contact with a person when you know, or reasonably should have known, that the person is incapable of consenting due to impairment by a drug or intoxicant (alcohol) is a crime.

The UCMJ provides that a person is incapable of consenting when they are incapable of apprising the nature of the conduct or physically incapable of declining participation or communicating unwillingness to engage in the sexual conduct.

There is NO specified amount of alcohol that renders a person incapable of consenting under the law.

Sexual Violence Prevention Specialist

• (804) 236-7847

• Hours: 24/7.

• 800-799-7233

• Languages: English, Spanish, and 200+ other languages through interpretation service