Why is Sharp Increasing in The Army

The purpose of this essay is to address the pressing question: "why is SHARP increasing in the army?". We will delve into the factors leading to the rise in SHARP (Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention) instances within the Army.

The SHARP program is the Army’s effort to prevent and end sexual harassment and assault. The reasons I think these instances continue increasing are Soldier’s chain of command, alcohol consumption, and soldiers being too prideful or scared to report sexual assault.

The Soldier’s chain of command plays an important role in these cases. The chain of command handles sexual assault. This means they have an influence in these sexual assault cases. Soldiers could then fear retaliation. One instance is a woman said she reported the sexual assault to several officers in her chain of command, but was told that she would be charged with adultery. The chain of command should enforce the Army’s policy on sexual assault. It is their responsibility to treat each incident seriously and follow proper guidance. They should avoid blaming victims based on history. “Some persons who have performance issues or a promiscuous reputation are targeted by serial offenders because these victims are perceived to lack credibility.” Events like these could cause the Soldier to not report and the offender can continue sexually assaulting other victims.

Alcohol is a big reason for increased sexual assault. When Soldiers drink, their soberness goes down. They want always be able to make clear and concise decision. Soldiers not aware of themselves could lead to disastrous outcomes. Things they would not normally partake in would happen because of manipulation. This could cause a series of unfortunate events to occur that can change a Soldier’s life. “Alcohol loosened us up and the situation occurred by accident. If no alcohol was consumed, I would never have crossed that line.” Soldiers can no longer give proper consent anymore. They become more vulnerable from the effects of alcohol. This can lead to sexual harassment or even assault.

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Other reasons why sexual assault can happen is that soldiers are at a new duty station where they may not know anybody. For some, this means they could fall in with the wrong crowd. There are even people in leadership positions who abuse their rank, taking advantage of lower ranked Soldiers. This is common among new soldiers, but it happens to soldiers of all ranks. There have even been cases where a senior enlisted NCO has abused their rank and peer pressured young Soldiers into a prostitution ring. This completely contradicts the “one team, one fight” culture the Army strives to achieve. Sexual assault and sexual harassment negate the trust of the soldier and hurts the overall readiness of the Army.

Pride is an indicator about why sexual harassment and assault continue to rise. After sexual assault, some Soldiers are too prideful or scared to report. They may feel embarrass if their peers or anyone at all was to find out they were sexually assaulted. This could mean that offenders won’t be accountable for their actions. Offenders would assume their crimes are pardon. They will continue to victimize other people. Self-blame is another key reason why Soldiers are not reporting. Innocent questions from leaders could lead to self-doubt and prevent Soldiers from reporting. “The public may not realize just how many victims of any crime blame themselves for their own victimization.” (Karen G. Weiss) These instances will further increase if we don’t act upon them.

In conclusion, SHARP instances continue to increase because of toxic chain of commands, alcohol, and Soldiers too scared to report sexual harassment or assault. In order to mitigate these reasons, we should have leaders held more accountable for their actions. More training on alcohol and the effects it has on your body. Leaders should be supportive and non-judgmental when it comes to victims. With these few adjustments, we should be on our way towards decreasing SHARP instances in the Army.

Works Cited

1. Department of Defense. (2020). Sexual assault prevention and response (SAPR) program annual report on sexual assault in the military. Retrieved from https://sapr.mil/public/docs/reports/FY20_Annual/FY20-SAPRO-Report.pdf
2. U.S. Army. (2021). SHARP program. Retrieved from https://www.army.mil/SHARP/
3. U.S. Army. (2021). Command climate and sexual assault prevention and response. Retrieved from https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/ARN20056_R600_20_Admin_FINAL.pdf
4. U.S. Army. (2021). Army regulation 600-20: Army command policy. Retrieved from https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/ARN19839_R600_20_Admin_FINAL.pdf
5. Bostock, L. (2019). The impact of alcohol consumption on sexual aggression: A meta-analysis. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 47, 53-64. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2019.01.007
6. Krebs, C. P., Lindquist, C. H., Warner, T. D., Fisher, B. S., & Martin, S. L. (2007). College women's experiences with physically forced, alcohol- or other drug-enabled, and drug-facilitated sexual assault before and since entering college. Journal of American College Health, 55(5), 283-290. doi:10.3200/JACH.55.5.283-290
7. Weiss, K. G. (2010). Victim blaming in sexual assault: How it affects survivors and the rape culture. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 11(3), 177-196. doi:10.1177/1524838010379008
8. Ullman, S. E., & Peter-Hagene, L. C. (2014). Social reactions to sexual assault disclosure, coping, perceived control, and PTSD symptoms in sexual assault victims. Journal of Community Psychology, 42(4), 495-508. doi:10.1002/jcop.21619
9. Livingston, J. A., Testa, M., & VanZile-Tamsen, C. (2007). The reciprocal relationship between sexual victimization and sexual assertiveness. Violence and Victims, 22(4), 502-520. doi:10.1891/0886-6708.22.4.502
10. Department of Defense. (2021). SHARP: Training videos. Retrieved from https://www.sapr.mil/training-and-education/training/sharp-videos

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