Sexual assault and harassment are some of the most underreported crimes not only in the Army but also in the community at large. In 2008, approximately 33 percent of sexual assaults were reported in the Army, according to Carolyn Collins program manager for the Army Sexual Harassment and Assault Response and Prevention program, in a recent bloggers roundtable.
“So with that in mind, we did a lot of actions to try to reduce down that stigma of reporting over the last year and a half.” said Collins.
Typically sexual assault victims know their attackers so reporting their crime becomes very difficult. This is amplified when one is living in a close-quarters situation.
The Army recently held the Army Sexual Harassment and Assault Response and Prevention program conference. At the conference Army leaders met to learn about how sexual assault and harassment affects unit cohesion.
As women become more integrated into the force what do you think can be done to reduce sexual assault and the stigma associated with report these crimes?
