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Under Secretary Urges Cultural Change as Sexual Assault Summit Wraps Up

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS110506-21
5/6/2011

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Christine Hannon, Navy Public Affairs Support Element East, Southeast

ORLANDO, Fla. (NNS) -- The 2011 Sexual Assault Prevention Summit, hosted by the Department of the Navy (DON), came to a close in Orlando, Fla., May 4.

The summit provided a forum for Navy and Marine Corps senior leaders to interact with experts and sexual assault response coordinators (SARCs), collaborate, and strategize the most effective sexual assault prevention strategies for their specific location.

The Under Secretary of the Navy Robert O. Work shared his views on needed changes in the military culture regarding sexual assault.

"In my view, this is all about changing our culture," Work said. "It's all about stomping out sexual misconduct in all of its forms, wherever it is, from four-star to E-1."

Work urged senior leaders to keep a strategy focused on prevention, intervention and identifying the criminals.

The DoN Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) has gathered data for more than 18 months in an attempt to understand sexual assaults in the Navy and Marine Corps. Last year, 920 sexual assaults were reported in the Navy and Marine Corps. However, data suggests only 1-in-8 assaults are reported.

"If we prove to our young men and women who have been assaulted that we are serious about changing this culture, perhaps we'll get the reporting," Work said.

He also shared the message that eliminating sexual assault from our ranks is an all hands effort. The Under Secretary asked everyone in the room to provide suggestions to ensure a successful program.

"Awareness through education, training and active leadership is vital to the success of preventing sexual assaults," Work said. "We're going to start doing more training... we're going to put more resources to [prevention]."

Commander, Navy Installations Command, Vice Adm. Michael C. Vitale prescribed a change in tolerance.

"We have to change our tolerance for sexual assault," Vitale said. "We have to become more intolerant than we are today, regardless of sexual orientation or gender. As always, it is about treating everyone with dignity and respect."

The summit helped to identify and eliminate barriers to victim reporting. Attendees learned how to ensure care for victims of sexual assault is available and accessible. Attendees, speakers and various subject matter experts shared resources Navy leaders need to be successful.

DoN SAPRO is responsible for oversight of the DoN's sexual assault policy. SAPRO works hand-in-hand with the services and the civilian community to develop and implement innovative prevention and response programs.