What is going on with these changes regarding how we handle sexual assaults?

Prior to my departure from Soto Cano in Honduras, mt BN Commander wanted me to give the entire BN a SHARP class.

So, I designed the class off the Foundation Course I received in March. This class was different in the manner that I used all the information available and tried to get people to see SHARP from the eyes and mentality of the victims. I used stats. I used personal experience of others, without using any identifiable information. Hell, I used my own personal experience. I even had a Hall of Shame where I showed and talked about Senior Leaders getting nailed for SA/SH.

I even went so far as to tell the entire BN that the SHARP program is failing because we, as Leaders, are failing the SHARP program by failing to hold accountable those that violate.

The Government and the Military can include all kinds of changes and all kinds of training, but until Senior Leaders get serious about punishing those that harass and assault, nothing will ever change.

As a victim of MST, it took almost 40 years. The worst were the serial rapists but I see the culture has not changed. They say the words but no one follows through, The leaders most likely were guilty of sexually assaulting or harassing other service members themselves so it was safest to sweep it under the rug. I am thankful that many of us are finally getting acknowledged and rated for the damage the assault caused that made it hard to do our jobs, I had names and places, enough people finally are reporting so a pattern can be seen and an individual or unit can be identified. 2 years is a victory, Some of us weren’t aware of a way to report assaults at the time they occurred but our performance suffered. Speaking as a civilian sexual assault nurse examiner, I saw delays caused by under manning labs to follow up on the rape kits. They sat on the shelves collecting dust, last year, the DA found a serial rapist and 7 different nurses from different nights were called as witnesses, we have another case of serial rapist coming up soon. First, we feel disgusted, suicidal, violated, we have to relive the experience each time we are asked about it, not a day goes by I don’t relive mine.

Sexual assault is not a priority in the military or civilian realm. Idgaf what anyone says - it's not. I have heard, since SHARP was created at least, sexual assault there is "zero tolerance." Ha. I've seen the evolution of SHARP and not much has improve in it since it started. Very, very small changes. Also I've been a VA and SARC and seen the lip service given by leaders saying "zero tolerance" but not putting any emphasis on trying to reduce it.

For example, the military has repeatedly used administrative separations in lieu of court martial: "More than half of the 900 soldiers who were allowed to leave the country’s largest military branch in the past decade rather than go to trial were accused of violent crimes, according to an analysis of roughly 8,000 Army courts-martial cases that reached arraignment. The figure is a significant increase from about 30% in the previous decade.

Choosing to handle such cases administratively instead of through the courts can have serious ramifications, experts told the news organizations.

Some soldiers escape potential legal consequences: Those who may have been convicted of sexual assault won’t have to register as sex offenders, and those who could have been found guilty of domestic abuse will not be subject to federal restrictions prohibiting them from owning firearms."

armytimes.com/news/your-army/2023/04/10/how-the-army-quietly-discharges-soldiers-charged-with-violent-crimes/

Then add in that there's still a problem of victim blaming. I know people say there isn't but there is. No matter who the victim is.

I mean there's so many issues that come with this epidemic in both military and civilian realms. But no one really wants to address it. Look at the civilian world all these precincts with back logged SANE kits. Piled up, untested. Some so old they've degraded. So why report it when nothing happens? Sexual assault is rarely prosecuted and if it makes it trial and a conviction, there aren't really very long sentences handed out. Brock Turner was caught raping a woman - he got six months and didn't have to do all of it. Other cases have resulted in probation or less because "well we don't ruin this young man's future" because he was some popular athlete or whatever. (Usually white too).

Then add in when we have had men at the highest levels saying certain things are "locker room talk" or people say that kind of behavior is "boys being boys."

I don't see anything changing in my lifetime. I wish it would...but I doubt it.