Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) is a

US military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. U.S. federal law names six armed forces: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and the Coast Guard. Since 1949, all of the armed forces, except th ...

training program designated to educate service members and to provide support and treatment for their families who have experienced any form of

sexual assault Sexual assault is an act of sexual abuse in which one intentionally Physical intimacy, sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or Coercion, coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their w ...

. The SAPR program provides treatment and support including, medical, counseling, and direct guidance in navigating through the

Uniform Code of Military Justice The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) is the foundation of the system of military justice of the armed forces of the United States. The UCMJ was established by the United States Congress in accordance with their constitutional authority ...

(UCMJ). This program runs in accordance with

United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and superv ...

Instruction 6495.02 – SAPR program procedures. Generally anyone who is entitled to receive care at a military treatment facility is also eligible to receive care and support through SAPR. Each branch of the military ( DoD,

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

Marine Corps Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included raiding ashore (often in supp ...

Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

Coast Guard A coast guard or coastguard is a Maritime Security Regimes, maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with cust ...

National Guard National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. ...

) has adapted the SAPR program and each branch has a SAPR point of contact.Shannon Collin
(28 Dec 2023) Army stands up Special Trial Counsel with independent authority for 13 UCMJ offenses
/ref> "Multiple studies in the past decade have shown that command climate has an enormous bearing on likelihood of assault". In the Department of Defense, the "prevention portion has lagged".

History

In February 2004, the former Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Dr. Davis S.C. Chu was appointed to review the

process for treatment and support for victims of

in the military. The Care for Victims of Sexual Assault Task Force was swiftly amassed. The task force reported back within 90 days with recommendations in April 2004. One of the recommendations led to the formation of the Joint Task Force for Sexual Assault Prevention and Response in October 2004. The task force developed a new DoD wide sexual assault policy and the policy was officially in place January 1, 2005. They then instructed more than 1,200 Sexual Assault Response Coordinators (SARCs), chaplains, lawyers, and law enforcement officials to train first responders. The military services trained more than 1,000,000 service members, enlisted and officers, and ingrained SAPR offices on all major base installations. The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO), is now the single authority for the sexual assault policy to assure each branch of service complies with DoD policy. In February 2022 the Secretary of Defense instituted a management plan "to better understand current gaps n Sexual Assault Preventionand provide our teams with the necessary tools to enhance prevention capabilities". But "in some oDsites unhealthy ommandclimates remarked by unprofessionalism, bullying and harassment were tolerated, and help seeking was either not possible, or was perceived to be punished".Meghann Myer
(31 Mar 2022) 17 years on, military sexual assault prevention is 'early in development': Pentagon report
The military departments will be required to submit their compliance plans with the Secretary of Defense by 3 June 2022, and will issue guidance to their departments by 3 October 2022.

Program

The SAPR program provides treatment and support including, medical, counseling, and direct guidance in navigating through the

(UCMJ). This program runs in accordance with DoD Instruction 6495.02 – SAPR program procedures. Generally anyone who is entitled to receive care at a military treatment facility is also eligible to receive care and support through SAPR. Each branch of the US military has adapted the SAPR program and each branch has a SAPR point of contact. *

SAPR *

SAPR * DoD SAPRO

SAPR Advocate

All individuals are assigned to a SAPR Advocate; to assist them with the different treatment options that are available to them and to educate them about their rights. Services include: developing a safety plan, assessing the victim's medical needs and referrals to the appropriate health care provider. They also provide information on resources (civilian and military) that are available to them, information on the sexual assault forensic examination, and information on the military disciplinary system. A SAPR advocate is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week either through personal contact or through the DoD SAPR hotline. Typically each installation has a phone number to contact a SAPR advocate.

Options for reporting a sexual assault

An Unrestricted report is for victims who want to pursue an official investigation about the incident. Victims can report it to law enforcement, a health care provider, a Chaplain, their chain of command, a SARC, or a SAPR Advocate.Meghann Myers
(29 December 2023) Sexual assault prosecutions officially out of the chain of command
A Restricted report can be reported to a SARC, victim advocate, health care provider, and in same cases, a military Chaplain, all of which contain a

confidentiality Confidentiality involves a set of rules or a promise sometimes executed through confidentiality agreements that limits the access to or places restrictions on the distribution of certain types of information. Legal confidentiality By law, la ...

clause. Victims will still be able to receive medical treatment and support but the incident will not be reported to law enforcement or to the service member's chain of command. Typically the victim is referred to a SAPR Advocate so that they may assist the victim in the options they have and to help them seek the care and support they need.

References

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External links