Soldiers learn how to help sexual assault survivors

By Lacey Justinger, Triad Contributor

      Fort McCoy Army Community Service (ACS) hosted several presentations from a national tour on "How to Help a Sexual Assault Survivor: What Men Can Do," that also served as annual sexual assault training for more than 100 Soldiers including mobilizing Soldiers and trainers.

Members of One in Four train Soldiers in sexual assault prevention techniques during a stop at Fort McCoy as part of a national tour. (Photo by Lacey Justinger)

      The nonprofit One in Four program, which presented the training, tours college campuses and military establishments and is designed to be most effective for an all-male audience. Four recent college graduates presented what men can do to help someone who has survived sexual assault or rape. Both men and women can commit or survive rape, but nationwide statistics show that one in four women has been the victim of rape, an attempted rape or a sexual assault. According to One in Four, a 2005 crime survey averaged this crime to approximately 20 incidents per hour -- more than 176,000 cases nationwide in a year. Still, rape and sexual assault are thought to be the most under-reported crimes in the country.

      "For us we recognize this is not just a college issue, it is a societal issue," said Jor-El Caraballo, one of the presenters who graduated from the University of North Carolina-Wilmington in May. "The more people who understand what rape survivors go through and are aware this is actually happening, the better. No one ever asks for or deserves rape."

      The One in Four motto: Statistics Can Change, Men Can Help.

       "I want to help men understand the issue and awaken them like I was," said Dan Mollison, a University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign graduate. "The presentation is unique -- it allows men to empathize with the situation. It powerfully conveys what happens and makes them receptive. We were conscious of the military experience and that we were speaking to grown men, but peer-to-peer works most effectively."

      The program strives to help men understand the steps leading up to and the consequences of rape or sexual assault through police training videos and scenarios designed to place audience members in the position of the victim or a witness. The presenters offer suggestions on plans of action if friends or family ask for help after an attack or how to help prevent assaults. 

      "This is a great tool to raise awareness about an issue, change behavior and make a difference in the world," said James Ambrose from Virginia's College of William and Mary. "We're not here to blame men for rape, not at Fort McCoy or in the nation." 

      "Male survivors face specific hurdles in coming to grips with being victimized, this is not just a women's issue," said J.T. Newberry, a One in Four presenter from William and Mary.

      "It's hard for a man to tell another man or to talk about it," Newberry said. "The ultimate would be to have four guys in uniform up here to really connect with the Soldiers."

      "The training brings the reality of life into perspective," said Staff Sgt. William Wilson, one of the trainers with the 1st, 340th Training Support Battalion, 181st Infantry Brigade, who attended the presentation. "Assault is not gender specific -- even a warrior can be vulnerable at any given moment."

      The One in Four team travels for nine months around the country in an RV. This is this team's first stop at a military base and the six sessions at Fort McCoy set the record for the most presentations in one day on an RV tour. The team has approximately 180 hours of individual training in order to qualify them for these positions.

      "When men start to understand what it could be like, then they get it, because it builds empathy for survivors of sexual assault," said Newberry. "They understand the power they have to shift the entire focus of someone's life from a simple miscommunication. That's something you don't see in movies or hear in songs. We want to empower men to make the right and safe choices."

      The ACS Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Program at Fort McCoy offers support to Soldiers with 12 trained unit victim advocates (UVA), pre- and post-deployment unit training, annual and advocate training.

      Soldiers may make unrestricted or restricted sexual assault, rape or attempted rape reports. Unrestricted reporting initiates an investigation and allows for the care and safety of the victim. Those requesting unrestricted reports may speak to unit commanders, chaplains, healthcare providers or law enforcement.        

      Restricted reports are confidential; provide victim support, medical treatment and counseling; and are reported to a sexual assault response coordinator (SARC), a UVA, a chaplain or a medical provider.

      Barbara Mashak, the Fort McCoy ACS SARC, said the One in Four presentations, "reach across cultural boundaries because of the similar age group and the information is transferable between the military and college lifestyles because they both are enclosed communities."

      For additional information contact the Fort McCoy ACS SARC at (608) 388-8951, or visit the web sites http://www.sexualassault.army.mil or http://www.oneinfourusa.org.

(Justinger is a public affairs specialist for Eagle Systems and Services Inc., contractor for CONUS Support Base Services.)