Getting to the Left of SHARP: Lessons Learned From West Point's Efforts To Combat Sexual Harassment and Assault

On July 26, 1948, President Harry Truman signed Executive Order 9981, ending the practice of segregating the military services by race. That same year, the Army allowed women to join the services on an equal basis with men. Both of these steps preceded the larger societal changes that allowed fully equal treatment of all types of American citizens in military service. Just over 2 years ago, Congress repealed the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, allowing for gays and lesbians to openly take their place in the military. West Point fully integrated women nearly 40 years ago, with the class of 1980. In that time, our procedures and policies for successful gender integration have grown and evolved. The authors share five principles for leaders and commanders about the prevention of sexual harassment and assault, as well as associated “Tips” for implementation: (1) Leaders identify and break chains of circumstance; (2) Education is preferable to litigation; (3) What’s electronic is public; (4) Don’t ignore pornography; and (5) Unit climate is the commander’s responsibility. These principles and their associated tips are not panaceas, and these recommendations are submitted for discussion and feedback. 

Primarily written for U.S. Army personnel, but can easily be adapted to other branches of the U.S. and foreign militaries.  The authors represent points of view about how to handle sexual abuse and harassment cases while trying to change the mindset of those who engage in this behavior. Students pursuing coursework in psychology and psychiatry may also be interested in this resource.