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Mission The SHARP Program aims to foster a culture free of sexual harassment, assault, and retaliation by emphasizing prevention, education, training, response, victim support, and accountability. It has two core responsibilities—prevention and response—and assists Army leadership in reducing harmful behaviors through targeted prevention strategies. The program collaborates with the Army's integrated primary prevention workforce to implement research-based practices, ensuring the safety and well-being of all individuals covered. Prevention is a shared responsibility, with commanders playing a central role.

Did You Know?

With the restructure of the Army's SHARP program, Sexual Assault Response Coordinators (SARCs) and Victim Advocates (VAs) are no longer aligned to the individual unit level. SARCs and VAs for the National Capitol Region are assigned to individual installations under the Military District of Washington (MDW). If your unit is unsure as to which Fort Belvoir SHARP personnel are assigned to your unit, please contact our office.

KNOW YOUR OPTIONS

What classifies as sexual harassment?

Sexual harassment is conduct that involves unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and deliberate or repeated of-offensive comments or gestures of a sexual nature when:

  • Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of a person’s job, pay, or career; or
  • Submission to or rejection of such conduct by a person is used as a basis for career or employment decisions affecting that person; or
  • Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment; and
  • Is so severe or pervasive that a reasonable person would perceive, and the victim does perceive, the environment as hostile or offensive.
  • Any use or condonation, by any person in a supervisory or command position, of any form of sexual behavior to control, influence, or affect the career, pay, or job of a member of the Armed Forces or a civilian employee of the DoD
  • Any deliberate or repeated unwelcome verbal comments or gesture of a sexual nature by any member of the Armed Forces or civilian employee of the DoD

There are 3 categories of sexual harassment:

  • Verbal: sexual jokes, sexually explicit profanity, threats, sexual comments, terms of endearment
  • Nonverbal: cornering or blocking a passageway, inappropriate/excessive staring at someone, blowing kisses; offensive printed material, electronic communications (to include social media)
  • Physical contact: touching, patting, pinching, bumping, grabbing, kissing, unsolicited back rubs

Two types of sexual harassment:

Quid pro quo
Refers to conditions placed on a person’s career or terms of employment in return for sexual favors.

Hostile environment
Refers to when a person is subjected to offensive, crude, unwanted, and unsolicited comments and behavior of a sexual nature that interferes with that person’s performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment.

What populations/personnel are eligible to report incidents of sexual harassment to SHARP professionals?

Soldiers (including Delayed Entry Program participants and US Military Academy Cadets, ROTC Cadets on Title 10 orders, and family members 18 years of age and older are eligible to file a report with a Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) or Victim Advocate (VA)
 
DA Civilians are eligible to file a report of sexual harassment with the Equal Employment Opportunity office.

How can I file a complaint?

  • Direct Intervention Requestion (Soldiers only): requested by a Soldier if the desired remedy for the aggrieving behavior can be achieved by peer intervention, counseling, or training; requests will be made only to those individuals who are not in a supervisory or command position; cannot be used for harassment involving physical or attempted physical contact
  • Commander (or civilian supervisor equivalent
  • SARC or VA
There are 3 types of complaints, anonymous, confidential, and formal (more information can be explained at the time of the complaint)

 

What classifies as sexual assault?

Sexual assault is intentional sexual contact characterized by use of force, threats, or intimidation, or abuse of authority or when the victim does not or cannot consent. The term includes a broad category of sexual offenses consisting of the following specific UCMJ offenses: rape, sexual assault, aggravated sexual contact, abusive sexual contact, or attempts to commit these offenses

 

What populations/personnel are eligible to report sexual assault to SHARP personnel?

Soldiers (including Delayed Entry Program participants and US Military Academy Cadets, ROTC Cadets on Title 10 orders, family members 18 years of age and older, and DA Civilians may file a report with a Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) or Victim Advocate (VA)
 

How can I file a report?

A victim can make a report with a SARC or VA at the installation SHARP office, a healthcare professional, or with the list of mandatory reporters listed below.
 
Mandatory reporters for sexual assault include:
  • Commanders at all levels
  • Anyone the chain of command, to include supervisors, first sergeants, and senior enlisted advisors
  • TRADOC Instructors
  • Law enforcement, military police, and USACID agents (both on and off duty)
  • Army Military OneSource providers
There are two reporting options for sexual assault:
  • Restricted Report: We value your privacy. Restricted reporting offers Soldiers, family members 18 years and older, and DA Civilians the option to report a sexual assault without having to notify law enforcement and protecting the identity of the victim.
  • Unrestricted Report: Unrestricted reporting is the military’s preferred reporting method because it provides the widest latitude to help and protect victims of sexual assault. Through the unrestricted option, details of the incident are kept confidential and are only disclosed on a need-to-know basis. An unrestricted report triggers an investigation so that offenders may be held accountable, and the safety of the victim is ensured.
 

What services are available for victim's of sexual assault?

Independent of the reporting option, victims are entitled to the following:
  • Medical care
  • Advocacy
  • Counseling services
  • Pastoral care upon request
  • Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE)
  • Special Victims' counsel
Victims who choose to file a restricted report control the release of personal information. They are also eligible to change their report to unrestricted at any point in time
 
Victims who choose to file an unrestricted report are entitled to these additional services:
  • Military protective order (MPO) or Civilian protective order (CPO)
  • Expedited transfer
  • Law enforcement investigation of the incident
 

In the event of sexual assault:

1. Get to a safe place. If you are in need of urgent medical attention, call 911. If you are not injured, you still need medical assistance to protect your health.

2. Contact the Fort Belvoir 24/7 SHARP Hotline at 703-740-7029.

3. To protect evidence, do not shower, brush your teeth, put on makeup, eat, or drink, or change clothes until advised to do so. You, or your SHARP representative may report the crime to Army or local law enforcement.

Victims of sexual assault are encouraged to contact law enforcement.

Need Help Now

Fort Belvoir SHARP Personnel:

24/7 HOTLINE:  703-740-7029
 

Domestic Violence:

24/7 Crisis HOTLINE:  703-229-2374
Phone: 703-805-1832

Chaplain:

Phone 1:  703-805-2742
Phone 2:  703-805-2741
After Duty:  703-805-4002

Judge Advocate General:

Phone 1:  703-805-2856
Phone 2:  703-805-4411

A.T. Augusta Military Medical Center (formerly Fort Belvoir Hospital):

Ambulance Emergency (Off post): 911
Ambulance Emergency (On post): (703) 781-1800
Emergency Room  (571) 231-3162

 

Resources

Websites

www.militaryonesource.mil
Military OneSource

www.sapr.mil
DoD Sexual Assault Prevention and Response

www.safehelpline.org
The Department of Defense Sexual Assault Help Line. Provides anonymous help online, by phone or by text.

www.cid.army.mil 
Army Criminal Investigation Division