National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence

Please sign my CREDO petition "Ensure true tolerance of military sexual assault with civilian oversight"

    
Dear Friends,  

I just added to the petition: "Ensure true zero tolerance of military sexual assault with civilian oversight."
  

It would mean a lot to me if you took a moment to add your name because:
It's time for the Department of Defense to address the pervasive problem of sexual assault once and for all by changing the culture that has minimized this crisis for decades.


Every Secretary of Defense since Tailhook in 1991 touted the military's "zero tolerance policy" on sexual assault and sexual harassment.  Yet, the growing numbers of victims, the repeated examples of leadership failure, the poor prosecution rates, the dismissals of allegations, and the fears of reporting these crimes by victims clearly defy "zero tolerance."

Mandatory prevention trainings and policy changes have not been able to resolve this problem. Without sufficient oversight, accountability, and leadership from the Military Services the policies and trainings are ineffective at best and contribute to the organizational betrayal felt by victims.

Too many people have been hurt and too many people have not been held responsible-including Commanders derelict in their duties by not enforcing the policies or by acquiescing to climates of harassment.

To address these issues, the Department of Defense needs an independent, ongoing body to ensure sufficient changes and accountability for the long haul. This approach had great success in the 1970s when the military was facing a crisis with racial discrimination and harassment and significant strides were made on domestic violence prevention and intervention with this model in the early 2000's.
 

However, as long as this culture and the ensuing climate of gender harassment persist, the military will continue to face these same issues in the future.  Senator Patty Murray and Senator Kelly Ayotte stated this message clearly when they said it was time to "turn 'zero tolerance' rhetoric into 'zero tolerance' policy and practice. "


Tell Secretary of Defense Hagel to appoint a qualified team with an equal number of civilian and military experts as a permanent independent review panel with rotating terms to guarantee the military addresses this complex problem at all levels, once and for all.


REFERENCES:


Real change happens when everyday people like you and me come together and stand up for what we believe in.  Together, we can reach tons of people and help create change around this important issue.

After you've signed the petition please also take a moment to share it with others.  It's super easy - all you need to do is forward this email. 
 
 

 

With sincere appreciation for your support,


    
Deborah D. Tucker
Executive Director             
 

 



National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence
Austin, Texas 78756
512.407.9020 and www.ncdsv.org

June 7, 2013

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