The Army's Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) Program is the Army's integrated, proactive effort to end sexual harassment and sexual assault within their ranks. Sexual harassment and sexual assault have no place in the Army. If you have been the victim of sexual harassment or sexual assault, you have a voice, you have rights, and SHARP is here to help.

Active Duty Soldiers, Army National Guard, Army Reserve members, and their adult dependents who are over the age of 18 are eligible for treatment in the military health system are eligible for service. For Victims under the age of 18 check out the Family Advocacy fact sheet.

Sexual Harassment means any of the following:

• Conduct that—

  • involves unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and deliberate or repeated 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

    • 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 Department of Defense.

• Any deliberate or repeated unwelcome verbal comment or gesture of a sexual nature by any member of the armed forces or Civilian employee of the Department of Defense.

For military personnel, the working environment pertains 24/7, on or off post, and on or off duty.

The Army provides informal and formal complaint process options for complainants. The SHARP Program is responsible for the Army's sexual harassment prevention efforts. The Army Equal Employment Opportunity Office provides assistance to Civilian employee complainants and SHARP personnel are responsible for military sexual harassment complaints.

Sexual Assault is defined as intentional sexual contact characterized by the use of force, threats, 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, forcible sodomy (forced oral or anal sex), or attempts to commit these offenses.

The Army’s SHARP Program:

• Permeates the Army structure from the Pentagon down to the individual soldier level

• Has full-time staff at the brigade level and higher

• Promotes cultural change across the Army, with a vision toward a culture of discipline and respect in which soldiers intervene in sexual harassment and sexual assault to protect one another

• Includes a comprehensive effort to educate leaders and soldiers about sexual harassment and sexual assault

• Employs a concrete training program that teaches soldiers to be alert to serial offender tactics, to intervene to stop incidents and disrupt offenders, and where and how to seek help

• Provides commanders with the essential resources, education, and training they need to succeed in bringing an end to sexual harassment and sexual assault in the Army.

We have certified Sexual Assault Response Coordinators (SARCs) and Victim Advocates (VAs) available 24/7 to help with reporting, and support prevention, training, and awareness efforts.

The Army has instituted two reporting options for reporting sexual assault: Restricted and Unrestricted Reporting. An unrestricted report will prompt an official investigation. A restricted report will not prompt an official investigation unless the victim discloses the information to the commander. In that case, the report will remain restricted, but an investigation will be prompted.

Filing a Restricted Report means you disclose a sexual assault to a SARC or VA confidentially without notifying your command or law enforcement. When you file a restricted report, you are eligible for:

• Medical treatment
• Sexual assault forensic exam
• Counseling
• Chaplain services
• Special victim counsel
• Legal advocacy
• Victim advocacy
• Expedited transfer or compassionate reassignment under expedited conditions should the situation warrant

You may change a restricted report to an unrestricted report anytime.

A victim can file a Restricted Report for three reasons:

1. The sexual assault has been inadvertently or previously disclosed to command by the victim, suspect, or third party. If the victim discloses to the command and would prefer the report remain restricted, it will.
2. The matter has been reported to law enforcement, to include the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, by anyone other than the victim.
3. An investigation is initiated, in progress, or closed.

Victims may elect to make a Restricted Report of sexual assault at any time, EXCEPT in cases where the victim:

• Personally reported the incident to law enforcement (including CID); or
• Previously filed an Unrestricted Report with a signed DD Form 2910 (the Victim Reporting Preference Statement) for the same sexual assault

When you file an Unrestricted Report, there will be an official investigation and command law enforcement will be notified. You can file an unrestricted report to a SARC, VA, law enforcement official, commander or health care personnel. When you file an unrestricted report, you are eligible for:

• Medical treatment
• Sexual assault forensic exam
• Counseling
• Chaplain services
• Special victim counsel
• Legal advocacy
• Victim advocacy
• Command support/intervention
• Official investigation

When you file an unrestricted report, you can request protective and support measures such as an expedited transfer or military protective order.

You cannot change an unrestricted report to a restricted report.

Recognizing and Reporting Retaliation for an Unrestricted Report of Sexual Assault

Retaliation may consist of the following acts:

• Reprisal
• Ostracism
• Maltreatment, including cruelty and oppression

Report Retaliation to the following:

• Brigade SARC
• Installation IG
• DoD IG Hotline: 800-424-9098
• DoD Safe Helpline: 877-995-5247

For more information on retaliation reporting options visit https://www.safehelpline.org/experiencing-retaliation-after-sexual-assault

If you need help now:
Call the Safe Helpline: 877-995-5247  
Unable to call toll-free: 202-540-5962
Text: 55-247 (inside the U.S.)
Text: 202-470-5546 (outside the U.S.)

For more information about SHARP, visit https://www.armyresilience.army.mil/.

Family Advocacy Program: The Family Advocacy Program manages sexual assault allegations when the alleged offender is the partner in context of a spousal relationship, same sex domestic partnership, unmarried intimate partner relationship or military dependents who are 17 years of age and younger.

Catch a Serial Offender (CATCH): The Catch a Serial Offender (CATCH) Program gives victims of sexual assault making a Restricted Report an opportunity to anonymously disclose suspect information to help the Department of Defense identify repeat offenders. CATCH allows sexual assault victims (service members and adult dependents) to discover if the suspect in their Restricted Report may have also assaulted another person (a "match" in the CATCH website), and having that knowledge, decide whether to convert their Restricted Report to Unrestricted to initiate an investigation of the serial offender suspect. For more information on the CATCH program see the DoD CATCH Program Victim Info Sheet.

Army’s Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) Program:
https://www.armyresilience.army.mil/SHARP/index.html

Department of Defense Sexual Prevention and Response Office Page:
https://www.sapr.mil/index.php

Catch a Serial Offender (CATCH) Program:
https://www.sapr.mil/catch

Army MWR Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention Program (SHARP) page:
https://www.armymwr.com/programs-and-services/resources/SHARP