CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED// ROUTINE R 141945Z DEC 22 MID200080592760U FM SECNAV WASHINGTON DC TO ALNAV INFO SECNAV WASHINGTON DC CNO WASHINGTON DC CMC WASHINGTON DC BT UNCLAS ALNAV 084/22 MSGID/GENADMIN/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC/-/DEC// SUBJ/IMPROVEMENTS TO VICTIM RESPONSE// REF/A/MSG/ALNAV 024/22/22APR22// REF/B/LTR/SECNAV MEMO/24JUN22// REF/C/LTR/SECNAV MEMO/29JUN22// REF/D/DOC/SECNAVINST/15AUG22// REF/E/DOC/DEPSECDEF MEMO/11NOV21// REF/F/INST/DODI 1327.06/15JAN21// NARR/REF A IS AN ALL NAVY INTERIM POLICY MESSAGE GOVERNING INVESTIGATION OF FORMAL SEXUAL HARASSMENT COMPLAINTS UNDER 10 U.S.C. 1561. REF B IS SECNAV MEMO, NO WRONG DOOR POLICY. REF C IS SECNAV MEMO, SAFE TO REPORT POLICY. REF D IS SECNAVINST 1610.3, DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY POLICY ON HARASSMENT PREVENTION AND RESPONSE. REF E IS DEPSECDEF MEMO, UPDATES TO DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR THE SEXUAL ASSAULT PREVENTION AND RESPONSE PROGRAM AND ADULT SEXUAL ASSAULT INVESTIGATIONS. REF F IS DODI 1327.06, LEAVE AND LIBERTY POLICY AND PROCEDURES.// RMKS/1. An engaged force at all levels is our greatest instrument in violence prevention. Every Sailor, Marine, and civilian is responsible for cultivating a climate of dignity and respect throughout the Department of the Navy (DON). By failing to uphold these principles, we allow, enable, and cannot effectively stop interpersonal violence such as sexual assault, sexual harassment, and domestic abuse. 2. Last year, the Department of Defense provided the Services with a set of comprehensive and actionable recommendations to improve our approach to sexual assault and sexual harassment across four lines of effort: accountability, prevention, climate and culture, and victim care and support. 3. As the DON works toward full implementation of these recommendations, we are committed to rebuilding trust and improving victim response by removing barriers to reporting and accessing resources. To this end, we implemented several new policies this year. 4. Reference (a) improves response to formal reports of sexual harassment and requires an investigating officer to come from outside the command of the victim and the subject. 5. Reference (b) ensures victims of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and domestic abuse receive the care and support they need - without delay. A victim who contacts a helping professional from any DON victim care and support office must either receive services from that office or, with the victim's permission, get a "warm hand-off" to the appropriate service provider. This warm hand-off will include direct connection, introduction to the responsible staff, and follow-through to ensure the needs of the person seeking care are met. 6. Reference (c) eliminated a critical barrier to Service Members' reporting of sexual assault. A Sailor, Marine, cadet, or midshipman who makes an unrestricted report of sexual assault through the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office or the Family Advocacy Program will not be disciplined for minor collateral misconduct. 7. Reference (d) was expanded to define cyberharassment and distinguishes harassing behaviors, including those of sexual nature, that occur online. Cyberharassment is defined as: a form of harassment or sexual harassment occurring through or facilitated by an electronic communications system. As used herein, electronic communication systems include internet enabled devices, online spaces and platforms, computers, mobile devices, cameras and imaging platforms, applications, location tracking devices, smart devices, communication technologies, and other emerging technologies. Cyberharassment may include, but is not limited to, threatening, derogatory, or harassing text or email messages, instant messages, social media comments, blog entries, or similar communications. The broadcast or public sharing via an electronic communications system of non-publicly available information about an individual, also referred to as doxing, can be a form of cyberharassment. 8. Another critical update to victim response was included in reference (e), effective November 11, 2021. This policy ensures sexual assault victims can file restricted reports even if: they disclosed the sexual assault incident to their commander or to personnel in the chain of command; there is an ongoing military criminal investigative organization (e.g. NCIS, CID, etc.) investigation into the sexual assault incident initiated by a third party and not due to the victim's disclosure to law enforcement; or a military criminal investigative organization investigation into the sexual assault incident has been closed. Victims should work with their local Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, Sexual Assault Prevention Response Victim Advocate, and/or the Victim's Legal Counsel to get the support they need through this process. 9. I also remind leaders at all levels they should allow Service Members sufficient time to access the care they need with the intent to allow healing and recovery from the trauma of sexual assault. Per reference (f), commanders and military treatment facility directors may grant convalescent leave (non-chargeable) to Service Members for their treatment and recuperation from sexual assault based on a recommendation of a medical or mental healthcare provider or sexual assault medical forensic examiner. 10. Any active duty and reserve Service Members who have experienced sexual assault, sexual harassment, or were deployed overseas to hostile fire pay zones are also eligible to receive confidential services from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) without a TRICARE referral at VA Vet Centers. More information on Military Sexual Trauma resources available can be found at https://mentalhealth.va.gov/msthome/index.asp. 11. Sexual Assault Response Coordinators and Victim Advocates can also assist civilian employees in navigating resources available to them through military or civilian channels such as the Employee Assistance Program. 12. I want to ensure that victims and survivors of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and domestic abuse receive the right care and quality services they deserve with minimal delay. The DON is committed to the well-being of victims and survivors, from report to referral, from initial appointment through continuing care. I expect leaders at all levels to embrace reform and stop destructive behaviors at onset by holding each other to the standards we expect and modeling that example. 13. For more information on the resources available in response to sexual harassment, sexual assault, or domestic abuse, please contact your local Military Equal Opportunity Program, Sexual Assault Response Coordinator/Victim Advocate, or Domestic Abuse Victim Advocate. 14. Released by the Honorable Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Navy.// BT #0001 NNNN CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED//