Sexual Misconduct Response Centre - Status Report - Issues and Trends

Given the recent establishment of the SMRC and the implementation of a new case management system, it is premature to identify overall trends from the quantitative data captured over the past several months. That said, SMRC contacts with CAF members who have been affected by inappropriate sexual behaviour provide crucial awareness to enhance the provision of SMRC services as well as to contribute to the larger effort of the CAF to effect culture change and eliminate inappropriate sexual behaviour.

The enhanced understanding gained from direct interactions with CAF members and the professional background of the counsellors have allowed the SMRC to contribute to the development of CAF education and training content on inappropriate sexual behaviour. In addition, the following issues have been identified as part of informing CAF of inappropriate sexual behavior.

Barriers to Reporting and/or Seeking Care

From 1 January to 30 June 2016, nine different barriers to reporting and/or seeking care listed in Table 5 were identified by CAF members. Barriers were mentioned a total of 77 times. Some members may have mentioned more than one barrier at the time they contacted the SMRC.

These barriers may be actual and/or perceived and are as expressed at the time of the contact with the counsellors. Not everyone experiences barriers: some members contact the SMRC for additional support while pursuing their formal complaint and\or investigation or other services. The SMRC can provide important feedback on Operation HONOUR activities. An enhanced understanding of actual or perceived barriers to access services or to report an alleged sexual incident are crucial to institute culture change.

Table 5: Expressed Barriers

Definitions:

• Do not know where to get help: Unaware as to who or how to access medical or psycho-social assistance and/or available recourses or complaint mechanisms.
• Lack of trust in chain of command on this issue: Concerned that peers and chain of command are not or will not take their issues or complaint seriously.
• Fear of career implications: Concerned that a complaint might limit their career progression or being labelled as an “administrative burden” and/or result in being posted or being left out of career advancement courses.
• Fear of retribution: Concerned that the perpetrator, peers or chain of command will impose consequences coming forward, or not coming forward soon enough.
• Stigma: Concerned that they will be seen as “the victim” or that they will be blamed for their experience.
• Fear of differential treatment: Concerned that peers and chain of command are “tip-toeing” around them and/or will “over-react” to their issues or complaint.
• Distance to care: Located where medical and/or psycho-social support are not readily available.
• Concerns for the Perpetrator: Concerned with the wellbeing or career implications for the perpetrator.
• Medical Decision: Concerned with being subject of medical employment limitations.

Harassment

Several challenges have been identified to the SMRC with the harassment complaint process (the mechanism available to report on allegations of sexual harassment) including a perceived lack of transparency, lack of timelines beyond the situational assessment, that timeline is not respected, and a shortage of trained and qualified staff or investigators to conduct a harassment investigation. These challenges have been identified by members who reported alleged sexual harassment as well as from members of the chain of command who, as responsible officers in policy, respond to such complaints. The policy clarifications and enhanced training by the CAF are expected to make improvements to both the handling of allegations and the outcomes for individuals affected.

In the March 2016, the Chief of the Defence Staff mandated the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff and the Chief of Military Personnel to work with SMRC on developing the concept of a dedicated national subject matter expert for Sexual Harassment within SMRC. The SMRC is working in collaboration with CAF to define this role.

Observations

The definition of success and value of SMRC support services to CAF members affected by inappropriate sexual behavior is multi-faceted. Statistics represent one measure; however, limited data is available at this time and must be interpreted cautiously given that the SMRC is a new organization. The following observations reflect expressed challenges for CAF members affected by inappropriate sexual behavior and feedback provided during their interactions with the counsellors:

• After developing a relationship of trust, some individuals have conveyed that the counsellor is the first person to whom they have confided their experience. One member had never spoken of her experience to anyone in 20 years and, when she felt safe enough to speak to it, the raw emotions were as palpable as if the incident had happened the day before.
• Some members have voiced strong feelings of frustration and helplessness indicating that “no one was taking their concerns seriously”. They have expressed their thanks to the counsellors for being heard and having their emotions validated while for others, counsellors have noted a decrease in distress responses such as crying, elevated voice and rapid breathing/talking.
• Others have initially indicated being unsure if and/or how to proceed with their concerns of sexual misconduct. They subsequently expressed their appreciation to have been provided with guidance on the available options on which to move forward.
• Several members were steadfast in their reluctance to report an alleged sexual offence. After one or several interactions with the counsellor, they gained the required confidence and chose to share their experience with the MPLO.
• Members of the chain of command have stated that they are more knowledgeable of the harmful impact of inappropriate sexual behavior after their interaction with the counsellors and that they had been provided with additional tools to respond to such incidents.