To date, the main focus of the Marine Corps’ training efforts regarding sexual assaults have dealt with preventing these crimes, what they do to victims, and how we can care for victims. We are confident that our training is relevant and productive, but we are always looking to find new and innovative ways to engage our Marines in a way that will resonate with them. To that end, we have created the Lost Honor video that is available via this link. It is a documentary about Marines who were court-martialed and convicted of sexual assault and are registered sex offenders. Lost Honor is an innovative way for us to connect with a targeted demographic in our Corps about one of the more common forms of sexual assault that we are working to prevent.
The Marine Corps is the youngest of the Services and has a high first-term turnover rate. Approximately 62% of our Corps is under 25 years old, and 66% of our Marines are serving in their first enlistment. This documentary provides these younger Marines with accounts from people who are similar to themselves in age and background. The goal of Lost Honor is to give our Marines a different perspective about sexual assault and to force them to confront the seriousness of the crime in a different manner. The expected outcome of this training is to reduce incidents of sexual assault by deterring our younger population’s more risky behavior and by learning from the actual criminal actions and real consequences of their peers.
The crimes in Lost Honor all involve alcohol-related sexual assaults, which comprise a significant portion of the assaults we experience. We certainly experience other forms of sexual assault that do not involve alcohol. This video is just one part of our multi-faceted approach to our sexual assault prevention and response training efforts.
Lost Honor is designed to be viewed in small groups followed by frank and focused discussions led by small unit leaders using the approved discussion guide. These discussions will focus on the actions and decisions that may lead to life-altering negative consequences to both the victim and the offender. The documentary and discussion groups emphasize to Marines that they are accountable for their decisions and dispel the notion that alcohol is an excuse for criminal behavior. The positive early reports from these training sessions indicate that Lost Honor is an effective tool that is getting Marines to open up and discuss this difficult issue in a productive and honest manner.
For the Marine Corps' and Department of Defense's other efforts in the fight against sexual assault, please visit the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR)'s website or the DoD's website at www.sapr.mil.
Lost Honor is a training tool developed to eliminate sexual assault in our Corps. Our Service will continue its commitment to refine, develop, and implement actions to accomplish our mission.