Sexual assault prevention director is a myth buster

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Orville F. Desjarlais Jr.
  • Air Force Print News
SAN ANTONIO --  The biggest myth about sexual abuse is that the victim lies about it, according to the director of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Outreach Office at nearby Lackland Air Force Base. 

Dr. Charlotte Moerbe, a psychologist who once worked in a San Antonio rape crisis center, has made it her life goal to educate people about sexual assault and the misconceptions that surround it. 

“A large number of our cases involve our younger generation, and most cases involve alcohol,” Dr. Moerbe said. “For many of them, regret does not mean rape. Unfortunately, many times it does. There is no gain to lie about sexual assault.” 

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, sexual assault is the nation’s most underreported violent crime. 

One way Dr. Moerbe educates the public about sexual assault is to sponsor a base “Take Back the Night” march each year.  The observance dates back to the 1970s. 

The march began as a women's organized protest against violence in the late 1970s in Europe. These women-only protests emerged in direct response to the violence that women encountered as they walked the streets at night. 

The activities became more coordinated and soon developed into a movement that extended to the United States and, by 1978, the first Take Back the Night events in the United States were held in San Francisco and New York City. Over time, sexual assault awareness activities expanded to include the issue of sexual violence against men and men’s participation in ending sexual violence. 

“We had a lot of people say that our type of event was contagious,” Dr. Moerbe said about her April 5 march through Lackland. “The participants felt empowered and determined to stomp out sexual violence.” 

The march came less than three weeks after the Department of Defense released the results of its second annual report on the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program. 

The report addressed data on alleged sexual assaults that were reported during 2005 in which members of the armed forces were victims or offenders.

The Air Force received 584 reports of alleged sexual assault -- an increase of 28 percent over the year before. One hundred eighty-one reports made under the restricted reporting option accounted for the increase. Twenty-nine of the restricted reports later moved to an unrestricted report, meaning that an investigation was opened. 

Dr. Moerbe said everyone expected the rise because of the increased focus on sexual assault prevention education and training. In 2005, DOD mandated all military installations would have a sexual assault policy in place by Jan. 1, 2005. The policy provided a foundation for the department to improve prevention of sexual assault, significantly enhance support to victims and increase reporting and accountability. 

If more confidentiality is added to the reporting process, even more sexual assaults may be reported, Dr. Moerbe said.

There are a number of barriers that discourage victims from reporting to investigators and the command, said Claudia Bayliff, chief of the Air Force Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office. The Air Force is focusing on eliminating those barriers. 

Since June, military victims of sexual assault have been offered a restricted reporting option, which allows those who have been sexually assaulted to receive medical treatment and support without automatically triggering a criminal investigation.

The Air Force encourages victims to report the crime so it may be investigated and prosecuted. However, the restricted reporting option provides victims who may not be able to immediately take that step, with the care, support and time to make an informed decision.

Nationally, Sexual Assault Awareness Month is observed in April and is dedicated to raising awareness about the nature and prevalence of this crime and to increase prevention efforts. 

For more information about sexual assault prevention, visit www.sapr.mil/.