New Course Aimed at Improving Sexual Assault Prevention Training

As part of ongoing efforts to further improve sexual assault prevention and response training programs, the Defense Department has joined forces with the Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime. The Advanced Military Sexual Assault Advocate Training course is a 20-hour online course that will focus on enhancing “victim advocacy skills” across the military, said DOD and DOJ officials in a July 17 release. The course will provide training through role-playing scenarios and will build on previously learned skills, states the release. “It was important to collaborate with the Office for Victims of Crime and tailor an advanced training to meet the needs of advocates supporting military victims,” said Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Snow, director of DOD’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office. “The professional advocates in the Defense Department—both military and civilian—provide critical support to victims of this crime and are central to building victim confidence,” he said. The partnership between DOD and DOJ “makes state-of-the-art training available to sexual assault response coordinators and victim advocates who serve victims on military installations,” said Joye Frost, director of the Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime.