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2018 QuickCompass of Sexual Assault Responders

Acknowledgments
The Office of People Analytics (OPA) is indebted to numerous people for their assistance with
the 2018 QuickCompass of Sexual Assault Responders (2018 QSAR), which was conducted on
behalf of Rear Admiral Ann M. Burkhardt, Director of the Department of Defense (DoD) Sexual
Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO). The survey was conducted under the
leadership of Dr. Ashlea Klahr, Director of OPA’s Health and Resilience (H&R) Division. H&R
research is conducted under the oversight of Ms. Lisa Davis, Deputy Director of H&R. The
project manager for this effort was Ms. Amanda Barry of Fors Marsh Group, LLC (FMG).
Policy officials who contributed to the development of this survey included Dr. Nathan
Galbreath, Dr. Audrey Hilbert, Ms. Laura Crane, Mr. Zachary Gitlin, and Ms. Sarah Newman of
the DoD Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office.
The lead survey design analysts were Ms. Amanda Barry and Mr. Hunter Peebles of FMG. Ms.
Kimberly Wyborski, Director of Data Collection at FMG, was responsible for the creation of
survey database and archiving standards. The Data Operations Manager on this survey was Mr.
Thomas Mienk.
FMG’s Advanced Analytics team, under the guidance of Dr. Jennifer Gibson, Vice President,
was responsible for all statistical aspects of this survey, including sampling, weighting, and
nonresponse bias analysis. Mr. Stephen Busselberg and Mr. Alex McMillan were responsible for
coordinating the sampling and weighting processes and developed the statistical weights based
on the respondents for this survey.
A team consisting of Dr. Ashlea Klahr and Ms. Lisa Davis of OPA, Ms. Amanda Barry, Ms.
Ariel Hill, Mr. Hunter Peebles, Dr. Rachel Wynn, Ms. Mallory Mann, Dr. Ron Vega, and Mr.
James Khun of FMG contributed to the writing and analyses provided in this report. Mr. Rae
Turner, Ms. Stephany Valencia, Ms. Melissa Manley, Ms. Mallory Mann, Mr. Melvin Walker,
and Dr. Rachel Wynn contributed to the design and qualitative analysis provided in this report.

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Executive Summary
Key Findings
Results from the 2018 QuickCompass of Sexual Assault Responders (2018 QSAR) show that
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) personnel experience high levels of support
from local commanders, healthy working relationships, and satisfaction with their training and
certification. SAPR personnel showed confidence in assisting both female and male victims,
clarity on SAPR policies and procedures, and low levels of burnout, vicarious trauma, and
compassion fatigue. Areas for improvement include engagement with legal personnel, training
on the court-martial process, and use of resources and tools.

Study Background and Materials
Study Background
The Department of Defense (DoD) seeks to continually improve upon sexual assault and sexual
harassment response programs and resources available to Service members. In this vein, the
DoD Care for Victims of Sexual Assaults Task Force was established in 2004 as a result of the
Secretary of Defense’s direction to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
(USD[P&R]) to undertake a review of all sexual assault policies and programs across the
Services and DoD and to recommend changes (DoD, 2004). The task force conducted a
comprehensive review, including focus groups with Service members, service providers, and
victims; consultation with subject matter experts; and an analysis of data from the task force’s
Sexual Assault Hotline. As a result, the task force developed a number of recommendations to
establish new DoD-wide policies around victim support, including the establishment of required
victim advocates and other victim support positions. These key SAPR responder positions
included Sexual Assault Response Coordinators (SARC), Victim Advocates (VA), and
Uniformed Victim Advocates (UVA), while Special Victims’ Counsel (SVC) and Victims’ Legal
Counsel (VLC) were added in 2014. SARCs are resources that provide confidential support and
coordinate care for victims throughout the investigation and recovery. VAs/UVAs are advocates
who provide education and resources to victims in addition to providing confidential support—
these personnel are under the supervision of the SARC. SVCs/VLCs are legal personnel who are
active duty advocates representing victims by providing legal advice, guidance, and assistance
with exercising their legal rights as a crime victim. The overall functioning of these positions is
to provide guidance to and advocacy for victims of sexual assault in gaining the medical,
psychological, and legal services to which they are entitled. They are the responders tasked with
the responsibility of providing support and guidance for sexual assault victims, from initial
response to the care and recovery process.
The 2018 QuickCompass of Sexual Assault Responders (2018 QSAR) was designed to provide
insights about SAPR personnel at military installations worldwide. Responders are the focal
point for SAPR programs at each military location. Therefore, it is critical that the Sexual
Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) and Service SAPR officials understand how
effectively responders are trained for their positions as well as their perceptions of how well their
program is supported and executed. The 2018 QSAR is the fourth survey of this population
following the 2015 QuickCompass of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response-Related

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2018 QuickCompass of Sexual Assault Responders

Responders (2015 QSAPR), the 2012 QuickCompass of Sexual Assault Response Coordinators
(2012 QSARC), and the 2009 QuickCompass of Sexual Assault Responders (2009 QSAR). These
surveys were performed at the request of the Defense Task Force on Sexual Assault in the
Military Services (Task Force on SAMS). However, due to major changes to the questions and
substantial differences in the survey populations, including the addition of SVCs/VLCs, the
results of the 2018 QSAR are not directly comparable to the previous three surveys.
Survey Methodology
The 2018 QSAR was administered via the web between September 17 and October 29, 2018.
This survey was a census of all DoD SARCs and VAs who were certified as of August 1, 2018,
as well as all SVCs and VLCs serving at the time of the survey fielding. Potential SARC and
VA respondents were identified through the DoD Sexual Assault Advocate Certification
Program (D-SAACP; DoDI 6495.02), whereas Service SAPR offices identified SVCs and VLCs,
who do not hold a D-SAACP certification. The target survey frame consisted of 24,285 certified
SARCs and VAs drawn from the D-SAACP list (1,959 SARCs and 22,062 VAs) and SVCs and
VLCs (264) provided by Service SAPR offices. Surveys were completed by 4,687 eligible
responders, yielding an overall unweighted response rate of 23%. Responders were considered
ineligible if they indicated in the survey or by other contact (e.g., telephone calls or e-mails to the
data collection contractor) that they were not serving in the appropriate position as of the first
day of the survey fielding—September 17, 2018. Survey completion was defined as answering
50% or more of the survey questions asked of all responders. Data were weighted using an
industry-standard process to reflect the known population of D-SAACP-certified personnel and
SVCs/VLCs as of August 2018. Weighting produces survey estimates of population totals,
proportions, and means (as well as other statistics) that are representative of their respective
populations. See Table 1 for a further description of the respondent sample population and
response rates. Statistical comparisons were made with two-tailed, independent sample t tests,
with a significance threshold of p < 0.05; only significant differences are reported.
Table 1.
Sample Description and Response Rates
Total Responders
SARC
VA/UVA
SVC/VLC
Army
Navy
Marine Corps
Air Force
DoD Agency

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Population Size

Response Rate

24,285
1,959
22,062
264
10,930
7,422
2,447
3,400
86

23%
38%
21%
31%
26%
16%
22%
30%
38%

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Population Characteristics
The 2018 QSAR reflects the attitudes and opinions of SARCs, VAs/UVAs, and SVCs/VLCs
across the U.S. Military Services, including DoD civilians serving in these roles.
Table 2 details the summary characteristics of each group of responders.
Table 2.
Typical Characteristics of Sexual Assault Responders
Characteristic
SARC
VA/UVA
Army
72%
39%
Navy
6%
35%
Marine Corps
4%
10%
Air Force
12%
15%
DoD Agencies
6%
1%
Active Duty
61%
82%
National Guard/Reserve
12%
13%
Civilian
27%
5%
E-5–E-9 (Military)
78%
81%
GS 9–12 (Civilian)
74%
73%
Served in SAPR role for two years or
43%
40%
more
Never deployed in SAPR role
80%
71%
Located CONUS
78%
77%
Served 10 or fewer military victims in the
78%
98%
past 12 months
Collateral duty
43%
91%
D-SAACP Level I
74%
89%
Note. Table reflects weighted estimates of characteristics based on survey responses.

SVC/VLC
33%
22%
7%
38%
--98%
2%
--14%
---

15%
89%
78%
14%
9%
---

Overall, the majority of SARCs were either active duty military or civilians as opposed to
Reserve component members. Generally, SARCs were located within the Continental United
States (CONUS) and had never been deployed as a SARC. A little less than half indicated that
their duties as a SARC were collateral duties, and less than half had served as a SARC for two
years or more.
Similarly, the majority of VAs/UVAs were also military members, located CONUS, and had
never been deployed as a VA/UVA. Less than half of VAs/UVAs had served in their role for
two years or more. Uniquely, VAs/UVAs overwhelmingly provided their services as a collateral
duty.
Unlike SARCs, VAs, and UVAs, SVCs/VLCs were all military members. The majority of
SVCs/VLCs were also located CONUS and had never been deployed in their capacity as an
SVC/VLC. SVCs/VLCs were also unique in that less than one-fifth had served in their current
role for two years or more, and less than one-tenth provided their services as a collateral duty.

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Key Findings
This section discusses the key findings for the major areas of the 2018 QSAR. Topics covered
include responders’ working relationships with command and SAPR personnel; the effectiveness
of training and use of the D-SAACP; and the use of SAPR resources and tools, victim care and
reporting, SAPR policy and procedures surrounding victim care, and a discussion of the general
well-being of sexual assault responders.
Workplace Relationships
The relationship between local commanders and SAPR responders plays an important role in
responders’ ability to perform effectively. Responders indicated that local commanders perceive
their SAPR/Sexual Harassment Assault Response Prevention (SHARP) roles and duties as
important (82%), and they are generally recognized as the “go-to” person for issues related to
sexual assault (67%). SARCs are more likely to be recognized as the “go-to” person (88%) than
VAs/UVAs (64%). Furthermore, nearly three-quarters (74%) of responders agree that their local
commanders feel comfortable speaking about SAPR/SHARP-related issues in general.
However, legal personnel (i.e., SVCs/VLCs) are less likely to indicate that they agree (58%)
when compared to other responder roles. Finally, only 6% of responders indicated experiencing
retaliation related to their duties as a sexual assault responder.
Responders indicated positive working relationships among other sexual assault responders. The
majority of responders believe they receive the appropriate support from SARCs (81%) and VAs
(80%) to a large extent. However, a little less than two-thirds of responders (65%) believe they
receive the appropriate support from SVCs/VLCs to a large extent.
Certification and Training
Responders reported that their initial training was effective to a large extent in shaping victim
care skills (67%). However, the initial training could be improved in the areas of court-martial
processes (38%) and handling male victims (52%), in which responders were less likely to report
their training to be effective to a large extent.
Two-thirds (66%) of responders reported plans to pursue the next level of D-SAACP
certification. Motivation to do so is very high, with 84% of responders indicating they are
motivated to pursue the next level. The vast majority (91%) of responders also reported support
from command to use continuing education in pursuit of the next level of certification.
A little more than one-third (37%) of responders reported barriers to pursuing the next level of
D-SAACP certification, with the most reported barrier being Primary duties and other work
barriers. Other commonly cited barriers include Not having enough time to pursue the next level
and “Unable to meet victim contact and/or educational requirements”.
Resources and Tools
Responders indicated that SAPR resources are readily available to them, with scores falling
between a Moderate extent and Large extent (3.7 on a scale from 1 to 5). However, an overall
community collaboration score, which assesses the extent to which responders interface with

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non-DoD and non-SAPR DoD support providers in the community, was calculated as between
Never and Rarely (1.9 on a scale from 1 to 5). Use of referrals was similarly low. Responders,
on average, only referred 28% of the resources available to them. DoD resources, such as DoD
Safe Helpline (SHL) and SAPR Source, were generally used with more frequency than non-DoD
resources, such as local domestic violence shelters and local civilian mental health clinics.
Factors that increase community collaboration scores and referral percentages included being a
sole duty responder, having three years of experience or more, and being located CONUS.
Use of the Defense Sexual Assault Incident Database (DSAID) was generally low. Only 54% of
SARCs and 8% of VAs/UVAs indicated that they use DSAID as part of their routine job duties.
Victim Care
Responders endorsed a high availability of resources for both male and female victims of sexual
assault, along with a high confidence in addressing the needs of male and female victims.
Resources for male and female victims were rated as available to a large extent by a majority
(>70%) of responders.
There were very few instances of individuals disclosing an incident to a responder and then not
filing a DD2910—an official report of the sexual assault. Most responders (82%) only
experienced this nonreporting once or twice during the past 12 months.
Victim Care Policy
Responders indicated that the SAPR/SHARP program has clear procedures for the majority of
situations and personnel, such as DoD civilians and dependents. However, cases involving
foreign nationals were the one exception, with only 61% of responders reporting that the
SAPR/SHARP program has clear procedures for these cases.
Case Management Groups (CMG) were reported to have mixed effectiveness, with SARCs
finding them most helpful and the perceived helpfulness growing with higher D-SAACP levels.
Very few responders (3%) reported involvement in a High-Risk Response Team (HRRT) within
the last 12 months. However, more than three-quarters (76%) of responders who were involved
in an HRRT found them to be effective to a large extent.
Well-Being
Individuals who provide service to trauma victims may experience stress or fatigue as a result of
their job responsibilities. As such, self-care for such providers is important for mitigating
negative effects of the job. The majority of responders (86%) reported they have enough time
for self-care, with fewer responders from DoD agencies (76%) reporting time for self-care than
responders from the Services. Burnout, vicarious trauma, and compassion fatigue are generally
low, with burnout being the most common for all responders (27%), but their prevalence grows
with higher D-SAACP certification levels. Despite this, responders overwhelmingly reported
that they have the resources to combat burnout, vicarious trauma, and compassion fatigue (78%–
83%). The most impactful stressors reported were the subject matter of my work and the
administrative requirements of the position.

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Profile of a Healthy, Effective SARC
Healthy working relationships, effective use of resources, feeling prepared to meet the needs of
victims, clarity in SAPR procedures, and time for self-care are key contributors to the health and
effectiveness of a SARC.
Key to healthy relationships are the local commanders; SARCs can be more effective if they
have direct, unimpeded access to local command and if their local command views their role as
important. Most SARCs indicated that their local commanders do view their role as important
and they do have direct access to their local commanders. It was also revealed that SARCs feel
more supported when their SAPR role is their sole or primary duty.
With regard to resources and tools, an effective SARC uses a multitude of available resources,
including DSAID, other services provided by DoD, and community resources. Although
community collaboration is low overall, SARCs who collaborate with community resources in
addition to DoD resources tend to have a wider variety of options for victim care, responders
said, allowing them to be flexible to the needs of a given victim.
Other factors that contribute to SARCs’ effectiveness include whether they feel prepared and
confident in addressing the needs of both male and female victims; the highest performers have
equal and high confidence in both. Most responders indicated that they felt confident in
addressing the needs of male and female victims alike and that their programs are able to treat
them appropriately.
Clarity surrounding SAPR procedures also helps SARCs perform their job duties; if a SARC is
unclear about what to do in certain situations, it decreases his or her effectiveness. Clarity of
procedures and policies was endorsed highly by responders.
Finally, critical to the health of SARCs is time for self-care; most SARCs indicated sufficient
time for self-care and that they have access to resources to help deal with burnout, compassion
fatigue, and vicarious trauma.
Conclusion
Overall, the 2018 QSAR revealed that SAPR personnel are generally well supported. Responders
indicated strong support from local command and strong working relationships. They also
expressed satisfaction with their training and certification. Responders endorsed the clarity of
SAPR procedures, indicating they have a clear idea of what to do in a variety of contexts with a
variety of victims. They also feel well prepared to serve both female and male victims and feel
that both female and male victims get adequate support. Although most feedback was positive,
the 2018 QSAR did reveal a few areas for improvement, including training on the court-martial
process, effective use of both DoD and non-DoD resources and tools, and engagement with legal
personnel.

Topline Report
Appendix A contains the topline report for the 2018 QSAR. Each survey question is presented
within the topline report and includes the question text (or composite measuring description, if

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applicable), subitem text (if applicable), variable name, response options, reporting categories,
unweighted n, estimates for each response option, and a table note (if applicable). Results are
presentenced by all responders, Service, duty status, and job role.

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