“PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO RESPOND”

In 2015, the Canadian Armed Forces launched Operation HONOUR, aimed at preventing sexual misconduct and assault among military personnel. As part of that effort, Denise Preston

– a psychologist who has worked with victims and imprisoned sex offenders – was hired in 2017 as the executive director of the Sexual Misconduct Response Centre, which operates outside the military chain of command to support victims of sexual misconduct and lead prevention efforts. She spoke with HBR about the centre’s work. Edited excerpts follow.

Do you agree with one of the findings of this research – that most men and women understand what constitutes sexual harassment even though the behaviour persists?

When you ask most people about sexual harassment, sexual assault, or issues around consent, they understand on a conceptual level when something is wrong. But they don’t see it so clearly when it’s their own behaviour. On a theoretical level, perpetrators understand what’s wrong, but they have rationalisations for why it doesn’t apply to them.

Then what kind of training can help?

There isn’t a simple solution. Basic awareness training – making sure people understand what the laws are, what their rights are, and how to access resources if they need them – is important, but it doesn’t necessarily change perpetrators’ behaviour. We also have to teach specific skills. Create scenarios tailored to the audience – situations that will resonate. If people are comfortable, try role-playing. Talk to people about how they’d handle a given situation – why one person would respond one way and someone else another way – and discuss the best responses. That kind of training, including bystander intervention training, gives people tangible skills to practise, and those skills become an automatic reflex.

Is sexual harassment a bigger problem in the military than in the private sector?

Research shows that two significant risk factors for sexual harassment are male-dominated organisations and hierarchical ones. Both descriptions apply to the military. But sexual harassment is endemic; it occurs in every industry around the world.

Are you seeing a backlash as sexual harassment gets more attention?

According to anecdotes and survey data, some men in the Canadian Armed Forces feel guilt by association – that there’s a pervasive message that all men are potential perpetrators. We’ve heard from male senior officers who are uncomfortable meeting one-on-one with female subordinates. Women in some units report being excluded from certain social events. The reports are unfortunate but not surprising. People are trying to figure out how they fit in, how to respond to these issues, and how to stay safe.

Is the prevention work making a difference? Statistics Canada, an independent national office, surveyed sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces in 2016 and 2018. Unfortunately, the rate of selfreported sexual assaults did not drop in that time, consistent with national trends that have stayed steady for 20 years. But there are positive findings, including a 10 per cent decrease in people who have witnessed or experienced sexualised or hostile behaviour. There were reductions in the 15 other types of negative behaviour measured. We attribute that to the training the Canadian Armed Forces has put in place.