SAPR office tackles sexual assault with skit

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jelani Gibson
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Through the thespian talents of the actors on stage, sexual assault scenarios were played out at the base theater April 25.

Sexual Assault has become a mainstream topic within the public consciousness, and the 82nd Training Wing sexual assault and prevention response office aims to educate Airmen on base about the dangers and responsibilities of sexual violence. As part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the Sheppard SAPR aimed to raise public awareness about sexual violence through a skit called "Sex Signals."

"We're Airmen and we have to entrust the Airmen right next to us with our lives," said Capt. Angela Naval, 82nd Training Wing deputy sexual assault response coordinator. "When we go into combat they're right there next to us and we have to trust that they will protect us and they trust that we will protect them, so it's that team concept of looking out for each other."

Ardarius Blakely and Hilary Williams, actors from Catharsis Productions, a company that aims to reduce interpersonal violence through artistic expression, find acting to be an effective medium for conveying info about sexual assault.

The actors took the stage and played out a variety of scenarios, asking audience members to participate and provide feedback on what they would do in the portrayed situations.

"If they can get personally involved and have a personal connection to whatever topic is being presented, then it sinks in more," Naval said.

"I believe there is power in using theater to have hard conversations," Williams said.

During the skit itself, the actors made clear that reducing sexual assault was just as much about culture change as it was about safety.

Changing the perception of how and when sexual assault can happen, scenarios revolving around impairment and consent at bars, party scenes and the mentality behind sexual assaults were some of the topics on display. Audience members were challenged by the actors to come up with alternative solutions and asked what consent did and didn't look like in each situation.

"I like to believe the things that separate us from your everyday mammal or animal is that we have humanity and compassion," Williams said.

Both actors use that sense of humanity and compassion to bring a sense of believability and authenticity to their performances.

"Right now, I get to talk to a lot of people, have fun with people and change a few minds about a very sensitive and tough subjects," Blakely said.

According to official SAPR website statistics, there are an annual total of 3,374 assaults reported in the 2012 fiscal year alone, the largest percentage of which involves abusive or unwanted sexual contact. In the same fiscal year, the amount of service members experiencing unwanted sexual contact was estimated to be as high as 26,000.