PHILADELPHIA –
The Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support Sexual Assault Response Team hosted Pure Praxis, a Long Beach, California-based interactive training firm, on April 6, to kickoff Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month 2023.
“This year I wanted the focus to be on intervention and the “Continuum of Harm” and relate it directly to what we could see at the workplace—simply because we’re back at the office,” said Gina Ingrao, Sexual Assault Response Coordinator for DLA Troop Support. Continuum of Harm is defined as: a destructive pattern of behavior with numerous negative consequences.
“A SARC will offer the option of Restrictive Reporting or Unrestricted Reporting for all active-duty, reservists, guardsman, dependents of active-duty members 18 years of age and older, and civilian employees assigned to DLA,” said Ingrao.
Under DOD's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Policy, there are two reporting options - Restricted Reporting and Unrestricted Reporting. Under Unrestricted Reporting, both the command and law enforcement are notified. With Restricted (Confidential) Reporting, the adult sexual assault victim can access healthcare, advocacy services, and legal services without the notification to command or law enforcement.
Prue Praxis, a team of skilled and diverse performance facilitators and actor advocates performed two 60-minute interactive intervention trainings during the day. Employees could attend in-person or virtual for the morning or afternoon training.
“For the month of April, we have 16 different trainings scheduled across the states and internationally,” said Kelly Pfleider, founder and president of Pure Praxis. “We are excited to go wherever we are needed to do the work.”
“The most memorable training I remember was from 2018 in Okinawa, Japan,” said Pfleider. “The audience stood up on their own, recognizing that they wanted to be the change. We came into their workspace to hold interactive trainings. For them to take the initiative right away was just powerful and it still sits with me.”
This event featured continuous engagement with the DLA Troop Support audience. Those in attendance were asked about their reactions after each short skit was performed. Two of the skits brought employees on stage giving them an opportunity to interact.
“When you come on stage remember: there is no script, nor a wrong answer,” said Cassandra Babcock, performer with Pure Praxis. “We are here to discuss how unchecked jokes can escalate into much more severe and damaging behavior.”
The next scheduled DLA Troop Support event is Learn & Lunch: How to Support Those Effected by Sexual Violence on April 20 from noon until 12:30 p.m.
Pure Praxis has worked with the Department of Defense since 2014. In those nine years, they have over 5,000 performances with an estimated total audience of 450,000 people.