Leaders across the Department of Defense (DoD) are committed to reducing and stopping sexual assault so this crime does not harm our Service members who defend our nation.

Everyone has a role to play in fighting the crime of sexual assault.  The Defense Department’s overarching prevention guidance, the Prevention Plan of Action (PPoA), involves everyone at each echelon knowing their role, working collaboratively across organizations, and using data-informed actions and research-based prevention activities to eliminate sexual assault.

To effectively prevent sexual assault from happening in the first place, we are building on a decade of field experience and the latest in prevention science.  Across the Department, within each Service and the National Guard, prevention efforts are working toward ensuring that:

• Leadership and a prevention workforce are appropriately trained and supported in their prevention roles;
• Infrastructure, such as prevention-specific policy, resources and data systems; are in place to foster the implementation of effective and lasting prevention efforts;
• Collaborative relationships exist within and across similarly invested organizations; and
• Implementation of prevention activities draws on a thorough understanding of the problem, comprehensive planning, and continuous evaluation

By continuing to execute this prevention approach, the Department -- which includes more than 2 million members of our armed forces -- will remain contingency-ready, mission-focused, and closely connected to strategic allies and partnerships.

SPARX Connection

SPARX Connection is the online platform for prevention personnel addressing a range of harmful behaviors to collaborate, share ideas, research, learn, and keep up with the latest news in the field. Find more information about SPARX Connection here.

Prevention Plan of Action 2.0

The Prevention Plan of Action (PPoA) 2.0 was released on May 27, 2022. PPoA 2.0 establishes a framework to guide the development, implementation, and evaluation of integrated primary prevention. Importantly, PPoA 2.0 builds on past work by reinforcing the tenets outlined in the 2019-2023 Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention Plan of Action. The update reflects the Department's focus on integrated primary prevention, which comprehensively addresses sexual assault, sexual harassment, retaliation, domestic abuse, suicide, and child abuse. Learn more about the PPoA 2.0 here.