The Resource The National Sexual Violence Resource Cent'ers Newsletter 2012 spring & Summer (cover picture of Penn State Student holding candle) Talking About Preventing Child Sexual Abuse Inside: -Drawing a Line on consent, respect -SlutWalks gain more ground -Is the media a friend or foe? -This April, let's talk about sex Feedback The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) invites your comments: The Resource/NSVRC 123 North Enola Drive Enola, PA 17025 Toll Free: 877-739-3895 Fax: 717-909-0714 TTY: 717-909-0715 Email: resources@nsvrc.org www.facebook.com/nsvrc www.twitter.com/nsvrc Editor and designer: Tracy Cox, NSVRC Communications Director NSVRC Director: Karen Baker, LMSW CEO Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape: Delilah Rumburg NSVRC Advisory Council: Victoria Banyard, Ph.D., Durham, NH Peggy Brown, Juneau, AK Maia Christopher, Beaverton, OR Marci Diamond, MPA, Boston, MA Robert Franklin, MS Richmond, VA Grace Mattern, Concord, NH Jessica Mindlin, JD, Portland, OR Strong Oak, LICSW, Greenfield, MA Paula Orlosky-Williams, MA, Atlanta, GA Holly Ramsey-Klawsnik, Ph.D., Canton, MA Jennifer Rauhouse, Phoenix, AZ Delilah Rumburg, Enola, PA Cassandra Thomas, Houston, TX Rebecca Ward, PsyD, San Juan, PR Nichole Witt, Mission, SD Ellen Yin-Wycoff, Sacramento, CA This publication was supported by Cooperative Agreement #5VF1CE001751-03 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PCAR or NSVRC. About the Cover Many in the Penn State and State College community were stunned to learn about Jerry Sandusky’s alleged rape of several young boys he met through his charity, The Second Mile, and the fact that other coaches and university officials may have had knowledge of these crimes. Within days of the story breaking, much of the media coverage shifted to focus on the student outrage over the firing of longtime football coach, Joe Paterno. But the point is, this is not about football; it is about protecting children from sexual abuse. We chose this cover photo, which was taken at a campus candlelight vigil to honor the victims in November 2011, because we wanted to highlight the many students, faculty, Board and community members who immediately understood that the true victims were the children. As this case unfolds, we continue to stress the importance that everyone has an active role in protecting children and preventing sexual violence. In Every Issue: Contributors Director's Viewpoint From the Library Coalition Spotlight: WA Coalition Spotlight: MT Awards and Milestones Coming Up: NSAC Main Features: -Human trafficking and prostitution: Report revelas gaps in services, resources for Native women -Healthy sexuality: Campaign draws The Line by emphasizing consent, respect -SlutWalks: Whether you love 'em or you hate 'em, everyone has an opinion. We look at two viewpoints on these popular events. -Sexual Violence in the news: Why the media can't get it right -De prevencion de la violencia sexaul: Avanzando nuestro movimiento a traves del desarrollo de un Liderazgo Latina About the Makeover (picture of a copy of The Resource "Before", picture of a copy of The Resource "After") Paging through this issue of The Resource, you’ll notice a lot of changes. We redesigned the semiannual publication to better serve our audience. In addition to larger photos, you’ll find more breakout information, links to online resources and a wide array of contributors. The Resource is a national publication that highlights the phenomenal, engaging work happening within the realm of sexual violence prevention. We’re always looking for innovative story ideas, so if there’s something you’d like to see published in The Resource, let us know. There are plenty of ways to contribute content. Celebrate a milestone. Unveil a new training. Announce important research. Review a book or DVD. Spotlight a coalition. The content is up to you, because it is about you. Help us spread the word about all the vital work that’s occurring to help prevent sexual violence. Email story ideas to resources@nsvrc.org. Follow us on facebook.com/nsvrc and twitter.com/nsvrc. 2012 Spring & Summer Contributors Cordelia Anderson founded her own prevention consultation business based in Minneapolis, MN. Since 1976, Cordelia has worked with a wide variety of agencies to promote sexual health and prevent sexual harm. She’s the Founder of Sensibilities Prevention Services and past President of the National Coalition to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse & Exploitation. Mitru Ciarlante possesses more than 20 years of leadership advocating for youth victims. As Youth Initiative director at the National Center for Victims of Crime, she works to build the nation’s capacity to address youth victimization, works to advance youth victims’ rights and to ensure youth leadership on these issues. In addition, she is Co-Chair of the Research & Best Practice Committee, Vision of Hope Council, PCAR/NSVRC. Prior to joining Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs (WCSAP) as the Pregnant and Parenting Women and Teens Program Coordinator, Leah Holland was the Direct Services Supervisor at Women Helping Women in Cincinnati, Ohio, worked as the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) at U.S. Army Garrison-Yongsan, South Korea, and spent six years working for Planned Parenthood. Keith Kaufman, Ph.D. is a professor of Psychology at Portland State University in Oregon. He is a researcher, clinician, trainer, and consultant. He has published extensively on factors related to the prevention of child sexual abuse and does consultation on program development and evaluation. His most recent book is The Prevention of Sexual Violence: A Practitioner’s Sourcebook (NEARI Press). Karen G. Lane, M.Ed., has been the Prevention Program Manager at the Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (MCADSV) since 2003. She works with local, state and national partners to apply public health principles and community organizing to the prevention of sexual and intimate partner violence. She coordinated the creation of A Plan for Montana: Preventing Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence and co-authored the Primary Prevention chapter in the Sourcebook on Violence Against Women. Ashley Maier serves as the Prevention Program Coordinator at the Oregon Sexual Assault Task Force. In this capacity, she manages Oregon’s Rape Prevention and Education (RPE) grantees. She has worked as an advocate and community health program coordinator in Missouri and California. Nicole Matthews is Anishinabe from the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, and is the Executive Director for Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition (MIWSAC). In addition, Nicole is the proud mother of three beautiful children, who give her the strength and motivation to continue working to end violence perpetrated against women and children. Kelly McBride is a senior faculty member at The Poynter Institute, where she runs the Ethics Department. She has written extensively on how journalists cover sexual assault and has taught specialized seminars on the topic. Before coming to Poynter, she was a newspaper reporter for 15 years, covering police and religion beats. You can reach her at kmcbride@poynter.org. Jessica Napier is the Media & Communication Specialist at the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA). She manages the agency’s communication strategy, networks with various media and creates multimedia materials. Also, Jessica is a sexual assault response team (SART) advocate at a California rape crisis center. She joined the movement to end violence against women in 2009. Les Nichols serves as the primary child safety and facility advisor for Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA). BGCA and its affiliate organizations serve 4 million school-age children, at 4,000 facilities located in 50 states, Native American reservations and U.S. military bases here and abroad. Through advocacy, training and consulting Les promotes best practices in child safety on such diverse subjects as: staff screening, child abuse, bullying, workplace violence, technology risks, transportation safety, aquatic safety, sports injuries, building security, health hazards and other topics. Kimber J. Nicoletti-Martinez, MSW, Director and Founder of Multicultural Efforts to end Sexual Assault (MESA) at Purdue University has been an advocate for Latina and migrant farm worker communities for more than 20 years. Kimber utilizes an arts-based approach in her development of culturally relevant prevention, services and research. Livia Rojas, MSSW, is the Training & Resource Coordinator at the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA) where she works with colleges and universities across the United States, Guam and Puerto Rico collaborating with communities to improve their coordinated-community response to, and prevention of, sexual violence. Livia’s interests include community-based research/practice and language access. Chad Sniffen, MPH, is the Prevention Services Coordinator for the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA). He provides assistance to California’s prevention programs, and works on PreventConnect.org and the MyStrength Campaign. He has over 10 years of experience as an advocate, prevention educator, board member, and volunteer for agencies and campuses in California and Arizona. Recently named one of the “10 Filmmakers to Watch in 2011” by Independent Magazine, Nancy Schwartzman’s work explores the intersection of sexuality, new media, and navigating partner communication about consent. She is the director and producer of the documentary films The Line (2009) and xoxosms (May 2011). She is the founder of The Line Campaign, a movement to empower young leaders to end sexual violence using media to ignite dialogue. WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. BE A CONTRIBUTOR. The Resource is a semiannual, national newsletter produced by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. To have your voice featured, email story ideas to resources@nsvrc.org Director's Viewpoint Karen Baker, NSVRC Director The news about former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky horrified and captivated the attention of a nation that has been reluctant to talk about child sexual abuse or any other forms of sexual violence. According to the Berkeley Media Studies Group’s 2012 report, Breaking news on child sexual abuse: Early coverage of Penn State, there were more than 2,000 articles published in the week following that indictment. Many working to prevent child sexual abuse recognized the opportunity of the sustained media attention in helping inform the public about the responsibilities of adults, institutions and communities for protecting children. The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) was in a unique position because this was happening nearby, impacting local centers, and was a huge national story that we would be responding to regardless of location. We felt the impact personally and professionally. Penn State invited PCAR and NSVRC to partner with them in their journey of healing, self-evaluation, and ultimately becoming part of the solution. They wanted to work with an organization that has initiatives at the local, state and national levels; and that is committed to long-term prevention strategies. This partnership will involve a variety of activities over the next few years. NSVRC accomplishes our goals through collaborations with advocates throughout the country. This project will be no exception. We will be conducting conference calls, workshops and using social networking to incorporate a broad range of expertise into this work. NSVRC, PCAR and its centers have always been committed to children’s issues. Centers throughout Pennsylvania serve children and their families as well as adult survivors of child sexual abuse. PCAR sponsors The Vision of Hope Fund, to support projects preventing child sexual abuse (see related articles on pages 20 and 36). The NSVRC publishes resources on preventing child sexual abuse including a directory of national projects and a comprehensive information packet featuring research, fact sheets, resources, and guides for advocates and caregivers; and is a long-time member of the National Coalition to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation. Amid the sadness of these circumstances, it’s encouraging that people are finally ready to talk about preventing sexual abuse. This issue of The Resource features many unique examples of how people are talking. Let us know what you think Karen Baker Gail Burns-Smith Award Honors Pittsburgh advocate's work applauded Pittsburgh Action Against Rape’s Executive Director, Alison Hall, was awarded the 2011 Gail Burns-Smith Award. The award, jointly sponsored by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center and the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers, is named in honor of Gail Burns-Smith (1946-2009) who strengthened the partnership between sexual violence prevention advocates and those working in the areas of sex offender management and treatment. Hall’s accomplishments include establishing the Allegheny County Sex Offender Management and Containment Program (SOMAC) and being the driving force behind Pennsylvania’s first sex offender specialty court. CALL FOR NOMINATIONS The Gail Burns-Smith Award recognizes those preventing sexual violence through facilitating partnerships between victim advocates and those working in sex offender management and treatment. Nominations are due May 31. Visit www.nsvrc.org/gbs-award for details. Trafficking & Prostitution Report reveals gaps in services, resources for Native women Interview With Nicole Matthews, Executive Director Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition Nearly 12.3 million adults and children are being trafficked throughout the world at any given time, according to the United Nations International Labour Organization’s 2007 Forced Labour Statistics Factsheet. This issue impacts Native American women and girls across the nation. Identifying this on a state level, the Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition (MIWSAC) and Prostitution Research & Education (PRE) worked together to find out what was happening to Native American women and girls living in Minnesota. The two organizations collaborated on a research study asking Native women to talk about trafficking for prostitution, childhood neglect, and past experiences of violence. The findings from the study were released in October in a report entitled, Garden of Truth: Prostitution and Trafficking of Native Women. “We found out there’s not many programs or resources for Native women used in prostitution. Our goal was to find out why is this happening and what resources could be provided, so we partnered with Melissa Farley [at PRE] to find out,” says Nicole Matthews, Executive Director of MIWSAC. The study included one-on-one interviews with 105 Native American women, aged 18 to 60 years old, who were prostituted and trafficked in Minnesota. Of the 105 interviewees, 77% identified as Native American only, while 23% of the women identified as Multicultural, meaning they viewed themselves as Native American and either European American, African American, Filipina-American, Vietnamese-American, Mexican-American, or as Native American and Multicultural. A series of questionnaires were developed and used for interviews in Minneapolis, Duluth and Bemidji. KEY FINDINGS 66% of the women interviewed had been used by up to 300 men, while 33% of the women had been used by between 400 and 1,000 men for sex. 98% of the women had a history of current or previous homelessness. 95% of the women wanted to escape prostitution. 70% of the women they knew in prostitution had been lured, tricked or trafficked into it. The cities were selected because they were urban and close to tribal communities. Within these cities, news of the study was conveyed via flyers, word of mouth or through partnerships with local organizations. The questionnaires included inquiries about general experience, chronic health effects, and screening for post–traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In addition, a culturally-specific questionnaire was developed so it could be shared with other tribal communities. It contained questions about what services are available, what services are needed and if women had access to services. “I hope the report leads to awareness of trafficking and prostitution of Native American women. What we think they need, and what they tell us they need are two different things. The study helped reveal gaps and identify what systems need strengthening, so we can generate services. This research was about listening to the women,” says Matthews. MORE ONLINE To view the report online, visit www.miwsac.org and www.prostitutionresearch.com Healthy Sexuality Campaign draws The Line by emphasizing consent, respect The Line Campaign urges people to use their own voices via film, social-media advocacy and community building to promote a global movement against rape and sexual violence. By Nancy Schwartzman, founder of The Line Campaign What is healthy sexuality? What does it look like? What does it sound like? Perhaps most importantly, what does it feel like? How can we interpret and teach sexuality — something that is often portrayed in the media as objectifying or violent — and reframe it as two people negotiating pleasure and intimacy through consent and mutual respect? In the mass media, sexuality is presented as that which is socially constructed as “sexy.” In translation, this is toxic; a woman’s sexuality is interpreted according to how she is objectified, and a man’s sexuality is the degree to which he upholds traditional values of masculinity. As presumptions of power and a culture of violence become intertwined with these gendered interpretations of sexuality, sexual violence — or something that looks a lot like it — becomes the normalized, if not idealized model of sexual behavior. This is not healthy sexuality. The Line and The Line Campaign combat rape and sexual assault — two instances in which sexuality is confused with violence — by emphasizing the importance of consent, communication, and respect rather than advocating for risk reduction. While many rape prevention campaigns inadvertently blame the victim — telling them not to drink too much, dress provocatively, behave in a certain way, or walk alone at night — The Line Campaign seeks to identify rape and sexual violence as a systemic problem that is best addressed through straight-forward education, rather than watered-down, PG-rated attempts to talk around what these scenarios might look like. Through creating and producing engaging and provocative media, The Line Campaign hopes to empower young leaders to start dialogues within their communities that re-envision sexuality as the product of communication, respect, pleasure and consent — thus re-creating a world without sexual violence. Understanding healthy sexuality combats sexual violence. So, how do we begin to understand and present sexuality as “healthy”? First and foremost, we must refuse to accept anything less than full consent and respect from both parties. Consent means yes — it is not maybe, it is not “only if you really want to,” and it is definitely not silence. Consent can be conditional — these conditions must be acknowledged, discussed, and respected. Listen. Respect one another’s sexual desires, bodies, and boundaries. Respect one another’s line. Secondly, we must disregard the distorted images of sexuality in the media. We must call these images out — girls and women do not need to be told that they are sexual objects – yet shamed for their actual authentic sexualities, just as boys and men do not need to be told that they are “pussy” or effeminate if they do not perfectly embody every element of a narrowly-defined masculinity. Lastly, we must reclaim our sexuality as our own. It is not defined by the media, our peers, or our partners. It can be defined by ourselves, or with our partners, grounded in consent, respect, pleasure and desire. What does healthy sexuality look like? What does it sound like? What does it feel like? Healthy sexuality looks respectful and fun. Healthy sexuality sounds consensual and sexy. Healthy sexuality feels good! Sounding Off on SlutWalks Controversial gatherins make strides in spreading awareness Viewpoint 1 on SlutWalks: “We also know that being labeled as such is used to bully, harass and defame - not to empower.” By Cordelia Anderson, Founder of Sensibilities Prevention Services & Past President of the National Coalition to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse & Exploitation I understand protesting statements which blame the victim; what she wears has nothing to do with the choice a perpetrator makes to sexually violate her. I understand using intentional language to mobilize a community and to get the attention of media. I understand being in-your-face for social change and finding the words that feed the outrage to demand change. What’s problematic for me is taking on the language of the oppressor. “Slut” is a term used to degrade, to perpetuate inequality and to rob women of sexual rights. For those harmed by being labeled a slut, or by sexploitation including those being prostituted, seeing women privileged enough to have “fun” with the language that defines their lives and inequity could be oppressive. We also need to think about where the media will focus and why — on valid issues, or on “sluts.” Research shows that saying the myth perpetuates the myth, not the fact. The pornography industry and mainstream media have framed women as sex objects and sluts – we are to buy like sluts, look like sluts and act like sluts. We also know that being labeled as such is used to bully, harass and defame – not to empower. Pornography is packaged as being sexy and being sexy as pornified, and girls and women’s sexual empowerment as being slutty. It hijacks our sexuality. I believe in demanding a change, but I want attention to sexual violence prevention and sexual rights without playing into the hands of those who profit from such labels and from continuing social injustice and inequity. Viewpoint 2 on SlutWalks: “This movement — is working to remove the stigma on rape survivors and place the blame where it belongs — on perpetrators.” By Jessica Napier, Livia Rojas & Chad Sniffen, California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA) M ovements will always be controversial. Despite the fact that an entire community may agree that change is necessary — i.e. to confront social norms that perpetuate sexual violence — the avenue by which they achieve that end will be varied. Some people will join. Some will stand by and observe. And others will assert the movement is working against itself. Whatever the case, movements will continue to evoke passions and opinions, because they are based on collective community action — whether that is local, nationwide or global. Given the reach of social media and the Internet, communities are much larger than they were 40 years ago. Despite the provocative name — SlutWalk — this recent movement has gained momentum via blogs, social networks and traditional media because people are taking collective action in their communities. And change can only take place when communities move together. It is the opportunity for generations to define the harm they experience by using the tools of self-expression and communication with which they are most adept. There are other movements to express outrage about sexual violence, such as V-Day, Take Back the Night, Denim Day, White Ribbon and 16 Days, however, few of these campaigns were born in the contemporary experience of people who are in their late teens to early 20s. Constable Michael Sanguinetti, the police officer in Toronto who said the catalyzing comment, was likely as surprised as anyone to start a globe- spanning wave of protest rooted in the energies of thousands of feminist activists seeking to name their harm with a word that was appropriate to their sense of indignation over the dehumanization of survivors of sexual violence. The word “slut” was identified as an attempt to reclaim the word — to move away from its derogatory origin and ubiquitous use by individuals, media and other social institutions and toward a positive meaning that can be embraced. However, despite its overarching goal of sexual justice and bodily sovereignty, SlutWalk demonstrations do not integrate or fully recognize that sexual justice encompasses a diverse spectrum of identities and histories. As critics of SlutWalks have resoundingly articulated, slut is not a universal category for woman-identified people. The ways in which to translate painful experiences for self and social transformation is a vital and ongoing discussion. The translation of slut across communities in the United States is varied as much as the translation of slut across languages and sociopolitical environments. In Delhi, SlutWalk organizers, aware that many people in their city would not understand, much less identify with slut, added the term “besharmimorcha,” which means shameless protest in Hindi, to the demonstration’s title. Additionally, the intersection between race, class, gender presentation, immigration status and ability further complicates SlutWalks’ attempts to reclaim a word that, as Harsha Walia noted, “disproportionately impacts women of color and poor women to reinforce their status as inherently dirty and second-class.” SlutWalk’s overarching goal, whether in Toronto, Los Angeles, Mexico City or Delhi, speaks to a universal right that, for many, exists as a privilege: sexual liberation and bodily sovereignty free from institutionalized surveillance of bodies and sexuality. These goals cannot be achieved without recognizing and envisioning that various histories /communities require different strategies. SlutWalk is one strategy in a larger movement to end power-based violence. Despite limitations, today’s activists are marching for change just like generations of activists did before them who marched for women’s suffrage, reproductive rights, to take back the night and for women’s lives. SlutWalks are receiving attention from men and women who may not have otherwise considered themselves to be feminists. This movement — is working to remove the stigma on rape survivors and place the blame where it belongs — on perpetrators. SlutWalks are still in their infancy, and their longevity is yet to be known. In several California cities, attempts to organize SlutWalks saw long delays or cancellations, despite significant community support. The shortcomings of SlutWalks must be acknowledged in order to increase collective community action. Such recognition provides future opportunities to address cultural relevancy, community history and inclusion. Equally important, the organizers and participants should be appreciated for working to condemn a victim-blaming culture, to empower survivors and to promote the involvement of the community to bring an end to sexual violence. Rape crisis centers can partner with those organizing SlutWalks to foster a generation of activism, to expand community relationships, and to create new conversations about sexual violence. Ben Cohen, an activist and a founder of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream said, “If you’re aware of injustice, you can either ignore it, say there is nothing you can do about it, complain about it and not do anything, or put your energies into doing something about it.” A SlutWalk is just one way of “doing something” to end sexual violence. It is not the only way. It is not the right way — or the wrong way — it is simply one way to ignite a conversation about sexual assault, highlight oppressive slut-shaming and challenge the criminal justice system and culture’s tendency to blame the victim. HOW IT ALL BEGAN This movement surfaced as a reaction to a Canadian police officer’s comment that women should “avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized.” In response, Toronto feminists Sonya Barnett and Heather Jarvis organized a protest. Thus, the first SlutWalk was born in early 2011. Media Coverage of Sexual Violence Why the media can't get it right when it comes to sexual assault By Kelly McBride, Senior Faculty, Ethics at The Poynter Institute Media stories about sexual assault are often problematic. Why? It’s because the media doesn’t really cover sexual assault. Instead, it covers celebrity, power, sensationalism and public safety. The story is never really about the sexual assault. As a result, journalists inadvertently reinforce stereotypes and myths, deliver inaccurate information and misinform the public about the real dangers of sexual assault. Nearly 10 years ago, I started a program at The Poynter Institute to train reporters and editors to re-envision the way they saw and told stories of sexual assault. For the program, reporters and editors came to Poynter, or I went to newsrooms. It worked, in that the journalists who took the training were able to see and stop reinforcing stereotypes, recognize the bigger picture and find ways to tell a thorough story about sexual assault. On the last day of one seminar, an editor announced, “The problem is we cover rape like a news event, rather than a social problem.” It was a key insight. It didn’t mean he would be able to circumvent the front-page story when a high-profile person was charged with sexual assault. But he would be able to augment that story with others, including tracking trends, highlighting effective prevention and awareness programs, and telling the trauma endured by victims and uncovering stories that document how survivors recover. Eventually, Poynter forged a partnership with the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) and created week-long regional workshops for advocates and journalists to show them that by working together, better information can reach the public. Together, we did four of these workshops. They were effective and resource intensive, but limited in their reach to the eight newsrooms who got into each training. Reporters returned to their newsrooms and found new ways to tell new stories. They avoided playing into the worst myths, or at the very least, pointed out that defense attorneys and others were using myths to sway public opinion and pressure prosecutors and victims to drop charges. These workshops happened before the recession, and before newsrooms laid off half their reporters. Now, it seems like professional journalists have less capacity to tell the truth about rape, in part because there are simply fewer journalists around. But the journalists who are left must fill an even greater amount of space – more airtime, more pages and pixels. That means the stories they tell are likely to be less complicated. And sexual assault is a very complicated story. In this weakened state, journalists are more susceptible to spinning their stories than ever before, especially when it comes to highly-competitive stories. And face it, defense attorneys are much better at spinning stories than those who advocate for victims of sexual abuse. In these challenging times, here are a few things advocates can do: • Become friends with the journalists in your community. Offer to help them when they need it. Then, when a high-profile case pops up, you’ll be in a position to counter misleading information. • Be available at a moment’s notice. Reporters often turn around stories within a matter of hours. If you don’t respond to a reporter’s inquiry within two hours, it’s likely your views will not be included in the story. • Point out the myths and stereotypes that journalists fall into, but do it as a way of educating, rather than scolding. Give them studies and experts to back up information. For example, if a defense attorney suggests that a woman was after rough sex because of the way she was dressed, don’t scold the reporter for reporting that. Instead, offer to add another point of view to the story that draws attention to that stereotype. • Help reporters find other compelling stories that give them the opportunity to tell the community a broader story about sexual assault. For example, this might be a survivor who reaches out to other victims, or maybe it’s a program to help teenage boys learn about consent. • Finally, ask that reporters always include information in their stories that describes how a sexual assault is typical or atypical. For instance, when the breaking news story is a stranger rape, it is reasonable to ask journalists to remind their audience that most sexual assault victims know their assailant and in many cases the aggressor is a family member. I’m not sure we’ll have an opportunity in the near future to do the type of systemic education of both reporters and sexual violence prevention advocates that will change the way we as a society tell the story of rape. But we can continue to reach out to individual journalists and specific newsrooms, anticipating crucial moments and in small ways, changing the way we tell this story. ABOUT POYNTER The Poynter Institute is a nonprofit school in Florida dedicated to serving professional journalists, media leaders and citizens to improve journalism in service of democracy. For information, visit www.poynter.org MORE ONLINE Check out Steve Myers’ Memo to headline writers: Child sex abuse is not a ‘sex scandal.’ Visit http://tinyurl.com/csrdz7n A new report, Breaking news on child sexual abuse: Early coverage of Penn State, analyzes media coverage from the first nine days of the Penn State child sexual abuse case and offers recommendations. To view the report, visit http://tinyurl.com/84lte6z Sexual Assault Awareness Month This April, everyone will be talking about healthy sexuality April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), and this year “It’s time … to talk about it!” The 2012 SAAM campaign encourages communities and individuals to bring healthy sexuality into the conversation on how we connect, respect and prevent sexual violence. What is healthy sexuality? Healthy sexuality means having the knowledge and power to express sexuality in ways that enrich one’s life. Promoting healthy behaviors encourages sexual interactions and relationships that are consensual, respectful and informed. Healthy sexuality is free from coercion and violence. A healthy sexuality framework approaches preventing sexual violence through promoting positive expressions of sexuality and healthy behaviors. This year’s SAAM campaign provides tools to help you start these conversations. This year, proclaim “It’s time … to talk about it” by using social media to join the conversation. By changing your profile pictures and focusing your status updates, tweets, and blog posts on SAAM and the Day of Action, you can engage online communities in sexual violence prevention. THE SAAM DAY OF ACTION IS TUESDAY, APRIL 3. HERE ARE WAYS TO CONNECT & TALK ABOUT IT. • Change your profile picture. Post a photo of yourself holding a clock to represent “It’s time!” like the one shown below • Use tweets, posts and status updates to spread the word about SAAM 2012. Check out our suggested posts for social networking sites • Post a SAAM or healthy sexuality-related video to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s (NSVRC) YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/NSVRC • Tweet about it Tuesdays! Join us on Twitter for an hour-long town hall discussion starting on the Day of Action and continuing each Tuesday in April. For more information, visit www.nsvrc.org/saam • Add a teal ribbon graphic, banner or background to your online profile or website • Highlight your event on the NSVRC event calendar, and check out events happening locally and across the country at www.nsvrc.org/calendar • Connect with NSVRC on facebook.com/nsvrc and twitter.com/nsvrc, and stay tuned for SAAM-related updates all month long • Share your photos, videos and stories by emailing them to resource@nsvrc.org For more, visit www.nsvrc.org/saam and www.nsvrc.org/es/saam or email Laura Palumbo at lpalumbo@nsvrc.org Child Sexual Abuse Bringing sustainable prevention to community-based organizations By Keith Kaufman, Professor of Psychology, Portland State University, Les Nichols, Vice President of Club Safety & Design, Boys & Girls Clubs of America & Mitru Ciarlante, Youth Initiative Director, National Center for Victims of Crime Experts have long agreed that the eradication of child sexual abuse (CSA) requires a combination of effective treatment for victims and offenders and adequate prevention efforts to minimize the risks that lead to CSA. At the same time, many prevention experts have sharply criticized existing prevention efforts for limitations in four areas: (1) Their focus on changing individuals rather than systems, communities, or society; (2) Their inability to involve community voices in developing and implementing prevention initiatives (particularly in communities with lower socioeconomic status and communities of color); (3) Their inability to sustain prevention programs after external funding is withdrawn; and (4) Their lack of attention to community-based organizations and institutions serving huge numbers of children and adolescents. Millions of children and adolescents are involved with community-based organizations and institutions every day. They receive services from schools, hospitals, clinics, youth-serving organizations, sports programs, and social service institutions (e.g., foster care). An estimated 50 million children attend elementary and secondary schools in the U.S. (National Center for Education Statistics, 2010); more than 3.5 million children are hospitalized each year (Department of Health, Social Services & Public Safety, 2010); more than 41 million children are involved in sports (CNN, 2006); and youth-serving organizations serve millions of children (e.g., 4 million children served by Boys & Girls Clubs of America [B&GCA, 2009]; 2.8 million children served by Boy Scouts of America [BSA, 2009]). Despite these huge numbers, other than the standard organizational guidelines put forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been no national research or database to establish common patterns of CSA within youth-serving organizations, the tracking of prevalence, or the effectiveness of common prevention measures. Although U.S.- based research on the prevalence of this type of CSA is lacking, we do know that an estimated 52 percent of extra-familial offenders in England and Wales are likely to have committed offenses in community-based organizations (Gallagher, 2000); and a prominent U.K. report reviewing U.K. and U.S. studies concluded that institution- and organization-based CSA is a significant problem that warrants a more comprehensive response. The number of recent news reports of CSA in community-based organizations also suggests the seriousness of the issue. Why hasn’t there been more attention to this form of CSA? One reason is the absence of a systematic framework for understanding risks and guiding solutions to the problem. Yet recently, we have begun to adapt the Situational Prevention Model (SPM) for use in CSA prevention in organizations and institutions. The SPM has been used successfully for more than 70 years to guide the development of safer housing around the world and for more than 20 years to foster community crime prevention. Our adaptation of the SPM involves staff, volunteers, and youth in identifying CSA risks in a particular setting and then developing prevention strategies to respond to these concerns (for details see Kaufman, Hayes, & Knox, 2010 & Kaufman, Tews, Schuett, & Kaufman, 2012). The SPM organizational framework helps identify risks in six areas including: (1) Lifestyle and routine activities of organizational participants (e.g., single parents who have minimal time for supervision); (2) The larger community environment (e.g., abandoned buildings youth pass on the way to the organization); (3) Organizational policies, community regulations, and subcultural influences (e.g., agency supervision policies, rules for the use of community pools); (4) Characteristics of at-risk youth involved with the organization (e.g., disabilities, emotionally needy) that increase vulnerability; (5) High-risk locations within the organization setting (e.g., unused classrooms, storage rooms); and (6) Facilitators which reflect factors that can increase other risks (e.g., poor staff-to-youth ratio, long-term staff that are not required to follow the rules). The model also considers the local socio-economic structure (e.g., financial support for the institution) and offender- specific factors (e.g., the number of offenders in the area, the quality of their supervision) for gauging risk. For example, risks related to leaving the organization’s back door open during hot months to increase ventilation (i.e., high-risk locations) may be addressed by a prevention strategy which involves adding wrought iron gates to allow the back doors to stand open while maintaining proper security. Through generous support from the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape’s Vision of Hope Fund and in collaboration with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and local pilot sites in Pennsylvania and Oregon at clubs in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Portland, Dr. Keith Kaufman is refining an SPM-based self-assessment approach to prevent CSA. This approach, in response to common criticisms of prevention efforts, focuses on organizations and the communities they serve, rather than individuals. It empowers local staff, board members, volunteers, older youth, parents, and community members to have a voice in developing prevention responses to local risks. Since costs are minimal (i.e., mostly staff time), the approach is sustainable and can be repeated to be responsive to the dynamic nature of community programs. The approach is also process-oriented, rather than content-based, and geared to the specific needs of the setting. Finally, rather than introducing a completely new approach, this strategy is rooted in the familiar, active problem solving that staff and administrators rely upon every day to keep children safe. What it adds is a more systematic approach to identifying risks and developing prevention strategies to address them. To date, the Situational Prevention Approach (SPA) has been very well received by BGCA staff at the pilot sites. Feedback suggests that this approach makes sense to staff, is easy to implement, and has an immediate impact on risk reduction. In the future, we hope to systematically evaluate the acceptability, effectiveness, and cost-efficiency of this approach as a sustainable self-assessment CSA prevention tool. We also intend to track the reduction of non-CSA related risks (e.g., physical safety, bullying) and potential increases in staff members’ “prevention empowerment” (i.e., their willingness to engage in spontaneous prevention activities). We are writing an SPA implementation manual and it will be free to BGCA’s more than 4,000 local clubs to help them create safer settings. It is anticipated that this manual will be available through BGCA in late Spring of 2012. Finally, we hope to expand the application of this approach for use with other types of community-based organizations and institutions and foster its use by a variety of professionals in the field (e.g., rape crisis and domestic violence center staff). References Boys & Girls Clubs of America. (2010). Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Facts & Figures. Retrieved November 30, 2011 from http://www.bgca.org/ whoweare/Pages/FactsFigures.aspx Boy Scouts of America. (2009). Annual Report. Retrieved November 30, 2011 from http://www.scouting.org/filestore/annualreport/pageflip.htm Department of Health, Social Services, and Public Safety. (2010). Child Protection. Retrieved November 30, 2011 from http://www.dhsspsni.gov. uk/index/hss/child_care/child_protection.htm Gallagher, B. (2000). The extent and nature of known cases of institutional child sexual abuse. British Journal of Social Work, 30(6), 795-817. Kaufman, K., Hayes, A., & Knox, L. A. (2010). The Situational Prevention Model: Creating Safer Environments For Children & Adolescents. In K. L. Kaufman (Ed.) The Prevention of Sexual Violence: A Practitioner’s Sourcebook. Holyoke, MA: NEARI Press. Kaufman, K., Tews, H., Schuett, J. & Kaufman, B. (2012). Prevention is better than cure – The value of situational prevention in organizations. In M. Erooga (Ed.) Towards Safer Organizations – Practical steps to prevent the abuse of children by those working with them. London, England: Wiley-Blackwell Press. National Center for Education Statistics (2010). The Condition of Education 2010. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo. asp?pubid=2010028 CNN. (2006). Youth sports drawing more than ever. Retrieved November 30, 2011 from http://articles.cnn.com/2006-07-03/us/rise.kids.sports_1_ youth-sports-tennis- lessons-kids?_s=PM:US ABOUT THE SITUATIONAL PREVENTION APPROACH Details about the Situational Prevention Approach used in Dr. Kaufman’s project with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America is provided in a book designed for victim advocates, prevention specialists, therapists, and researchers working in the field. The Prevention of Sexual Violence: A Practitioner’s Sourcebook (NEARI Press) brings together the expertise of leading practitioners, researchers, and policy makers to enhance the prevention of sexual violence. It provides practical approaches to prevention and describes the underlying frameworks that support each approach. el movimiento de prevención de la violencia sexual Avanzando nuestro movimiento a través del desarrollo de un Liderazgo Latino By Kimber J. Nicoletti-Martinez Director, Multicultural Efforts to end Sexual Assault (MESA), Purdue University El liderazgo puede ser definido como la acción de liderar un grupo de personas o una organización. De igual manera, se puede definir como el estado o la posición de ser un líder. En los últimos años, se ha hablado mucho sobre el liderazgo entre las latinas en el movimiento de prevención de la violencia sexual. En medio de estas conversaciones, dos pensamientos claros han surgido. El primer pensamiento es que hay una necesidad de desarrollar un liderazgo que sea identificado y aceptado por la diversa comunidad Latina que aboga en servicios a víctimas y de prevención, por la creciente población latina e hispanohablante en los Estados Unidos. De acuerdo con el Pew Hispanic Center, la comunidad latina y/o hispana constituye el 56% del crecimiento de la Nación en la última década. El Censo del 2010 contó 50.5 millones de hispanos en los Estados Unidos, lo que representa el 16.3% del total de la población(1). El segundo pensamiento es el consenso mixto en cómo este liderazgo se vería o funcionaria. Much@s assesor@s Latin@s expresan sentirse aislados y sin apoyo en su trabajo. Mientras que otros dicen que los recursos limitados no les permiten proveer servicios de educación y apoyo a víctimas de una manera culturalmente relevante. En la exploración de este tema, hay muchas preguntas. ¿Existe una clara necesidad de desarrollar un liderazgo nacional latin@ en este movimiento? Si es así, ¿cómo se desarrollaría y quién debe participar? ¿Sería posible asegurar el apoyo de la comunidad hacia el liderazgo una vez que se establezca o será el apoyo fragmentado? En una reciente conversación critica efectuada en la Conferencia Nacional del Abuso Sexual 2011 en Baltimore, MD, a los participantes se les pidió que describieran las características de un líder latin@. Muchos de los participantes describen a alguien fuerte, carismático, bien informado de la comunidad y sin miedo de hablar. Sin embargo, cuando se les preguntó lo que necesitaban de un liderazgo Latino, los participantes describieron la necesidad de apoyo, recursos y materiales. Los participantes expresaron la necesidad de información específica acerca de ciertos subgrupos latinos, como inmigrantes, y trabajadores domésticos. Es debido a la diversidad en la comunidad latina, que se dificulta el desarrollo de un liderazgo nacional Latino que sea más inclusivo que exclusivo. Uno de los retos en desarrollar el liderazgo de este grupo se debe a cuestiones relacionadas con la identidad del mismo. Aunque el término “Latin@” es un término comúnmente utilizado por muchas personas en la comunidad, no todas las personas o grupos lo usan para identificarse. Aun mas, el término “Hispano” no es universalmente aceptado o bien recibido por todas las diversas poblaciones que están a menudo clasificadas en la sociedad Estadounidense como latin@s. Auto-definición es un aspecto importante del rito de nombrarse a uno mismo. Así que Latin@s pueden preferir otros términos para referirse a su origen étnico como Chican@s, Hispan@s, latinoamericanos, etc., y algunos individuos pueden optar por no identificar su cultura u origen étnico. Latin@s constituyen un grupo diverso que incluyen nativos americanos - los descendientes europeos y africanos que heredaron un patrimonio hablado en Español. Muchos latin@s perciben el termino “hispano” como algo impuesto por el departamento del censo de los Estados Unidos. Es por esto que Latin@s no deben ser considerados como una raza sino una (etnia). Los Latin@s constituyen un grupo étnico que comparten raíces comunes en todas las razas y provienen de 20 países los cuales tienen valores y tradiciones diferentes, pero comparten un mismo idioma, posiblemente una misma influencia religiosa y estructura familiar. Como dijo un participante de la conversación crítica, anteriormente mencionada, “es difícil pensar en como organizar a la comunidad latina a nivel nacional, porque no estamos organizados a nivel local.” Con una comunidad tan diversa y recursos limitados, ¿cómo podemos empezar a desarrollar materiales para servir a víctimas y trabajar en la prevención de violencia sexual en la comunidad latina? A medida que comenzamos a explorar el organizarnos a nivel comunitario y nacional, es importante explorar nuestros puntos en común en vez de enfocarnos en nuestras diferencias. Desde que comencé a trabajar en organizar la comunidad latina hace más de veinte años, he visto cuanta energía hemos invertido identificando maneras en las cuales somos diferentes y como nuestras necesidades también son diferentes. Este ha sido un proceso importante en el cual hemos podido nombrar nuestras diversas necesidades y nos ha ayudado a desarrollar nuestra voz, la cual ha sido frecuentemente silenciada. Silenciada por nuestras propias comunidades, las cuales no han querido que hablemos en contra de la violencia sexual. Silenciadas por la opresión social e institucional que no reconoce ni oye nuestras voces. En reacción a una cultura de silencio, a menudo hemos interiorizado nuestras experiencias y hemos comenzado a silenciar a los demás en vez de animarnos unos a otros. A veces, al enfocarnos en nuestras diferencias hemos creado nuevas barreras que nos dificultan el trabajar juntos. Sin embargo, hay una nueva energía y espíritu entre l@s asesoras Latin@s y especialistas en prevención. Es una canción que habla de como es hora de ir más allá de nuestras diferencias profesionales, culturales y personales. Es hora de que La Comunidad Latina se una en solidaridad para seguir adelante en nuestros esfuerzos para acabar con la violencia sexual en contra de nuestras hermanas y hermanos Latin@s. Los recientes recortes en el presupuesto federal y menos fondos han hecho que la comunidad latina tenga que recurrir a su experiencia e historia de trabajo comunitario y de lograr más con pocos recursos. Sabemos que hay mucho trabajo por hacer para desarrollar un diálogo en torno a la sexualidad y la relaciones sanas en una comunidad donde prevalecen los tabúes. Hay mucho que podemos lograr juntos si podemos dejar a un lado nuestro ego y empezamos a ver nuestros rasgos comunes. Algo que compartimos tod@s las latinas que trabajan en acabar con la violencia sexual es nuestro amor por nuestras familias, nuestras comunidades y nuestro deseo a que latin@s vivan vidas más sanas y seguras. Creo que esto puede ser lo que nos una y nos ayude a comenzar a trabajar junt@s en solidaridad. Recursos 1. Pew Hispanic Center 3-24-11 http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=140 DEVELOPMENT OF LATIN@ LEADERSHIP Over the past several years, there has been much talk about leadership among Latin@s in the sexual violence prevention movement. In a critical conversation conducted at the 2011 National Sexual Assault Conference in Baltimore, participants were asked to describe characteristics of a Latin@ leader. Kimber wrote about this conversation and captured them in this article. To read a version of it in English, visit www.nsvrc.org/publications/resource-2012 Prevention Approaches Public health approach is comprehensive way to improve prevention outcomes By Ashley Maier Prevention Program Coordinator, Oregon Sexual Assault Task Force Successful sexual violence prevention work requires the use of multiple strategies and approaches. Some of the most common approaches used today are: •Gender equity: Promotes healthy notions of gender •Human rights: Frames sexual health as a basic human right •Criminal justice: Focuses on offender accountability •Public health: Concentrates on the health and well-being of populations As I began work for the Oregon Sexual Assault Task Force (ORSATF) in 2009, I noticed resistance to and questions about the last approach, the public health approach. The public health model outlines four steps: 1) Define the problem 2) Identify risk and protective factors 3) Develop and test prevention strategies 4) Ensure widespread adoption Its core principles include the health of the public, data-informed approaches, cultural competency, and prevention. I came to ORSATF after four years of community health work, surrounded by public health researchers and practitioners who approached their work through an anti-oppression lens. To me, this work was about promoting health. I realized that my perspective was not universal when community partners and others asked me why I kept using the term “sexual health” or why I considered this a “health” problem. After many conversations, I asked to record people’s comments about the issue. I had two main concerns. On the one hand, it seemed that sexual violence prevention practitioners believed that public health does not address social justice. In addition, their stated experience with public health practitioners indicated that social justice was not the core of every public health practitioner’s work. My findings confirmed these concerns. With statements such as, “Public health is a medical model, with a history of use for disease prevention, which doesn’t easily transfer to issues like violence prevention [which has more social than biological causes],” and “Public health ignores gender. It ignores patriarchy. It doesn’t acknowledge the ‘gender-based’ nature of many problems,” I wondered why it was that some social justice activists embraced the model. If this was the prevailing opinion within social justice circles, how did these individuals reconcile their concerns? What I found was that individuals who embraced the public health approach thought comprehensively. They realized that public health is one model of many that, together, improve their prevention outcomes. For example, one practitioner stated, “For me, public health provides the tools I need to put theory into action.” In this way, rather than threatening or devaluing these practitioners’ work, it is an asset: “We use the public health approach as a complement to a number of other approaches: human rights, criminal justice, gender equity. It all works together to provide a comprehensive analysis of, and response to, a community-wide problem.” These individuals also made connections. Several noted similarities between public health concepts and other disciplines: “Public health is just another way of wording all the things I learned in Community Psychology. It’s all about the health of a community … finding out why people are falling into the river and stopping that rather than pulling out bodies. It provides a model for strategic action.” They could translate public health language into social justice language. In this way, they were able to understand common public health terms like health equity as additional ways to discuss social justice. After all, if everyone is able to achieve optimum health status, the world is truly just. I was able to present a poster on my findings at the 2010 Oregon Public Health Association annual meeting and conference. While social justice advocates and activists who reviewed the poster expressed a new faith in public health, some public health professionals expressed shock that they may be perceived as not addressing issues of oppression. I particularly appreciated this response – we can learn a lot from how we are perceived. I love public health because it stresses that this is a public problem. It demonstrates that only equity and equality will lead to a truly healthy (in all senses of the word) population. It also relies upon data and evidence. Public health is, in essence, a prevention champion. Used in concert with other approaches, it can create a complete approach to building a peaceful and just world. SEE THE POSTER ONLINE To view Ashley’s full poster, pictured at right, visit http://tinyurl.com/bt88hbs From the Library Our Bodies, Ourselves By The Boston Women’s Health Book Collective Many women will be thrilled to know that the groundbreaking work, Our Bodies, Ourselves, from The Boston Women’s Health Book Collective, has been reissued in an updated version. This historical resource is better than ever with comprehensive coverage of a wide variety of topics, including information on female anatomy and physiology, relationships, sexuality, reproductive health, childbirth, parenting, menopause, medical conditions, health care, violence against women, environmental impacts and the politics of women’s health. For those of you unfamiliar with OBOS, as it is affectionately known, this venerable tome was first released in the early 1970s. There have been a few new editions over the years, each one containing more thorough and updated information than the previous version. It is a valuable resource for girls and women of any age. Strongly recommended as the first book for girls approaching puberty, it also serves as a guide for women throughout their life span. A unique attribute of OBOS is the personal accounts shared by women and girls throughout the book. Reading accounts from a diverse group of women and girls adds to the information and gives it a sense of authenticity. It is not just information coming to the reader in the form of a third party; personal quotes give it a conversational feel. The quotes are well- balanced and give varied perspectives. The reader gets a sense that our bodies are truly ours. CHECK OUT CHAPTER 24 In the Violence Against Women section of Our Bodies, Ourselves, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) is listed as one of the “Recommended Resources” on Page 703. RECOMMEND A RESOURCE Have you read a recent book or report that you’d like to share? What about a new DVD or eLearning tool? We’re always looking for innovative resources to feature. Email your suggestions to resources@nsvrc.org and your suggestion could be reviewed in an upcoming issue of The Resource. The Sum of My Parts: A Survivor’s Story of Dissociative Identity Disorder By Olga Trujillo In this book, Olga Trujillo provides incredible insight about Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and the emotional impact of sexual abuse. It talks about flashbacks, dissociation, numbing and questioning of one’s own sanity. The book gives hope to victims who suffer from DID, because it can validate others experiencing similar reactions to abuse. The first several chapters contain graphic material, so readers should be advised. If a reader experiences secondary trauma, they may want to contact their local rape crisis center for support and assistance. On the other hand, the later chapters of the book are positive, hopeful and uplifting. The Sum of My Parts would not only assist prosecutors and judges, who are involved in sexual violence cases, but it would also be helpful for teachers and others who mentor children, because it describes how victims display flat affect and how some victims are unable to remember periods of abuse. This book can help those who work in the criminal justice system understand the impact of victimization. The book details a journey from incredible trauma to incredible survival, and it is worth sharing. Issue 19, Case by Case: News coverage of child sexual abuse By Berkeley Media Studies Group Berkeley Media Studies Group, a project of the Public Health Institute, conducts research to learn about how the media covers health issues. Their work helps advocates shape and inform news coverage of health-related topics. In May, Berkeley Media Studies Group, with support from the Ms. Foundation for Women, released Issue 19, Case by Case: News coverage of child sexual abuse. Issue 19 looked at national news coverage from 2007 through 2009 and examined stories about child sexual abuse. The study revealed that during that period, newspapers contained 260 substantive articles on the topic. In the majority of published articles, the news coverage focused on the criminal justice aspect of child sexual abuse. Overall, the reporting was vague and episodic, usually reporting on a singular person or event. In the articles, the majority of victims knew the perpetrators and less than one-third of all articles mentioned solutions for child sexual abuse. When solutions were mentioned, usually they were intervention-focused tips rather than primary-prevention strategies. In addition, few stories addressed barriers, misconceptions or changing social stigma associated with child sexual abuse. The study concludes with recommendations for advocates and reporters to improve news coverage of child sexual abuse. Also from Berkeley Media Studies Group is a new report entitled Breaking news on child sexual abuse: Early coverage of Penn State. The report analyzes media coverage from the first nine days of the Penn State child sexual abuse case and offers recommendations. To view the full report, visit http://tinyurl.com/84lte6z Coalition Spotlight In Washington Program helps pregnant women, mothers who are surivors By Leah Holland, Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs The Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs (WCSAP) and the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV), along with the state’s Department of Health and Attorney General’s Office, are working together to improve services for pregnant and parenting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking. WCSAP and WSCADV are developing practice guidelines to increase and enhance the coordination of services provided to pregnant and parenting women and teens who are survivors. The abuse of pregnant women and teens, as well as those with infants under the age of one year old, often has devastating consequences for these individuals and their children. While many survivors receive services, often these services are fragmented. Service providers may not fully understand the needs of this group and survivors may not be aware of resources that are available to them. The goal of this project is to enhance the expertise and coordination of service providers so that communities can form an effective safety net to help pregnant and parenting women and teens in their quest for safety, recovery, and positive health outcomes. Three Washington State communities have been chosen to serve as demonstration sites and began piloting the practice guidelines in the fall of 2011. Local sexual assault and domestic violence advocacy agencies will take the lead, in partnership with local law enforcement, health care, prosecutors’ offices, and other social service agencies. The agencies selected are Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services of Whatcom County, the Tacoma Community House, and New Hope Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services (serving Grant and Adams counties). The demonstration sites represent a broad cross-section of the population served in Washington. The practice guidelines will have discipline-specific information for advocates, health care providers, law enforcement, prosecutors’ offices, and other social services providers. The guidelines will suggest alternate ways to screen and intervene in sexual assault and domestic violence with pregnant survivors. We will also include information on reproductive coercion and how victimization affects reproductive health. The demonstration sites will provide input into the practice guidelines as we make changes to ensure the guidelines are relevant to the communities throughout the state. At the culmination of the three-year grant, we will have final statewide practice guidelines that incorporate the expertise of the project partners, a statewide workgroup, and other professionals, as well as the lessons learned from the demonstration sites. The finalized practice guidelines are available online. We are very excited to get out into the community to get started on this project. MORE ONLINE For information about the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, visit www.wcsap.org For information about the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, visit www.wscadv.org Coalition Spotlight In Montana Multi-year plan will prevent sexual, intimate partner violence By Karen Lane, Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence “Montana is a community that supports the respectful, empowering and safe treatment of all people. Systems, structures, laws and standards promote and facilitate healthy partner, family and community relationships.” This statement represents the vision of a dedicated group of representatives from organizations, agencies and individuals across Montana. Convened by Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (MCADSV), the Montana DELTA Statewide Steering Committee developed a five to eight year plan for preventing sexual and intimate partner violence. The plan is the fruit of an intentional collaboration between the Rape Prevention and Education (RPE) staff at the Montana Department of Health and Human Services and the DELTA staff at MCADSV. Both RPE and DELTA are funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which requires each program to create a statewide primary prevention plan by a committee. Since Montana is a low population state, the same people would be invited to participate in both committees. So the staff of both programs crafted a work plan for making a combined sexual violence and intimate partner violence primary prevention plan. The work plan outlined the roles of both parties. One of the first tasks was to discuss our levels of trust and assurance that neither issue would be underrepresented in the process. We talked explicitly about our intentions and identified any areas where we needed to take special care to create structures, methods and committee membership which were inclusive. We all agreed communications needed to be strong, open and ongoing throughout. One of the responsibilities of the RPE staff was to ensure inclusion of sexual violence prevention perspective in the plan’s Needs and Resource Assessment and Goals and Outcomes. The resulting plan represents a first draft of a living document and as special stakeholder groups form around each goal, changes will be made, goals refined and outcomes made more pertinent and specific to fulfilling the needs in Montana for prevention. Since the publication of the plan via a brochure and a public “roll-out” event at the state capitol rotunda in April 2011, the plan continues to generate interest and invitations to talk about opportunities for involvement by numerous statewide organizations and agencies. The process has begun, and with the help of an evaluation team, we are looking forward to showing positive results! AT A GLANCE Montana is a low population state, the same people would be invited to participate in both committees. So the staff of both programs crafted a work plan for making a combined sexual violence and intimate partner violence primary prevention plan. WANT TO SPOTLIGHT YOUR COALITION? The Resource would love to hear about all the great prevention work happening in your state. Tell us about it, and it could become an article. Email us at resources@nsvrc.org Awareds, Celebrations and Milestones Kane-Osorto honored with Activist Award In December, the Washington Peace Center hosted the 7th annual Activist Awards Grassroots Gala in Washington, D.C. During the gala, Kristen Kane-Osorto was presented with a 2011 Activist Award. The awards celebrate activists’ hard work and dedication to making the world a more peaceful place. Kane-Osorto is a former employee of the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) and always stressed that working to end sexual violence was part of peace work. She was presented this award for her work as the Coordinator of Community Life and Justice at Luther Place Church in Washington, D.C., where she works with the Steinbruck Center for Urban Studies, the interfaith and social justice ministry of Luther Place. Their mission is to connect local, national, and international social justice issues through a framework of education, reflection, courageous action, and critical consciousness. Her work involves creating opportunities for mutual transformation, specifically within the Luther Place & N Street Village community (N Street Village is a shelter for women experiencing homelessness started by the Luther Place). Kristen leads and facilitates Luther Place’s involvement with Washington Interfaith Network, currently organizing for social change around the issues of affordable housing and living wage jobs to manifest peace through justice in the District. As an activist she loves cooking, poetry, and transforming what is perceived as junk into art, especially when she can bring a group together that generally would not gather to cook, perform poetry, and create art. Started in 1963, the Washington Peace Center is a grassroots organization working for peace, justice and social change. For more about the award, visit http://washingtonpeacecenter.net Child Sexual Abuse Vistion of Hope Fund supports prevention projects By The Pennsylvania coalition against rape The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) founded the Vision of Hope Fund in 2005 to invest in the prevention of child sexual abuse. Each year, PCAR grants up to $50,000 to support effective prevention projects in Pennsylvania and throughout the country to engage adults in protecting children and to create safer environments for children. PCAR does this with funds raised from donors who believe child sexual abuse must end. By speaking up and taking action when something doesn’t seem right and investing in programs that teach adults to protect children from abuse by doing the same, donors are saving children from the pain and devastation of child sexual abuse. Donations to the Vision of Hope Fund have supported projects including: • HERO Project: The fund supports this statewide multi-media campaign designed to educate and motivate adults to call the 24-hour HERO hotline (1-877-874-HERO, in Pennsylvania only) if they suspect a child is being sexually abused. The hotline connects callers to trained sexual assault counselors who can provide information about child sexual abuse, feedback about suspicions, and guidance about next steps the caller should take to keep the child safe. • Expect Respect-bullying education: Schools and community agencies in several Pennsylvania counties are implementing the Expect Respect program which promotes healthy relationships in teens, creates an inclusive space for teen survivors of violence and a change in community-level social norms. • Mandated reporter training: Network of Victims Assistance in Bucks County, PA, developed and implemented a comprehensive training curriculum and trainer’s guide for educating mandated reporters about the signs and symptoms of child sexual abuse. • Internet safety programs: The fund supported a series of hands-on workshops that addressed the dangers of Internet predators, safety within social networking sites and monitoring home computer usage to protect children from exposure to pornography and sexual solicitation. • Children’s therapy: The fund provided Pennsylvania’s 51 rape crisis centers with art supplies to help children communicate their stories of abuse and move forward in their healing process. ANNUAL GALA The annual gala and auction is March 31 at the Hershey Lodge in Hershey, PA. To attend the gala or make a donation to support efforts to end child sexual abuse, visit www.visionofhopefund.org Promoting Healthy Sexuality Documentary reveals online innocence Do you believe in digital love? Check out Nancy Schwartzman’s short documentary xoxosms that is streaming for free at www.xoxosmsfilm.org “There’s so much emphasis on the negative aspects of online interactions, I wanted to show the innocence and intimacy that can develop organically between young people on sites like Tumblr and Facebook,” says Schwartzman. Schwartzman adds, “February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, so we felt it was important to show something sweet and authentic for Valentine’s Day.” WATCH IT ONLINE Visit www.xoxosmsfilm.org Circle of 6 app focuses on preventing rape Nancy Schwartzman of The Line Campaign, collaborated with Deb Levine of ISIS-Inc., Christine Corbett Moran and Thomas Cabus to create the Circle of 6 iPhone app for college-aged students and their friends to stay close, stay safe, and prevent violence before it happens. Circle of 6, one of the two White House Challenge winning mobile phone applications, employs innovative uses of text, email and social media, and offers users quick and easy access to emergency assistance and dating violence and abuse resources. CHECK IT OUT Visit www.facebook.com/Circleof6 SHARE YOUR NEWS Are you working on innovative ways to talk about sexual violence and prevention? Tell us about what you’re working on. Email us at resources@nsvrc.org STAY CONNECTED. CHECK US OUT ONLINE. Read the latest news and information online at www.nsvrc.org Post your event on our national calendar at www.nsvrc.org/calendar View new resources at www.nsvrc.org/publications Find Sexual Assault Awareness Month info at www.nsvrc.org/saam National Sexual Assault Conference Coming Up This August, let's Revive, Rethink, Reclaim in Chicago By Sean Black, Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault The Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault is pleased to invite you to attend the 2012 National Sexual Assault Conference (NSAC) on Aug. 22-24, at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers in Chicago, IL. The annual conference will showcase plenaries and workshops that provide the inspiration and tools to revive, rethink and reclaim the anti-sexual assault movement. So come stroll the Magnificent Mile, walk the Lake Michigan beachfront, meander through the Art Institute, eat and eat some more. Enjoy the magnificent city of Chicago as we learn innovative and exciting methods to move the anti-rape movement forward toward the ultimate goal of ending sexual violence. Registration is available at www.icasa.org. For information, call 217-753-4117 or use the contact form at www.icasa.org. The conference is co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. ABOUT NSAC 2012 • When: August 22-24; registration opens at 5 p.m. on August 21 • Where: Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers • Information: www.icasa.org • On Twitter: @NSAC_2012 For updates on the national conference, visit www.nsvrc.org/nsac WHEN DISASTER STRIKES LEND A HAND, HEAL A HEART Relief Fund for Sexual Assault Victims 100% of donations help sexual assault victims in disaster areas Visit www.nsvrc.org/relief-fund