You are listening to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center Just Rural Podcast Series that highlights innovative programs and success stories from rural communities across the United States.


This is Cyndi Simpson, Rural Project Specialist with the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. This interview was recorded on Thursday, June 10th, 2010 with Ms. Barbara Booth of the Community Students Learning Center in Lexington, Mississippi, a Rural Grantee agency of the Office on Violence Against Women. The Community Students Learning Center is implementing a mentoring and peer support program to end intimate partner sexual violence among teens.


So if you’d like to share something out of your work, a story, an event, a happening that really has stood out for you as a success that would be great.


As a part of reaching out through the partners and our communities we formed partnerships through the Community Student Learning Center with law enforcement, the local school district and communities and also faith-based leaders. What has occurred is that conversation, discussion, implementation of activities, ideas and projects have gone forth that allow students to interact and have a voice in the community and whenever there is a need in our community someone is available to address the need or refer the person to the right resource.


Could you talk a little bit about how the students have become empowered through your project? What is it that they do?


Some of the students serve as mentors themselves, advocates themselves and what they’ll do if they’re not sure of what resource is available then they’ll get in contact with an adult mentor or advocate such as yours truly and we’ll make the right connection through that process.


So it sounds like you have students really helping other students around these issues.


Exactly. We found that the most effective tool is a student or a friend helping a friend because students won’t talk to adults sometimes what they will discuss with their peers, the issues and the adults will then be able to refer the student to the right resource.


If you could talk a little more about exactly how your programs works in terms of like how the students get educated. We don’t need to include this question in there. That is why I'm kind of going on at length. Sort of how it looks, kind of like what happens if you know, like how the students get educated and what kind of things they’re talking to their peers about because your program is unique among rural grantees.


Well what happens is the students receive training, training about recognizing the signs of abuse and healthy relationships and they do that through individuals going into the school systems who are assigned through the Community Student Learning Center. We have personnel, Miss Friar and yours truly and I'm a unique position in that I actually work fulltime in the school systems and so that allows me to have contact with students. They are able to walk up to me and just have a casual conversation and share information without others knowing what’s going on and that’s sort of what happens. We have some young men who are a – well several young men who are very outgoing and the young ladies trust them and they’ll relay information to the young men and the young men know to come to a resource person such as myself to share the information. We also have clergy who are involved in the process as well.


And once a student might be referred what would sort of happen at that point? Like if you – when you hear about a student who might be in need of support or intervention what would then happen?


A part of policy is that because I am a person who is required to report anything legally to the systems, what has occurred – so I just disclose that information first to the student so they can be comfortable and if there is a situation that I think deems law enforcement we ask law enforcement to assist us with their processes. We also work with the Department of Human Services. There are a vast number of network partners who we will contact. There is also a form that we use through the Learning Center for interview processes if necessary. Sometimes we find that parents don’t feel comfortable disclosing that information, written information, but they will verbally share it and I'll take it from that point.


Could you tell me one particular incident or experience that really has stood out for you as very positive?
One incident where we networked with law enforcement was a case of two sisters and a brother who were being sexually assaulted by a family member. It was reported. We in turn reported it to the right authorities, law enforcement, agents, etcetera. The person was prosecuted and is actively serving a sentence as a result of the networking that took place though this and the children are receiving counseling, ongoing counseling for their needs as well.


Yes, I was going to ask about the outcome for them.


In fact, the student, the oldest sibling requests for me to come over to the school and talk to her from time to time and so
it’s an ongoing relationship because sometimes she wants to vent is basically what she likes. She needs someone, a shoulder to lean on and so we’re that supportive force for her.


And what does doing this work mean for you?


Well this work means for me – actually it’s not work to me. It’s a life experience. It’s a part of my calling in that I serve as an evangelist through my church and my calling is to serve the needs of our communities that I see that are lacking and it’s not a job. It’s a life work. It’s a part of my ministry. That is what I do in my ministry and it’s not a requirement. It’s just something that I feel in my heart that God is telling me to do and so I'm just responding to what he has assigned me to do. This is my assignment, so it’s not a job.


Thank you very much. Thank you for sharing.


Thank you.


This project was supported by grant number 2009-TA-AX-K042, awarded by The Office on Violence Against Women, US Department of Justice. The opinions, the findings, conclusions and recommendations expressed in this program are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence against Women. For more information on our Rural Project visit www.nsvrc.org.