The Resource. www.nsvrc.org National Sexual Violence Resource Center Founded by the Pennslvania Coalition Against Rape 2011 Newsletter NSVRC The NSVRC invites your comments: The Resource/NSVRC 123 North Enola Drive Enola, PA 17025 Toll Free: (877) 739-3895 Email: resources@nsvrc.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/nsvrc Twitter: www.twitter.com/nsvrc The Resource Editor: Jessica Cavey, communications Specialist Layout and Design: Tracy Cox, communications Director NSVRC Director: Karen Baker, LMSW, PCAR VP, Resources 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, Vice Chair, Boston, MA Robert Franklin, MS, Richmond, VA Grace Mattern, Concord, NH Jessica Mindlin, JD, Portland, OR Strong Oak, LICSW, Greenfield, MA Mary Onama, MSW, LSW, chair, Norristown, PA Paula Orlosky, MA, Atlanta, GA 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 #5VF1CE001751-02 from the Centers of 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. Contributors to The Resource Alisa Klein serves as the Public Policy Consultant to the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (www.atsa.com). She has also served as a consultant to the CDC's Rape Prevention and Education Program, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, and local and state sexual assault coalitions and programs. She has worked as a victim advocate and educator in a rape crisis center, and is a survivor of child sexual abuse. Kim Lonsway currently serves as the Research Director for EVAW International. She earned her doctorate in psychology and has worked for almost 20 years in the filed of sexual violence, conducting original research, training practitioners, and authoring numerous books, articles, and reports. Joanne Archambault worked for the San Diego Police Department for over 22 years, the last 10 of which were spent supervising the Sex Crimes Unit. After retiring in 2002, she founded End Violence Against Women (EVAW) International and currently serves as Executive Director. She also provides training and expert consultation through Sexual Assault Training and Investigations, Inc. Brad Perry started at the Viginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance in 2000. He provides training and technical assistance to primary prevention initiatives throughout Virfinia, and is the editor of the Moving Upstream newsletter. he has also collaborated with the Division of Violence Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vairous projects related to primary sexual violence prevention. In his spare time, Brad plays drums in a touring punk band, and spends time with his wife and their friends in Charlotte, VA. Grace Mattern is the Executive Director of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, where she has worked for the past 28 years. she is actively involved with public policy and systems advocacy to promote effective community interventions in response to domestic and sexual violence and coordinates a statewide network of programs that assist victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. Celebrating 10 years of shared growth The National Sexual violence Resource Center (NSVRC) celebrated its tenth "birthday" in 2010. Although much work remains in order to accomplish our shared mission; there are also many things to celebrate. We are especially appreciateive of the many partnerships and friendships we have formed during the past decade and all the resources and expertise you have generously share with us. When we opened in July 2000, the NSVRC's library shelves were bare, our staff was green (in the "new" sense) and we could keep up with our email and faxes each day. now we have over 30,000 resource in our library; have responded to over 21,000 requests for technical assistance; rarely use the fax machine, but communicate in more ways with more people than we ever imagined possible; and when our staff talk about "green" now they mean recycling and composting. In 2000 there was no nationally shared month, color, of theme for Sexual Assault Awareness Month; little focus on primary prevention; and we had not yet heard of podcasts, bloggin, or social media. We may have even still used an occasional map or telephone book. Throughout ourthenth anniversary events we asked our friends and collegues to help identify trends and areas of progress in sexual violence prevention during the past decade. Some of the themes included: adult responsibility for preventing child sexual abuse; engaging men in the movement; culturally and linguistically appropriate approaches; evidence-informed practice; partnerships with sex offender treatment and management programs; focus on sustainability of services, programs and funding; bystander intervention; and blending feminist and social justice philosophies with public health and primary prevention solutions. Together we are building stronger communities and a better world. We look forward to the next 10 years and additional opportunities to work with you to prevent sexual violence. Picture of tree made from paper leaves. Caption reads: Open House attendees jotted down their favorite NSVRC milestone and added to our anniversary tree. Above, the leaves summarize events/milestones of the past 10 years. The Resource Welcome Director's Viewpoint Social networking is a phenomenal advocacy tool. NSVRC learned that in interactions with the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) in recent months. Starting around Thanksgiving, with little warning, TSA implemented some new security procedures including advanced imagin technology and enhanced pat-downs. Many travelers felt violated, particularly survivors of sexual assault. In addition to raising questions and concerns, this situation also presented opportunities for public discussions about trauma. It also demonstrated the power of social networking, as a chain of events quickly unfolded. First, a friend of one of our staff members raised the issue on Facebook. We began researching the facts, posing questions and hearing individual stories of recent travel experiences. Clearly the new procedures, though necessary for certain resons, were traumatizing many travelers. NSVRC issued a press release calling for a halt to the new procedures and raising concerns expressed to us by survivors. A Twitter link to the press release was picked up by CNN, prompting them to call NSVRC for an interview. Shortly after that story posted, TSA invited us, and a few other advocacy organizations, to participate in a conference call. Since then, we have had several phone calls with TSA; issued a second press release to clarify some of the confusion; and provided them with training tips, to make the pat-down procedures as respectful and professional as possible for all passengers. In January, I was invited to the TSA headquarters in Washinton, D.C., to meet with their administrators, trainers, civil rights and disability rights representatives; and to critique a demonstration of vairous types of pat-down procedures. NSVRC continues to urge the TSA to move as quickly as possible to finding technological solutions to the security challenges they face; making sure thos technologies respect the dignity and privacy of passengers; and to avoid using the hands-on pat-down procedures whenever possible. I encourage travelers to review the TSA website - www.tsa.gove - as there is a lot of interesting and useful information available, including ways to minimize chances of being subjected to a pat-down, and how to register a complaint or grievance in the event of a bad experience. Please let us know if you have specific concerns that you would like us to discuss with TSA. The NSVRC's statement about TSA prcedures was the most effective press release we have issued, and I credit social media for promoting the issue. It's a great advocacy tool! Preventing sexual violence demands creative thinking By Alisa Klein The complex task of preventing sexual violence before it is perpetrated demands createive thinking. This we know. The pernicious and intimate nature of sexual assulat of both adults and children, and the challenges we in the sexual violence prevention field face in achieving a true reduction in numbers of people harmed by sexual violence, behoove us to constantly explore new ideas and examine what may be our missteps or blind spots. We struggle to make sense of a seemingly paradoxical social environment. On one hand we see an ever-expanding trend to sexualize children and women. On the other hand, we witness societal outrage over child sexual abuse and adult sexual assault. As advocates, we are charged with crafing policy, practices, and programs that address societal fears, compulsions, and behaviors while simultaneously encouraging individuals, families, communities, the media, and plicymakers to involve themselves in, and effectuate, the prevention of all forms of sexual violence. Using the terms of public health, the application of artful secondary and tertiary prevention techniques (i.e. after the harm has already been perpetrated) can inform our ability to be successful in the primary prevention realm. That is to say, how we respond to the people who case harm can create societal incentives to prevent sexual harm. in this article, I'd like to attempt to lay out some logic and call for a shift in policy around how we, as a society, respond to sexual violence and sex offenders in order to create the societal and cultural motivation necessary to prevent sexual abuse and promote optimal healing for all involved. The role of the media and sex offender policies The influence that media sources have on the public’s perception of social issues is well known. The corresponding public policies that are legislated and implemented to manage a social problem are also formed, in part, by the media coverage of these problems. Sexual violence is no exception. Despite researchers’ and advocates’ call for “objective news coverage and dissemination of information [as] one of the most powerful tools in reducing the pervasive problem of violence against women,” (Carll, 2003) we know that many of the stories the media tell about sexual violence is about perpetrators, not about victims or, how to prevent it. This in turn, has everything to do with people’s understanding of sexual violence, and how our policymakers attempt to address this social problem. In a 2007 article analyzing the effects of current sex offender policy, social workers and academics Trish McCulloch and Lynn Kelly assert that “media representations of sex offenders have become the primary standards by which the public and policymakers base decisions on issues of crime and justice” (McCulloch & Kelly, 2007, p. 9). Further complicating the sexual violence policy arena, media sources tend to focus on not just any sex offender, but those who have committed the most heinous of sexual crimes. Through its frequent portrayal of situations in which the offender is not known to the victim, the media bears responsibility for misleading the public about where the danger of sexual abuse more commonly exists, in situations in which the perpetrator is known to the victim. Writes, sociologist, and criminal justice expert Michelle Meloy, “Traditional media outlets and 24-hour news channels create a panic atmosphere by sensationalizing ‘stranger danger’ sex crimes” (Meloy, 2005, p 231). In fact, we know that in the case of child sexual abuse, 93 percent of victims know the person who abused them; 34.2 percent of perpetrators are family members and 58.7 percent are acquaintances such as neighbors, friends of family, teachers, and others individuals connected to both the victim, and often the victim’s family (Snyder, 2000). In situations of adult sexual assault, up to 90 percent of victims knew the offender as an acquaintance, friend, relative, or intimate (Tjaden & Thoennes, 1998; Rennison, 2002; Lievore, 2003). We also know that between 10 and 14 percent of rapes occur within marriage or other cohabiting relationships (Mahoney, 1998) and that rape within marriages accounts for approximately 25 percent of all rapes (Randall & Haskings, 1995; Resnick, Kilpatrick, Walsh, & Vernonen, 1991). What does this mean for the prevention of sexual violence? These close connections between the victim and the perpetrator likely have much to do with the fact that sexual assault continues to be the single most underreported crime in the United States (Rennison & Rand, 2003). Adult victims of sexual assault report rapes to police in only 16 percent of cases (Kilpatrick, Edmunds, & Seymour, 1992) and child sexual abuse is reported to the authorities in only 12 percent of cases (Hanson, Resnick, Saunders, Kilpatrick, & Best,1999). Research indicates that the closer the victim is to the person who has harmed them, the less likely the assault is to be reported (Bridges, 1991). Not only are victims not reporting incidents of sexual assault, but others close to them are not coming forward to report abuse or trying to get assistance for victims and/or abusers. Could the lack of reporting have something to do with the media stories about who sex offenders are? Does media coverage deter reporting incidents of sexual assault? Jenny Kitzinger, a professor of Media and Communications Research who examines the representation of child sexual abuse in the media, asserts that even though people may know that sex offenders are not just creepy men in overcoats, they “admit they would find it very hard to believe allegations made against anyone who was part of their own social circle” (Kitzinger, 2004, p 129). If abusers are family members, boyfriends, colleagues, community members, church members and school staff, wouldn’t it be harder to believe they are like the predators portrayed in the news and on internet sex offender registries? What kind of shame might it bring upon the victim and his or her family and community to admit that a family member, partner, coach, or friend is a “monster” or “predator” as sex offenders tend to be portrayed in the media? How would it feel to a victim and the people around her or him to rely on the criminal justice system that doesn’t necessarily contribute to the healing of those hurt by sexual abuse or to the stability, support and management necessary to the offender to keep him or her from reoffending in the future? As advocates and “preventionists” we need to ask ourselves how a shift in the media’s discussion of sexual violence might contribute to our ability as a society to keep sexual abuse from being perpetrated. What kind of information and sex offender policies would encourage increased reporting of sexual assaults and the primary prevention of sexual violence? Accuracy, accountability, effective management and “de-monsterization” The time has come for us as a society to move beyond the outrage, fear and repulsion we feel toward people who cause sexual harm. Only then, can we reliably assess the risk they pose and design and implement policies effective for keeping communities safe. According to Suzanne Brown-McBride, former Executive Director of the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault, “The anger we feel does not necessarily correlate with the risk posed by known sex offenders to offend again.” Moving beyond our outrage does not negate the anger, hurt, desire for accountability and, perhaps, punishment we may feel toward sex offenders. However, the methods by which we use those intense emotions and the policies put into place are essential to not just preventing recidivism of known sex offenders, but also can encourage community engagement in preventing sexual assault. Recognizing that sex offenders are not a group of “monsters” the media and current sex offender policy has portrayed them to be is a necessary element for primary prevention. Knowing that the people who cause sexual harm are the people we know and possibly even love is an important step toward figuring out what kind of education is needed to reduce the risk factors for abusive sexual behavior. It can help us to examine and change the cultural and societal norms and practices that contribute to not only risk factors for sexual abuse on the individual level, but within policy and institutional practices that convey and sanction, obliquely and openly, the acceptability and inevitability of sexual exploitation and abuse. If we acknowledge our responsibility and love for not just the potential victims of sexual violence, but those who are at risk to perpetrate it, we will be motivated to intervene before they perpetrate and before they develop risk factors for perpetration. If we create sex offender policies that are humane, logical, and effective for public safety, we will be more inclined to come forward to seek help for the people we love who may be at risk to perpetrate sexual harm. If we no longer demonize sex offenders, and recognize sexual violence as a societal issue for which we all have responsibility, we can create solutions and shift norms and policies that can effectively prevent sexual abuse. 1 From a conversation with Suzanne Brown-McBride on September 4, 2009. References Bridges, J. S. (1991). Perceptions of date and stranger rape: A difference in sex role expectations and rape-supportive beliefs. Sex Roles, 24, 291-307. doi:10.1007/BF00288303 Carll, E. K. (2003). News portrayal of violence and women: Implications for public policy. American Behavioral Scientist, 46, 1601-1610. doi: 10.1177/0002764203254616 Hanson, R. F., Resnick, H. S., Saunders, B. E., Kilpatrick, D. G., & Best, C. L., (1999). Factors related to the reporting of childhood rape. Child Abuse and Neglect, 23, 559-569. doi:10.1016/S0145-2134(99)00028-9 Kilpatrick, D. G., Edmunds, C. N., & Seymour, A. K. (1992). Rape in America: A report to the nation. Arlington, VA: National Victim Center. Retrieved from the Medical University of South Carolina: http://www.musc.edu/ncvc/resources_prof/rape_in_america.pdf Kitzinger, J. (2004). Framing abuse: Media influence and public understanding of sexual violence against children. London, England: Pluto Press. Lievore, D., (2003). Non-reporting and hidden recording of sexual assault: An international literature review. Retrieved from Australian Institute of Criminology for the Commonwealth Office of the Status of Women: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/D/4/6/%7BD4631AC0-2DDC-4729-AD3C-8A69DF33BA65%7D2003-06-review.pdf Mahoney P., & Williams L. (1998). Sexual assault in marriage: Prevalence, consequences, and treatment of wife rape. In J. Jasinski & L. Williams (Eds.), Partner violence: A comprehensive review of 20 years of research (pp. 116 – 133). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. McCulloch, T., & Kelly, L. (2007). Working with sex offenders in context: Which way forward? Probation Journal, 54,7-21. doi:10.1177/0264550507073324 Meloy, M. L. (2005). The sex offender next door: An analysis of recidivism, risk factors and deterrence of sex offenders on probation. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 16, 211-236. doi:10.1177/0887403404270601 Randall, M., & Haskings, L. (1995). Sexual violence in women’s lives. Violence Against Women, 1, 6-31. doi:10.1177/1077801295001001002 Rennison, C. M., (2002). Criminal Victimization 2001, Changes 2000-01 with Trends 1993-2001 (NCJ 194610). Retrieved from U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv01.pdf Rennison, C. M., & Rand, M. R. (2003). Criminal victimization, 2002 (NCJ 199994). Retrieved from U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv02.pdf Resnick, H., Kilpatrick, D., Walsh, C., & Vernonen, L. (1991). Marital rape. In R. Ammerman & M. Herson (Eds.), Case studies in family violence (pp. 329-53). New York, NY: Plenum Press. Snyder, H. N. (2000). Sexual Assault of Young Children as Reported to Law Enforcement: Victim, Incident, and Offender Characteristics (NCJ 182990). Retrieved from U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/saycrle.pdf Tjaden, P., & Thoennes, N. (1998). Prevalence, incidence, and consequences of violence against women: Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey (NCJ 172837). Retrieved from U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/172837.pdf Barnhill honored for building bridges between victim advocacy and sex offender management By Tracy Cox NSVRC Communications Director The National Sexual Violence Resource Center and the Association for the Tretment of Sexual Abusers presented Elizabeth Barnhill, Executive Director of the Iowa Colaition Against Sexual Assault, with the first annual Gail Burns-Smith Awared during the National Sexual Assault Conference in Los Angeles and again in October at the ATSA conference in Phoenix. This award, jointly sponsored by ATSA and NSVRC, is named in honor of Gail Burns-Smith (1946-2009) who strengthened the partnership between advocates in the sexual violence prevention field and those working in the areas of sex offender management and treatment. Building on Burns-Smith's work, Barnhill continues to forge effective partnerships between advocates who work on behalf of victims and thos who work with and treat sex offenders. As, Executive Director of Iowa CASA for over 20 years, she serves on numberous state boards and committees related to victim advocacy and sex offender management. She is a founding member of the Iowa Board for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers. Call for nominations for 2011 Gail Burns-Smith Award This award recognizes thos preventing sexual violence through facilitating partnerships between victim advocates and those working in the area of sex offender management and treatment. Nominations are due April 30. Visit www.nsvrc.org/gbs-award. EVAW's online training touts coordinated community response By Kim Lonsway and Joanne Archambault For those who may not have already heard, End Violence Against Women (EVAW) International hosts the On-Line Training Institute (OLTI), a state-of-the-art training tool for professionals involved in the criminal justice and community response to sexual assault. The OLTI is availabe at: www.evawintl.org. The emphasis is on sexual assaults that are committed against an adult or adolescent by someone who is known by the victim (i.e., a non-stranger). Training content is primarily focused on the techniques for successful law enforcement investigation and prosecution, as well as coordinated community response (e.g., Sexual Assault Response and Resource Teams). it is particularly beneficial for anyone who provides assistance for sexual assault victims within the context of the criminal justice system. Training is designed for professionals in a wide range of fields, such as victim advocacy, law enforcement, prosecution, victim-witness assistance, health care, forensic medicine, mental health, social services, probation/parole, judiciary, armed forces, research, and higher education. End Violence Against Women (EVAW) International is a non-profit organization working to improve the criminal justice and community responses to violence against women. EVAWI provides education, training, and research, promoting the type of multidisciplinary collaboration that enables responding professionals to better support victims and hold offenders accountable. EVAWI also fosters effective prefention programs, all toward the vision of eliminating violence against women. The Training Modules The OLTI currently offers 12 training modules for registered participants. They are: -Effective victim advocacy within the criminal justice system: A training course for victim advocates -Sexual Assault Response and Resource Teams (SARRT): A guide for rural and remote communitites -sustaining a coordinated community response: Sexual Assault Response and Resource Teams (SARRT) -False reports: Moving beyond the issue to successfully investigate and prosecute non-stranger sexual assault -Dynamics: what does sexual assault really look like? -Victim impact: How do sexual assault victims respond? -Preliminary investigation: Guidelines for first responders -Law and investigative strategy: What kind of sexual assault is this? -Interviewing the victim: Techniques based on the real dynamics of sexual assault -Effective repot writing: Using the language of non-consensual sex -Reporting methods for sexual assault cases -Clearance methods for sexual assault cases OLTI participants work through these modules by reading information and then applying newly acquired knowledge in realistic and interactive scenarios, as well as assessment methods such as quizzes, tests, and case studies. Training modules vary in length ranging from 1-10 hours. After successfully passing an end-of-course test, OLTI participants receive a personalized certificate that can then be used to apply for continuing education units (CEUs). Getting Started OLTI registration is simple - it takes only a few moments and asks you to provide basic information about yourself, including an email address. Because the OLTI was developed for professionals in rural and remote communities, the technical requirements are minimal. Participants will need an internet accessible computer with basic system requirements for hardware, software and setup. More information is available on the OLTI website, as well as a browser test to make sure computers are properly equipped. After the registration process, users will be able to enroll in a free introductory module, Effective report writing: Using the language of non-consensual sex. this module offers recommendations for using language that accurately depicts the reality of sexual assault as it is described by victims - rather than conveying an image of consensual sex that does not match their experience. The critical importance of this lesson is conveyed by Detective Catherin Johnson of the Sex Crimes Unit of the Kansas City Police Department. Johnson syas: "I wanted to begin by telling you I have completed the first training course offererd by EVAW. I enjoyed the course and look forward to taking additional courses as my budget allows. I have noticed a HUGE change in the way I interview victims as well as how I formulate my reports. I had not given a tremendous amount of thought to the way certain phrases can allude to consent until I took this course. Thank you for offering it!" Who uses the training and what they say about it The value of the training is demonstrated by the number and diversity of individuals who have registered for the OLTI. For example, 1,329 professionals had registered for the OLTI as of September 2010. These individuals represented all 50 states and severla U.S. Territories and Protectorates. More information is found in the responses of these OLTI registrants to several open-ended evaluation questions. to illustrate, these are a few of the responses that participants described as the "most valuable" aspect of the OLTI module on effective report writing: -"Well written and the points were very clear. The real life examples from a case report were helpful." -"It points out the clarity and use of descriptive words that can have an impact on victim's outcome at trial." -"I think it was all valuable. While I am an advocate and not an officer, it helps me understand how to speak with sexual assault victims and make them more comfortable." When asked about new concepts or techniques that they could apply to their jobs, OLTI participants offered a wide range of possibiliteis. A few examples: -"To take more time in understanding all reports and make my victims feel more believable." -"I will read reports more thoroughly and ask for clarification from officers." -"When helping with protection orders, I will ask better questions for affidavit." -"As a supervisor, I will have a good refresher of what will constitute a well-written report." -"How our own fears or perceptions can be put into a report and give a projection based on our feelings and not what happened." -"Getting advocates on board earlier, translators available..." -"I work with a wide range of diverse people. the questions you offer as possible questions I can ask to further gain the turst of people that have been victimized." Training Costs Beyond the free, introductory module, other OLTI modules can be purchased individually for $50. In addition, agencies registering 30 or more people will receive a discount of $25 off the price of each sale of 6 modules. With this group discount the price of six modules is $175 - an average of $29 per course. If you compare this with the cost of attending person-to-person trainings, you can begin to see the cost effectiveness of the OLTI. Another options is to find out if your community has a Rural or STOP Grant from the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). If so, you may be able to use the Technical Assistance (TA) funds from that grant to register for the OLTI. This specific use of TA Funds has already been preapproved by OVW. In fact, you are strongly encouraged by OVW to use your available resources to register professionals for the OLTI. Also, discounts are available for bulk registrations. Bulk registrations can be purchased then offered as scholarships to multidisciplinary professionals throughout a region. For example, Captain Mike Hold in Jackson, Tenn., purchased 30 OLTI registrations. He was so pleased with the response among participating professionals - and impressed with the impact of training on community response - that he purchased a second set of bulk registrations. Continue education Some professionals can even earn continueing education units for OLTI training. At the time Capt. Hold purchased his first set of OLTI registrations, online training was not recognized by the state's accrediting body for law enforcement training. However, he did not stop there. Instead, he worked collaboratively with teh staff of EVAW International, until the OLTI was certified by the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission as the first accredited online training curriculum. Law enforcement officers in the state of Tennessee can now earn continuing education credits for successful completion of OLTI training modules. This parntership clearly offers a model for successful work in other communities. More online For more information about EVAW International and the OLTI, visit www.evawintl.org. New study reveals how people think about sexual violence By Karen Baker, NSVRC Director The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) is partnering with The FrameWorks Institute to research how the U.S. public is currently thinking about sexual violence. The FrameWorks Institute has conducted similar research on other complex topics. Recognizing that there is more than one way to tell a story, FrameWorks’ approach investigates cultural understandings of complex social problems, and studies the effects that different framing strategies have on public understanding. The result is an evidence-based set of communications strategies that have been shown, through a variety of research methods, to improve public understanding of issues. When we, as advocates, communicate about sexual violence, we often assume that lay audiences hear what we are saying in the way we intend. But the fact is, we are communicating to a public with a host of preconceptions and patterns of reasoning that can easily hijack our message. We know that individuals have unique sets of filters by which they understand information, given factors such as gender, age, cultural, spiritual and political beliefs, etc. There are also a host of cultural models, or patterns of reasoning and assumptions about how society works, that are shared by people within cultures, regardless of their particular characteristics. These are the models that FrameWorks researchers uncover and make visible when they explore a particular topic - in this case sexual violence. This multi-year project is in its early stage and already yielding fascinating information. The first phase, conducted in 2010, involved interviewing experts in sexual violence prevention as well as members of the general public. The differences in how these two groups think about and understand sexual violence was then analyzed and documented. The list of experts, provided by NSVRC, was reflective of many diverse aspects of our field including victim advocacy, specific populations, public health and primary prevention. There was a great deal of similarity in the ways that these experienced professionals defined sexual violence, described its causes, and talked about perpetrators, victims, and prevention strategies. Likewise, there was considerable consistency in how the public understood sexual violence;and yet there were marked differences in the stories told by the two groups. Our goal in this first phase was to “map the gap” – exploring the nature and degree of discrepancy between what experts know and what the public believes about sexual violence. Later research will provide communication strategies and tools to help bridge that gap. This will allow the public to more readily access information known to experts, thereby building more understanding, public support, and cooperation in implementing effective prevention initiatives. The largest discrepancy noted between the two groups pertains to the cause and scope of sexual violence. Experts talked about the cultural and societal contexts that permit and encourage sexual violence – concepts such as sexism, racism, homophobia, and other forms of oppression that permit one group to feel superior to, and ultimately exploit, another. Experts talked about the role that media and advertisers play in setting a climate that normalizes the objectification of women and children. In marked contrast, the general public thinks of sexual violence as flaws or failings within individual people. They believe that perpetrators are people with “bad wiring” who are morally corrupt, and who likely got that way through bad parenting and poor upbringing. The public advocates for severe punishments for, and isolation of, perpetrators, but are unable to think of any prevention strategies. A few messages that advocates have been working hard to impart to the public over the last several years have been heard, but not always as we intended. For instance, the public clearly understands that most victims of sexual violence know the perpetrators. But this knowledge does not change the view of who they think perpetrators are. It does not lead them to picture their neighbor, coworker, favorite athlete, or local babysitter; but rather causes them to think that victims of sexual violence must know unsavory people (further distancing them from identifying with a survivor). If perpetrators are evil, creepy, out-of-control predators who are easily identified, then potential victims, they reason, must be hanging around the wrong crowd. The general public has clearly heard and internalized, on some level, that victim-blaming is wrong. Many people made com-ments along these lines: “I would never, ever blame the victim. It is absolutely not EVER their fault – no way!” But then almost imme-diately followed that thought with another, contradictory one, “But … maybe they should have paid more attention to their surroundings, how they were dressed, and who they were hanging out with.” The type of open-ended inter-views that FrameWorks conducted with citizens allowed people to talk for long periods of time and allowed researchers to assess how they think about the issue – how they connect one idea to another. Perhaps a more directed interview with structured questions, or short answers, could lead us to believe that people understand what we mean by victim-blaming. But the more they talked, the more we learned that there are still deep-seated tendencies to, at least in part, hold victims accountable. Simply continuing to repeat the basic message will likely not deepen people’s understanding. Another discrepancy between the two groups reveals problems with some of the terms that we use to discuss this complex set of issues. Experts clearly understand sexual violence to be a broad continuum of behaviors including physical and non-physical acts and varying degrees of emotional and physical harm. The public, however, has a much narrower view of the term “sexual violence.” They struggle with the use of the term violence to mean anything short of broken bones and spilled blood. They also clearly associate the notion of consent, or lack thereof, with sexual violence. In cases where consent is very clearly denied, they are quick to identify the behaviors as constituting sexual violence. However, where consent is less clear, perhaps not explicitly verbalized, or initially given and later withdrawn, the public becomes confused and reluctant to label the act as being sexually violent. When asked about sexual violence, citizens do not typically think about child sexual abuse or other situations where consent is not even possible. The purpose of this initial phase of research was to understand the degree and nature of gaps between experts’ understanding and the public perception of sexual violence. One challenging part is that some of the cultural models that are uppermost in the public’s mind include assumptions about individual responsibility, which they apply to both perpetrators and victims. In other words, the public has a limited view of perpetrators as bad people with serious character flaws; and they often see victims as weak or vulnerable people who are also perhaps making some poor decisions.Another dominant model is the frequently employed assumption that parents are the only significant influence on children’s development.These common assumptions represent obstacles for our communicationsabout primary prevention. The encouraging data, however, reveals that there are some other cultural models that are currently less accessible to people when reasoning about sexual violence, but which do allow them to expand their thinking and begin to conceptualize more broadly about causes and solutions. Some of these secondary cultural models involve ideas such as “community responsibility” where people actively look out for one another and create a more positive sense of connectedness; and “the ripple effect” which allows people to appreciate how specific acts have far-reaching consequences and involve many others. These secondary patterns of thinking will require some deliberate activation; they do not automatically crop up in typical conversations about sexual violence. Later stages of the research will experiment with communication strategies that have the potential of cueing those more productive patterns of reasoning. Virginia 'Yes' campaign aims to change the future with prevention tools By Brad Perry, Sexual Violence Prevention Coordinator, Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance If you've ever done sexual violence prevention work in communitites, then you've undoubtedly come up against a few conceptual hurdles. Foremost among them tends to be the confusion around what "prevention" means. In Virginia, we’ve pushed for an emphasis on primary prevention in all of our prevention efforts at both the local and statewide levels. This means developing and implementing programs focused on reducing or eliminating the first-time perpetration of sexual violence (SV), figuring out what factors make some people more at-risk to perpetrate SV, and changing or interrupting those factors. There’s more to it than that, but there it is in very simple terms. If you’re able to get community partners, allied professionals, and coworkers to wrap their heads around that premise, then the next question will inevitably be: “But how do you expect to accomplish this lofty goal of stopping people from choosing to perpetrate sexual violence?” It’s a fair question, and it’s one we’ve all had to answer countless times. As such, we decided to develop a campaign to answer this question in a concise and engaging manner, while framing prevention work as achievable and exciting. We spent a year brainstorming ideas and creating materials to share this “prevention brand.” Our rally cry for this project is: “YES — Changing the future with fresh ideas and effective tools.” We created a “recipe card for prevention” to go along with the YES brand (it fit our theme of making prevention fun and easier to understand). We also developed a companion set of primary prevention talking points. -Check out the recipe card: http://vsdvalliance.org/primary_prevention/partners/vsdvaaStatewide/tools/Prevention Recipe Card_final.pdf -View the talking points: http://vsdvalliance.org/primary_prevention/partners/vsdvaaStatewide/tools/Prevention Talking Points_final.pdf -Access the prevention webpages: http://www.vsdvalliance.org/primary_prevention In addition, the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance is sponsoring the Building Healthy Futures III conference addressing the primary prevention of sexual and intimate partner violence. This conference will showcase innovative primary prevention projects from across North America, as well as highlighting Virginia-based prevention initiatives. There will also be a half-day prevention policy summit to launch the conference. Anyone interested in learning strategies to prevent sexual and intimate partner violence is encouraged to attend. Building Healthy Futures III conference When and where: August 2-4 in Richmond, VA Details: http://vsdvalliance.org/secProjects/traininginstitute.html New Hampshire Reports help coalition with strategic messaging campaign By Grace Mattern, Executive Director, New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence Over the past decade, the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence has been working to expand community understanding of sexual violence. While we have seen a dramatic increase in the public’s awareness of and understanding of the dynamics of domestic violence, there has not been an analogous shift in public perceptions of sexual assault. Too few victims report, too many of those who do report are further victimized by the criminal justice system, and too few people understand what sexual violence is, how it affects individuals and communities, and what needs to and can be changed. In the last four years, the Coalition, in collaboration with researchers at the University of New Hampshire and the N.H. Division of Public Health Services replicated the National Violence Against Women Survey in our state. Both women and men were surveyed, and reports were published with the results of both surveys. What was striking to the coalition and researchers was the high rate of sexual victimization of children and youth. It was agreed that a report combining the sexual violence data was needed, in order to create more awareness. The resulting report, Sexual Assault in New Hampshire, was released in February. While the Sexual Assault in New Hampshire report was being prepared, the Research Committee of the Governor’s Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence, which is chaired by the Coalition’s Executive Director and includes other coalition and member program staff, undertook a qualitative research study to better understand how the criminal justice system responds to adult sexual assault. We knew that few sexual assaults get reported or investigated, and even fewer are prosecuted. Using a multi-disciplinary interview research design, the committee conducted a study, led by a University of New Hampshire researcher, that resulted in the report The Reality of Sexual Assault in New Hampshire. The report presents a chilling picture of the inadequacy of the criminal justice system in responding to adult sexual assault. This report was also released in February at a press conference. The release of these two reports is the result of a strategic messaging plan undertaken by the Coalition, to help shift public perception of and response to sexual assault. The messaging committee reviewed both research reports as they were being developed, to insure effective messages were being conveyed to help move forward our agenda to improve community and system responses to sexual assault. In the long term, more recognition of the realities and prevalence of sexual assault and the role that public misperception plays in the lack of justice for victims will help us to achieve our vision of communities that truly support victims and hold offenders accountable. More online Both reports can be viewed on the coalition’s website at www.nhcadsv.org This year's SAAM campaign focuses on engaging bystanders in prevention By Tracy Cox, NSVRC Communications Director Picture shows someone holding a clock with the slogan "It's time...to get involved. Engaging Bystanders in Sexual violence Prevention" The 2011 national Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) campaign, “It’s time ... to get involved,” launches in April. This year’s campaign explores what each of us can do every day to make our communities safer places to live, focusing on engaging bystanders in sexual assault prevention. The goal of this prevention approach is to create environments where people are safe and respected in their relationships, families, neighborhoods, schools, work places and communities. Thousands of events from across the country will take place throughout the month including the “SAAM Day of Action” on April 5. The focus of this nationally-recognized day is to promote awareness of sexual violence prevention. For the “Day of Action,” the NSVRC is urging individuals to capture the spirit of the campaign by taking photos of themselves holding clocks, proclaiming “It’s time ….” For each of us, we may have a different declaration. For example, some may say “It’s time… to get involved.” Others might say “It’s time … to speak up,” “It’s time … to talk with my parents,” “It’s time … to set clear boundaries.” The online community is also invited to spread awareness. Facebook and Twitter users can participate by changing their profile pictures in April to show them holding clocks. The NSVRC invites people to submit their photos from SAAM-related events to be featured on www.nsvrc.org, Facebook and Twitter. To do so, email the photos to resources@nsvrc.org. This year’s campaign is supported by several tools including fact sheets, resource lists, discussion points and tip sheets.These campaign materials, along with artwork, are available online (www.nsvrc.org/saam) and on a bilingual, resource CD. The CD also provides links to many of the emerging programs using a bystander approach to sexual violence prevention. Author Joan Tabachnick helped create a portion of the resources. A copy of Tabachnick’s book, “Engaging Bystanders in Sexual Violence Prevention,” is featured on the CD. This book, available in English and Spanish, provides background information on how to develop an approach that empowers each of us to be involved in prevention. According to Tabachnick, “The bystander approach offers EVERYONE an opportunity to get involved. You don’t have to be a parent to get involved in stopping child sexual abuse. Every student, teacher, and staff person on a college campus has an important role in preventing sexual violence and keeping a campus safe from sexual violence.” Along with the book, Tabachnick provides scenarios that depict everyday interactions among people and offers discussion points, diagrams and suggestions for intervening. “ ‘Getting involved’ is one of those phrases that everyone can agree with but still have no idea about the most effective ways to make a difference. Walking through concrete examples of situations we all face nearly every day highlights just how many different people have opportunities to do something. It also highlights how many different opportunities are available to us and how many different times we can choose to act,” adds Tabachnick. Tabachnick offers this suggestion when faced with an opportunity to address and prevent sexual violence, “Think about that last time you were in an uncomfortable situation, and challenge yourself to think of five things you could do. When you have finished that, expand the time frames and the people who can act and add five more.” In addition to the scenarios, individuals share their own experiences and recount their reactions. A few of these personal stories are also included on the CD and featured online. Individuals can share their own bystander story at www.nsvrc.org/saam. “Whenever I hear a bystander story, I am always inspired by the power of a simple action. People can speak up in simple situations, and their actions can have a huge impact on the lives of a victim or someone who is at risk of being victimized. The stories on the CD are just a few of the countless I have heard. I hope that you will feel inspired – even choose to contribute your own stories to continue this network of hope,” Tabachnick urges. 2011 Visionary Voice Awardees The award honors individuals doing outstanding work to end sexual violence and is determined by state, tribal, or territory anti-sexual violence coalitions. Michaela Andruzzi, Utah Dr. David Barczyk, Louisiana Carol Carey, South Dakota Jan Derry, West Virginia Kathleen Dumais, Maryland Jean Fei, New York Ben Felix, Nevada Bobbi Gagne, Vermont Joelle Gomez, California Carol Lavery, Pennsylvania Binnie LeHew, Iowa Sara Lewis, Wisconsin Terri Livermore, Colorado Melva Luker, Arkansas Regina McDevitt, Tennessee Leticia Piper, Guam Anne Ream, Arkansas Joan Renner, Washington Corrine Sanchez, New Mexico Sarah Shanahan, New Hampshire Joyce Siegel, Michigan Mary Weiss, Indiana IAFN honors Sally Laskey for vision and partnership Sally Laskey, NSVRC Director of Special Projects, received the International Association of Forensic Nurses' Vision Award at their Annual Scientific Assembly in October 2010. The International Association of Froensic Nurses (IAFN) presents a Vision Award to recognize an individual outside of nursing that has contributed significantly to the advancement of Forensic Nursing. Jenifer Markowitz, President-Elect of IAFN says, "Sally (Laskey) has been a longtime promoter of collaborative sexual assault practice. she has championed cutting edge projects, such as the National SANE Sustainability TA, that have helped shape the way we understand and maintain medical-forensic practice in the U.S." For more on the award, visit www.iafn.org Conferences More online Visit www.nsvrc.org/nsac for updates or to register National Sexual assault conference to be held in Baltimore in September More online Visit www.nsvrc.org/nsac for updates or to register The National Sexual Assault Conference (NSAC) is a two and a half day, advocacy-based conference providing advanced training opportunities and information regarding sexual violence intervention and prevention. The 2011 conference, “Changing our Communities, Changing our World,” will be September 14-16 at the Hilton Baltimore Hotel located at 401 West Pratt Street in Baltimore, MD. “After reviewing the presentation proposals, we are looking forward to September. There will be a fantastic selection of valuable workshops for attendees,” says Joyce Lukima, Vice President of Services for the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR). Applications for exhibitors are due by June 1. Notifications of accepted exhibits will be sent on July 1. Exhibitors may sell merchandise from booths during the exhibit hours of the conference. For questions regarding this year’s exhibits, please email NSVRC Special Projects Assistant Jennifer Benner at jbenner@nsvrc.org. The annual conference is cosponsored by PCAR, the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA) and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC). Last year, CALCASA hosted NSAC in Los Angeles, CA. “This national conference provides a perfect opportunity for us [as the anti-rape movement] to reconnect, rejuvenate, share, and learn from each other. We’re very excited and honored to be a partner with PCAR for this year’s conference,” says Ellen Yin-Wycoff, Associate Director of CALCASA.The event provides an opportunity to increase awareness, enhance partnerships, share prevention strategies, broaden the understanding of issues on sexual violence and gain insight on research, evaluation, and programs. The 2012 national conference will be hosted by The Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA) on Aug 22-24, 2012. The event will be held at the Sheraton Hotel in Downtown Chicago. “It’s a time to revive, rethink and renew the commitment to end sexual violence. We’re looking forward to a great conference in a great city,” says Sean Black, Communications Coordinator of ICASA. For questions about the 2012 conference, email Sean at sblack@icasa.org. From the Library Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide Authors: Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn Pulitzer Prize winners Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn make an eloquent case for investing in and promoting gender equality as a key step in combating global poverty. The authors visit several women throughout Africa and Asia in an attempt to illustrate how, until recently, oppression of women was considered a fringe issue and largely unreported in major media markets. Kristof and WuDunn challenge all of us to consider that the struggle for gender equality around the world is the paramount moral challenge of our time. Although the book does focus on three difficult topics: sex trafficking and forced prostitution; gender-based violence including honor killings and mass rapes; and maternal mortality, the authors also offer several solutions including the encouragement of girls’ education and offering micro financing for women worldwide. For more information on Kristof and WuDunn’s journey, and for information on how you can help, visit www.halftheskymovement.org. Sexual Violence Against Jewish Women During the Holocaust Authors: Sonja M. Hedgepeth & Rochelle G. Saidel - Editors As the first English-language book to address the topic of sexual assault during the Holocaust, editors Hegepath and Saidel organize sixteen essays from contributors across the world to discuss this issue. Although there are eyewitness and personal testimonies citing thousands of accounts of sexual victimization and “coerced sexual activities” during the Holocaust, there is very little, if any, statistical data on the subject. Until recently, there has been a strong reluctance,and even backlash about discussing sexual violence during the Holocaust and this issue has largely been absent from memorials, museums, and general discourses. However, several prominent Holocaust scholars have succeeded in bringing the issue of gender into the discussion over the past several decades. Since then books, workshops, panel discussions and conferences have brought the issue of sexual violence and the difference in how men and women experienced the Holocaust to light. Hedgepath & Saidel separated this book into five sections: “Aspects of Sexual Violence,” “Rape of Jewish Women,” “Assaults on Motherhood,” “Sexual Violence in Literature and Cinema,” and “The Violated Self.” Contributors include Ellen Ben-Sefer, Nomi Levenkron, Anatoly Podolsky, Miryam Sivan, and Zoë Waxman.