The Resource Newsletter of the National Sexual Violence Resource Center Fall/Winter 2001 Inside The Resource 2 Blind Reporting 3 VAWnet 7 Coalition Spotlight 8 Director’s Viewpoint 11 From the Bookshelf NSVRC Administrative Assistant Raps Against Sexual Violence NSVRC’s Joel Miranda raps “Gonna Make It”. Photograph, from the video of the same name, compliments of the Pennsylvania Commission for Women A remarkable accomplishment by our Administrative Assistant, Joel Miranda, has demonstrated to the NSVRC, first-hand, how using popular culture can send a powerful message against sexual assault. Led by talent and initiative, Joel wrote an anti-sexual violence rap song that has become a shining part of an incredible music campaign by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR). And now it has also become a real source of inspiration for the NSVRC and the entire anti-sexual violence movement. In recent years, the NSVRC’s parent organization, PCAR, has focused on using popular culture as part of the its awareness campaigns. Especially targeting young people through magazines and CDs, the coalition’s success in these efforts has been unmatched! This year, PCAR’s Director of Communication, Jan Baily, orchestrated a project that included production of a CD denouncing sexual violence with songs promoting respect, safety and equality. Also under Baily’s direction, PCAR has produced a rap single by Joel Miranda entitled Gonna Make It. This song’s powerful lyrics and haunting chorus involve the listener in traumatic situations experienced by victims such as incest and date rape while providing the hopeful message: you’re gonna make it! Joel’s musical opus against sexual violence has deeply moved all who have heard it. When he and his co-performer, Kelly Buffington (another PCAR employee), performed the song live before the Pennsylvania Commission for Women, it resulted in that office’s commitment to produce a music video of the song. The addition of this visual presentation to the compelling musical work translates into a deeply moving message against rape and a quality expression of Joel’s artistry. We at the NSVRC have known for some time that Joel’s talents are far reaching, even beyond his abilities as a musician, lyricist and administrative assistant. Joel’s capabilities and intelligence come packaged in lots of initiative and commitment to cause. A 24-year-old father, Joel also has his own recording label. We are honored to recognize our phenom’s achievement and commitment. PCAR’s efforts in raising awareness through popular culture have taken the antisexual violence message to a highly effective and professional level. Gonna Make It truly shines as an important resource for the entire movement. Its emotional sensitivity will surely move you! Copies of the Gonna Make It video and CD are both available through PCAR (www.pcar.org). Walking Into the Lion’s Den: Talking to Men About Rape By Kelly Parsley In recent years, the anti-sexual violence movement has become increasingly aware of the importance of involving and addressing males in our struggle to eliminate sexual violence. This article by Kelly Parsley of the Sexual Safety Center at Carroll College in Helena, Montana, represents one such effort to work toward real social change involving men through education. Kelly Parsley is also a member of the NSVRC Advisory Council. It seems a long walk between my pragmatic world of plan a talk, give a talk, record the talk on my quarterly report—to the incredibly heady theorizing of educators like Paulo Freire. Freire radicalized literacy education for third-world Brazilian students (mostly adult men) in the 1960s, and I spend my time presenting rape prevention to primarily white middle and upper class teens and college students (mostly men) in the new millennium. Where’s the connection? What informs and bridges this gap? I believe Freire’s principles of education can help rape prevention specialists, like myself, create an educational construct that offers the opportunity for real social change rather than merely imparting a set of facts. As it turns out, Freire’s educational philosophy lends itself well to my work because his model provides a way to go beyond a passive classroom and involve the students in their own learning. Adopting Freire’s method demands that we accept two fundamental principles about the educational process. First, when teaching, always start with information that the students already know. Begin with personal experiences, not research, philosophies, or statistics. In my work on rape prevention, I need to find out what male students know and think before I go into their dorm halls or classroom (or what colleagues call, “the lion’s den”) and tell them what I think they need to know. Second, always be mindful that education is not primarily “informational,” rather, it is transformational. It alters lives and changes the world. Freire says that education “has meaning only when generated by action upon the world." If men leave my presentation with no motivation to act, if they leave with only a memorized set of facts (For example: 1 in 3 women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime or the rape crisis program’s phone number), then I have failed to affect real change. However, if they leave frustrated and questioning -saying things like, “Kelly just can’t be right about that ‘No means No’ thing,” then I have done my job. Then we have had a discussion that has led to change - potentially life altering change - for him and for a future “potential victim”- an incredibly life saving change. Freire challenges us to reject traditional models of education, which he calls the “banking” model of education. In the banking model, students are empty bank accounts or repositories, and teachers “make deposits” by placing knowledge and wisdom into them. In this model, a teacher “talks about reality as if it were motionless, static, compartmentalized, and predictable. Or else he expounds on a topic completely alien to the existential experience of students. His task is to ‘fill’ the students with the contents of his narration - contents, which are detached from the reality [of his students].” In place of this alienating “banking” model, Freire offers a more radical approach. He believes that “the teacher cannot think for his students, nor can he impose his thoughts on them. Authentic thinking, thinking that is concerned with [his students’] reality, does not take place in isolation, but only in communication” and that communication begins with “problem-posing” education. Problem-posing education breaks with the patterns of banking education. Freire explains that, “Through dialogue, the teacher-ofthe- students and the students-of-the-teacher cease to exist. The teacher is no longer merely the-one-who-teaches, but one who is himself being taught in dialogue with the students, who in turn, while being taught, also so teach. They become jointly responsible for a process in which all grow”. If my goal as a rape prevention specialist is to affect real change so that the student has to not only own the new information, but feels compelled to act on it; and if I want to affect real change such as helping a student define past actions as “rape” or helping him positively change his behavior, like not laughing at degrading jokes, not ogling women, or not allowing friends to take advantage of intoxicated women, then I need to adopt an educational approach, like Freire's “problem-posing” model, that involves the student in his own learning. As I have used and molded this model to my specific needs, I have had some excellent results. Freire’s model has worked well for me. However, there are other educational theorists who also stress the importance of student cognitive and emotional involvement in the learning process. For example, Joseph Weinberg offers something called a “debate-model” that allows male students a voice in the classroom discussion as well. The important point is that you find a classroom model that incorporates the student’s reality, and involves the student and his thought process and challenges his viewpoints. Freire’s Problem-Posing Education model has five steps or stages. After my first presentation to an all men’s group, I began to redesign my outreach program based of Freire’s theory because I had met with disastrous results employing the traditional classroom approach. Here is how these five steps worked for me. Learn what students know (Survey or Quiz) The FIRST STEP for problem posing education for me was to gather information about what male students already knew. Before planning any talk, I had to discover “where students were” with regard to rape and rape prevention. What do they know? What do they want to know? I began creating surveys for every presentation I gave (and I still do this today). I use the surveys to guide the discussion for the class that filled them out. Look for common themes I also use these survey/quizzes to complete Freire’s SECOND STEP, which calls for using information from students to discover common themes important to them. Some of the “timeless” themes I have found repeatedly (with both male and female audiences) are: Why do we get punished for having sex when the girl just teases us along? Why do girls say “No” when they really mean “Yes?” “We know women get raped, but it is usually their fault.” Analyze themes In STEP THREE, teachers or discussion leaders analyze themes. When you look at what male students continually want to discuss (women lead us on, women cry rape and blame us, women say no but they really mean yes), what they are expressing is their own sense of fear and powerlessness in a world - the sexual world - in which our culture teaches them to be dominant and in control. In essence, these concerns express men’s feelings of being some- thing of a “victim;” they reveal men’s feelings on dealing with the lack of control in a world they are supposed to master and their confusion of how to handle the “foreign” experience of a woman expressing her right to control that sexual world. Men — especially those new to the dating world — often see themselves as victims of a world filled with mixed messages (Be strong. Be forceful. Back off). And the price is awfully high for him (as well as her, but right now we are focusing on my male audience). The price is awfully high for him, if he reads and responds to the situation incorrectly. If he listens to his date and “backs off” he may be labeled “a wuss” by his friends, “a pussy-whipped mama’s boy” by his enemies, or he could earn the label “rapist” by the court system and his victim. It is a horribly disconcerting feeling — it’s an oppressive feeling — to be caught in this bind: to try to figure out how to relinquish control when you spend your whole life having people expect you to be in control, to get what you want, and to make “it” happen by force or cohersion (whatever that “it” may be). STEP THREE, you see, is really the crux of it all. Rape discussions can make men feel disempowered and oppressed by a world sending a cacophony of mixed messages. And for me, if men feel oppressed by this topic and dating in general, then for my purposes, they are oppressed — no matter their economic or social standing. Now what do people do when they feel frustrated and powerless and oppressed? One natural human response to these feelings is to lash out at the “perceived creator” of those feelings. Young men may perceive women as the creator of the powerlessness and confusion that surrounds rape and so blaming them is an easy and acceptable response. And suddenly they proclaim that all this “rape talk is just man-bashing and man-hating.” Armed with this knowledge, it becomes easier for me to know how to direct the discussion. I know I cannot necessarily ease their discomfort, but I can help relieve the chaos these men feel about mixed messages and lack of control. Creating and exploring a code To help men explore these frustrations, I suggest using Freire’s FOURTH STEP: creating “codifications.” He says, “The first requirement is that these codifications must necessarily represent situations familiar to the individuals whose thematics are being examined, so that they can easily recognize the situations.” A codification, or a “code” as I call them, is simply a shared experience in the topic area that provides a common point of reference for our discussion. A code can be a music poster depicting rape, a song, a video, or a story that everyone has read. Freire’s “CODES” offer a way of exploring feelings and themes in an open dialogue with students. It’s important to note that this must be done in the atmosphere of exploration and with a non-judgmental tone. To help men “understand and master” issues of dating, sex, and rape, or at least deal with some of the confusion, I usually use a code called an Attitude Continuum. This Attitude Continuum allows students a chance to voice several perspectives and analyze them in dialogue with each other. Here’s how an Attitude Continuum works. First, I tape to the floor or wall four flags that read: Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree. Second, I write some of the common themes on the board. For example: “Women say no when they really mean yes.” Third, I ask for three or four volunteers to come up and stand by the flag that best represents their attitude about that statement. And finally, I ask them to explain their position. I also ask the rest of the class to tell me where they would stand and why. Usually this begins a dialogue that can get out of hand, but generally ends with someone saying: “If yes means no and no means no then there’s no way she can tell you what she wants;” or “It doesn’t matter if she is a tease — the law says if she says no (whether she means it or not) then it’s rape if you go ahead and have sex anyway.” With this kind of conclusion to the discussion, we end up with group clarity over an ambiguous situation. Remember that codes are about shared experiences that help everyone relate in discussion. Action -What do we do now? Once we have explored men’s attitudes and experiences using a Code, students are eager to move into Freire’s FIFTH STEP: Action. Remember, for Freire, education isn’t just informational; it is transformational. It must alter reality by changing thoughts or actions in some fundamental way. Let’s go back to the Attitude Continuum and the discussion of a student’s comment, “Women say ‘No’ when they really mean ‘Yes.’” To push beyond simple clarity, I often press students by saying something like: “So let’s say she does say no just as you are about to enter the ‘Promised Land.’ You think she’s being coy or you think she simply wants to play innocent, but you know she still wants sex. But she still said “No,” so what do you do now?” Turmoil breaks out momentarily and I hear a lot of “Man, you’re just screwed!” or “What a bitch!” But eventually someone says “Hey man, you better get the hell out of there!” I usually follow with a comment about really hearing what she is saying. I tell them that even if they felt she was not being fair, it would be better to leave and then talk honestly about their feelings the next day. Students now have an action to correspond with their experience and new knowledge. Students themselves are usually the source of action-steps when they realize that so many women are victims of date rape or harassment. When men learn that women feel unsafe walking alone in the evening, or that women carry their car keys as weapons, men will say: “We need an escort service.” So I send around a sign up sheet for guys who are willing to work on creating and sustaining one. When men learn that there’s a rapist on campus, and I have talked to two of his victims in one semester, they say: “We need guys to step up and tell the few rapists on campus to get lost.” So I send around a sign up sheet for those who would join or help create a campus Men Against Violence group. When men learn how seriously damaging rape is to their mothers, sisters, girlfriends, and female study partners, they say: “We need guys telling guys about this stuff.” So I ask those who are interested in doing this to meet me afterwards. When men learn that date rape usually happens with two intoxicated people in the back bedrooms at their parties, men say: “It’s like there’s a few guys making a bad name for all of us.” So I ask them to put a stop to those few ruining it for “men in general” by suggesting that they don’t let things like this happen. Instead, they can say, “Not now, not in my house! Call her tomorrow if you really like her.” Freire’s model simply allows students to be human and to have a voice as they explore their world. To “force feed” education is to disempower. To preach in a classroom is to turn students off. For genuine life changing education to occur, teachers must step back and allow for the turmoil of discussion, the explosion of blowing off the steam of frustration, and the opportunity for honest dialogue to occur. Freire’s theories, expounded in Pedagogy of the Oppressed, provide a problem-solving education model for students who often feel overwhelmed, confused and sometimes oppressed. He explains that students, as they are increasingly posed with problems relating to themselves in the world . . . will feel increasingly challenged and obliged to respond to that challenge. Their response to the challenge evokes new challenges, followed by new understandings; and gradually the students come to regard themselves as committed to their world and their education. For my world and my work, that commitment is what counts. When male students feel they own both the problems of rape and the solutions, then we become partners in rape prevention. Blind Reporting Lights “Another Way” An Interview with Sabrina Garcia of the Chapel Hill Police Department Those of us who work with sexual assault survivors understand only too well why many victims choose not to report their attack to law enforcement. Indeed, we sympathize with their trauma and fears over treatment and outcome. However, we also know that the costs associated with non- reporting impact the victim, the community and the chances for perpetrator accountability. The result is an estimated rate of non-reporting that ranges from 70 to 84 percent, which leaves at the same time, fearful victims, less safe communities and attackers walking freely. “The key to a successful blind reporting system is building trust ...” In the June 1999 issue of the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, an article entitled “Blind Reporting of Sexual Violence” highlights one approach to dealing with the quandary. Coauthored by Sabrina Garcia and Margaret Henderson, this article grew out of a solid working relationship between Garcia of the Chapel Hill Police Department and Henderson of the Orange County Rape Crisis Center. The authors explain that Blind Reporting (BR) is “an anonymous reporting system that enables law enforcement investigators to gain information about crimes of sexual violence that likely otherwise will go unreported, while it allows victims an opportunity to gather legal information from law enforcement without having to commit immediately to an investigation.” The article explains the benefits of blind reporting and underscores important points for establishing such a system. The authors assert, “The key to a successful blind reporting system is building trust between the rape victim and the investigator.” The basic benefit of BR is that it allows anonymous reporting, and does not follow the route of an official investigation. Rather, it permits the victim to report only as much as she (or he) wants. This procedure makes it much less threatening to the victim while providing some information to the police, which in turn may put them in a better position to ensure the safety of the community. The NSVRC interviewed Sabrina Garcia on some of the details of Blind Reporting and the road to its implementation in the Chapel Hill Police Department. Can you explain how the Chapel Hill Police Department came to adopt Blind Reporting? As a formal policy, it developed over time. I came to this department 11 years ago with a strong background in sexual assault issues, especially from a clinical perspective. After a few years, a strong collaborative relationship developed between the Department and the Orange County Rape Crisis Center, and after that, it became a matter of training and developing procedures. Are you saying that your good relationship with the RCC made a difference? Definitely yes. The Department always had a good relationship with the RCC but at first, there was a little bit of “them and us.” However, once we built a strong relationship of collaboration and trust, it made all the difference. The other important factor is being sensitive to sexual assault issues. My background helped me, but in general it takes training. Your article illuminates the benefits of Blind Reporting, but I am wondering about any drawbacks. For example, when a victim/survivor chooses the path of Blind Reporting, does it exclude her, in any real sense, from later opting for a full investigation? In particular, I wonder whether the initial report under Blind Reporting would be acceptable to prosecutors or appear conflicting. The victim may later choose to initiate a formal investigation and prosecution. But, that is here. The prosecution’s acceptance of Blind Reporting records may vary from state to state, county to county. Here, a Blind Report is given a county number known as an OCA number; this permits later tracking if the victim chooses to proceed with a formal investigation. The assault is also reported to the Uniform Crime Report, but only as a number. In the event the victim opts to prosecute, the BR record becomes the “founding document” in the formal investigation. So the legal acceptability of Blind Reporting is not the same everywhere? Yes, before establishing a Blind Reporting system, it is important that you investigate your state and county laws and the likelihood of its compliance to judicial practices. Seven Procedures for Successful Blind Reporting • establish a policy of confidentiality • accept the amount of information offered • accept the information whenever the victim might offer it • accept information from third parties So the legal acceptability of Blind Reporting is not the same everywhere? • clarify options for future contact • maintain blind reports in separate files Yes, before establishing a Blind Reporting system, it is important that you • categorize the information contained with the blind report I understand that some police departments across the nation have a similar system, but that it is by no means universal. If it is such a beneficial practice, why don’t we see this nearly everywhere? I think you will find internal resistance in police departments, especially at first. It takes money, time and commitment. Training in sexual assault is a must, and that takes money and commitment. The Benefits of Blind Reporting • builds trust between officers and victim, who may decide to proceed with a full investigation • provides information about the patterns of behavior of repeat offenders, which can be used to identify assailants or build cases for court • presents a better view of the degree of sexual violence in the community by providing more information on more assaults • may help prevent crime by educating the public about high-risk scenarios or locations gleaned from both blind and full reports • garners trust in the community, possibly allowing officers to gain vital information on other cases To recap, these are some of the things you urge people to consider before establishing a Blind Reporting procedure? •Police training. This is essential and ultimately requires money and commitment. •Investigate your state laws and their application. Consider compliance with judicial practices. •Establish and maintain a good working relationship with your local RCC. •Be prepared to encounter some internal resistance within your police department. Yes, with respect to sexual assault training, let me say that it is a must because there are so many biases relating to sexual violence. Training is necessary so we don’t attach stereotypes. It’s the breath of what we do! In fact, what is required is training, commitment and investment by all parties. What do you think is the best reason for adopting Blind Reporting? In general, it helps the situation of low and non-reporting. If we are not creating a safe environment for victims to even report, then how are we going to hold perpetrators accountable? Do you have any final thoughts for those who may consider moving toward Blind Reporting? Yes. This is a concept. Spend time with the concept and its benefits. I think all the challenges can be worked out. NSVRC Collaboration Adds VAWnet Sexual Assault Coordinator As part of a recent agreement with the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRC), the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) welcomes a new resource to its workplace, Sally Laskey, the VAWnet Sexual Assault Coordinator. This agreement resulted from collaboration between the two organizations in implementing the sexual assault component of the NRC electronic project, the National Electronic Network on Violence Against Women, commonly called VAWnet. The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, a project of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV), has included the operation of VAWnet for four years. According to the VAWnet Project Director, Christine Marriott, it has proven to be a wonderful communication tool for the anti- domestic violence movement and the goal is to offer the same resources to anti-sexual assault advocates. The agreement includes housing VAWnet’s Sexual Assault Coordinator within the environment of the NSVRC. A project of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR), the NSVRC has both personnel and resources in-house that make it an ideal location for Ms. Laskey. Marriott says that “having the NSVRC as a neighbor provides a perfect opportunity for specialized communication.” Karen Baker, Project Director of the NSVRC, adds that PCAR and PCADV have been excellent role models of what can be accomplished when agencies work hand in hand. Both Baker and Marriott express enthusiasm about following the example modeled by these two Pennsylvania state coalitions. VAWnet offers information on violence against women via a website, www.vawnet.org. By including this new sexual assault coordinator, VAWnet will ensure that issues of sexual assault are adequately represented and discussed. picture of Left to Right: Karen Baker, NSVRC Project Director; Sally Laskey, VAWnet Sexual Assault Coordinator; and Christine Marriott, VAWnet Manager The site provides two levels or routes for information. The first level, accessible to the public, offers a library with general, legal and periodical options, resources, news selections and a calendar of events. The second level, intended to support advocates and service providers, requires registration for entry. This level offers three forums that facilitate conversations, information dissemination, interaction and sharing among the users; they are Public Policy, Applied Research and State Coalitions. This means that an inquiry or statement could receive multiple responses from other participants in the forums. Rather than one response, a VAWnet user has the possibility of many responses and perspectives on a question or issue. Sally Laskey comes to this position with a decade of experience in the anti-sexual violence movement. She began in the area of prevention and risk reduction before moving on as a rape crisis advocate with the Sexual Harassment and Rape Prevention Program (SHARPP) in Durham, New Hampshire. Sally then moved to Atlanta where she worked as a researcher for Georgia Advocates for Battered Women and Children. Upon her return to SHARPP, Sally became the Direct Services Coordinator. She directed the crisis line, the first responder training of advocates, law enforcement and medical personnel and continued to provide direct services. The NSVRC recognizes the importance of this mutually beneficial collaboration and encourages anyone looking for support in anti-sexual violence work to either access VAWnet or call the NSVRC. The two programs strive to seamlessly meet the needs of the movement. Each has its strong points. Being electronic, VAWnet offers nearly immediate interaction with peers, and the forums provide opportunities for discussions and many perspectives on an issue. The NSVRC, being a nationwide clearinghouse for resources, will provide callers with customized, indepth responses to their specific requests. The NSVRC invites your comments: Editor: Susan Lewis The Resource / NSVRC 123 North Enola Drive Enola PA 17025 Phone: 717-909-0710 • Fax: 717-909-0714 Toll Free: 877-739-3895 • TTY: 717-909-0715 EMAIL: resources@nsvrc.org Executive Director, PCAR: Delilah Rumburg NSVRC Project Director: Karen Baker NSVRC Advisory Council Suzanne Brown Suzanne Blue Star Boy Gail Burns-Smith Ann Emmerling Jamie Lee Evans Jean Kilbourne Lara Murray Diane Nelson Kelly Parsley Mark Rosenberg M.D. M.P.P. Delilah Rumburg Cassandra Thomas Linda M. Williams, Ph.D. Coalition Spotlight MCASA Extends Training and Outreach By Elise J. Turner, C.N.M. The establishment of a strong Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) training program is a priority for the Mississippi Coalition Against Sexual Assault. We believe that first contact with the medical system affects the victim and her case in critical ways. Our training is designed on a hospital based model, and victim advocates are key members of the response team. To date, MCASA has produced eight 40-hour SANE courses and trained over 120 nurses. Equally important, the Coalition’s training outreach has extended to law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges. Because SANEs are new to Mississippi, it was felt that it is important to make sure that judges understand the training and experience of a SANE, and what they could expect to hear from SANEs who testify. The Mississippi Judicial College and the National Judicial Education Program of the National Organization for Women invited MCASA to talk to 25 judges in a workshop entitled, “Understanding Sexual Violence.” The judges learned about the SANE program, and how the SANE/SART concept was already making a positive change for victims and those who serve them. The judges were delighted to learn about this new resource, and indicated that they were willing to accept the testimony of a SANE in sexual assault cases. This represents a radical shift, because in the past a physician filled the role of being the main medical witness. The judges also felt that additional training was needed to inform other judges. To meet that need, the Mississippi Judicial College arranged for MCASA to give another SANE presentation at the annual Circuit Court Judges’ Update. Thirty-two circuit court judges heard about SANEs. The response from this group was positive Since the trainings, several SANEs have been called to testify and have had no problems doing so. Another priority for the coalition is reaching underserved victims of sexual assault. One of the first steps has been a collaboration with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. The tribe administers a 30,000 acre reservation in eastern Mississippi with over 8,500 tribal members, and owns and operates a diversified portfolio of manufacturing, service, retail and tourism enterprises, with an annual payroll of more than $123.7 million. They are looking for ways to establish services for Choctaw victims of sexual assault and increase the expertise of tribal criminal justice agencies regarding this violent crime. The first step was establishing a SANE program at the tribal health center. So far, MCASA-sponsored classes have equipped four SANEs to serve the Choctaw community, and the tribe is purchasing a colposcope for their use. The next joint-venture for MCASA and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is to hold a reservation-wide SART meeting and related educational sessions. The training sessions will feature Native American trainers with expertise in areas of law enforcement, prosecution, and victim services. Meetings are currently being held to plan events and the Mississippi Department of Public Safety Planning has pledged financial support as well. For information about MCASA, call: 601987- 9011, or email: MCASA@netdoor.com. PCAR Launches MASV Campaign By Karen McCalpin In July 2001, the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) launched an historical social change initiative, Men Against Sexual Violence or MASV. As a first step, a 24-member committee was established, consisting of male and female professionals from across the state who believe that until men become an integral part of the anti-sexual violence movement, our current rape culture will not change. PCAR’s Executive Director, Delilah Rumburg says the response to the project has been nothing short of phenomenal. “The interest and enthusiasm that MASV has generated over the last two months is so exciting. Men from the military, law enforcement, counseling and education fields have come forward to be a part of MASV and are showing a level of commitment that is unprecedented. I look for MASV to create measurable change in not only our state, but across the nation.” The goals of MASV include: acquiring the signatures of one million Pennsylvania men on a pledge “to never commit, condone, or remain silent about sexual violence and to use my resources to support change;” educating males about important roles they can play in sharing the responsibility for ending sexual violence and why their involvement is critical; recruiting and utilizing males as volunteers and staff; and increasing and improving accessibility to services for male survivors. In October 2001, PCAR sponsored three regional workshops, “Real Men Don’t Rape.” Jonathan Stillerman and Patrick Lemmon (from Men Can Stop Rape in Washington, D.C.), both workshop facilitators, encouraged open discussions regarding the advantages/disadvantages (both real and perceived) of involving men, possible barriers to increasing participation, specific roles that men can play, the examination and redefinition of masculinity, and the need to reach and serve male survivors. Additional special topic workshops are being planned for spring. David Robinson, Chairperson of the MASV Committee and Community Activities Coordinator for Women Organized Against Rape in Philadelphia, feels that these workshops have given participants the necessary tools and strategies to recruit, educate, and reach out to the men in their home communities. Robinson says, “Historically, issues surrounding rape have been primarily the responsibility of women. Existing rape crisis programs are a direct result of women caring for women. Although the majority of men would agree that sexual violence is horrific, most men have not actively spoken out against it. The fact that workshop participants came from a diverse group of professionals, not just rape crisis centers, and also included a large number of men, is indicative of a new awareness regarding male responsibility in ending not only sexual violence against women, but sexual violence against men.” In an effort to provide accessible information on MASV, PCAR is putting final touches on a new website, www.menagainstsexualviolence.org. For more information regarding MASV, contact Karen McCalpin at 717-728-9740 or kmccalpin@pcar.org. OCADVSA Sharpens Focus on Sexual Assault By Beth Stanford In Oklahoma a program must be certified by the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse in order to provide services to victims of domestic and sexual violence. There are currently 32 certified programs in the state, and 27 of these are members of the Coalition. Our office helps support these programs by offering technical support, education and support services. To help educate and raise public awareness for victims, the Coalition office offers a variety of services to both the public and private sector. In the past year, a major training project, entitled “Safe Town,” was developed in partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS). The end result has been a new spin on training for the DHS workers that includes a role-play game that allows the participants to find out first hand what it is like to be a victim. After the game, the audience has a chance to talk about how they felt and what barriers they encountered. All DV and SA programs were encouraged to attend the “Safe Town” training, which also gave them a chance to network with their local DHS staff. Another project that is in the planning stages is a SANE training. Currently there are only 19 areas around the state that have SANE teams. The Coalition office is working with Kathy Bell, SANE trainer from the Tulsa Police Department, to provide this training. Along with training the nurses as forensic evidence collectors, the Coalition office will be offering a two day training at the same location for advocates and law enforcement. Parts of the training components will be relevant to all participants. The goal is to increase the attendees’ knowledge of sexual assault, and to encourage local team building and communication among team members. This training is tentatively scheduled for mid-January. Several years ago, the Coalition decided to work toward a certification program for workers in the field. An adhoc committee of Coalition members planned and sponsored two training sessions. This has given Oklahoma 43 certified workers. The process included grandmothering in 96 workers who had at least 10,000 hours in the field. OCADVSA has been very proud of this endeavor. The goal was to ensure that all victims across that state are receiving the same baseline of services. In the coming months, the Coalition office will be hiring a sexual assault specialist. This will be a new position for our office. We are looking forward to having this new position on board because it will give full focus to sexual assault issues in our state and to service providers. Of the 27 member programs, all but two serve as dual service providers. With an increase of funds from the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services for service providers, they each will have a sexual assault responder within their program. Part of the duty for our new sexual assault specialist will be to help train and educate the workers in the field. With much of Oklahoma being a rural state, along with having Native American jurisdictions, barriers for sexual assault victims run high. This position will be responsible for addressing these barriers and will work towards eliminating them for the victims. For additional information on OCADVSA , contact Beth Sanford at 918-647-5814. Director’s Viewpoint By Karen Baker NSVRC Project Director The last few months have been extremely unsettling for the NSVRC from that Tuesday we spent glued to our office television in disbelief to the seemingly endless barrage of horrifying details and stories that followed every day. It was a rare, life-altering event that has compelled us to re-examine everything – our relationships, our values, our priorities, indeed, the very meaning of our daily work and activities. It is imperative for me that the work I do has some meaning or value – that it contributes to the greater good in an effort to leave the planet a little stronger, a little healthier. Working to eliminate sexual violence certainly affords that type of meaning. However, it requires hearing about and addressing our own stories of violence, trauma, horror and senselessness. We have heard thousands of stories of women, children, and men who have been raped, molested, tortured, and humiliated. The agony of their ordeals have pierced our hearts and outraged us. In light of recent events and personal re-evaluation, I have reaffirmed my commitment to this work. The incomprehensible events of September 11th stand unparalleled as a national horror, both in magnitude and shock. It has deeply affected our national psyche and moved so many of us to consider the nature of our society, our security, and the very meaning or our right to a peaceful way of life. In thinking about senseless violence and our desire for a peaceful society, I have been struck by some similarities between terrorism and sexual violence. Both are senseless acts of violence; both strike indiscriminately; both cause unbearable trauma; both can cause injury, death, or long-term psychological problems; both cause ripple-effect trauma with loved ones; both disrupt and change our lives – causing us to see our lives as “before” and “after” the event; both destroy our innocence and sense of safety. And, although neither sexual assault nor terrorism may be totally eliminated in the foreseeable future, there are certainly many things we can do as a society to significantly reduce further violence when we coordinate efforts, heighten awareness, and unite to strongly declare these acts as totally unacceptable – in short, when we make it a priority. Last year, Americans did not talk frequently about terrorism, bio-chemical or nuclear weapons, but now we do. And now, we are educating ourselves, learning what to watch for, and taking reasonable precautions. We are watching out for one another – taking responsibility – feeling more united, and rising up to say “we won’t tolerate terrorists” disrupting our lives. We want to do everything within our power to identify them and prevent them from doing further harm. Can we do the same in response to sexual violence? In contrast to the recent and highly visible terrorist violence, a female growing up in the United States today is still far more likely to be sexually assaulted than to contract Anthrax or find herself on a hijacked airplane. How many more women need to be brutalized in order to bring the full force of our country’s resources to bear on this crime? The horrible assault of September 11th has made us all appreciate our way of life and the importance of peace and safety. I feel assured by the many competent people and agencies now working diligently to eliminate terrorism from the world. But, I also call on the peace-loving, just people of our land to make the elimination of sexual violence a priority for our nation as well. Clearly, violence is violence; I hope we can stand together against all acts of violence. We must rededicate our energies to nurturing and preserving a peaceful society. Call for Sexual Assault Awareness Resources We receive many requests for resources and ideas for promoting sexual assault awareness. We would love to know about your resources. Have you developed brochures, fact sheets, posters, videos, public service announcements, victim resource booklets, palm cards, bumper stickers, bookmarkers, etc.? We would appreciate copies of them for our library. They could be very useful in helping others in our common struggle to raise public awareness. Please send copies to the attention of the NSVRC Librarian. We would also like to know about your local or statewide public awareness activities. You can provide us with information about your event by logging onto our website at: www.nsvrc.org, or by sending a brief description to the attention of the NSVRC Librarian. 2nd NATIONAL SEXUAL VIOLENCE PREVENTION CONFERENCE Research and Practice in Sexual Violence Prevention: Enhancing the Dialogue May 28-31, 2002 Chicago Marriott Downtown Chicago, Illinois Call for abstracts and exhibit packages available late September 2001 Registration packets available February 2002 Sponsored by: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Justice American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists For More Information: Call the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault, 217-753-4117 Or visit the CDC website at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc Resource Sharing Project Update By Toby Cremer Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs The Sexual Assault Coalition Resource Sharing Project is wrapping up its current phase as the calendar year draws to a close. Still to come this March is a meeting of representatives from coalitions across the country. We are excited to be able to facilitate this opportunity for coalitions to come together and learn from each other. This current phase of the Project has included the development of email groups from specific groups of staff focusing on 1) administration, fiscal management and policy, and 2) education, training and prevention. The Project newsletter Reshape has focused on Diversity, Technology, Hiring, Public Policy and Organizational Structure. This past year has also seen the development of a website, www.resourcesharingproject. org. It features information about coalitions in each region, on-line copies of Reshape, and focus areas on various aspects of coalition infrastructure. The Project has also been gathering a collection of promising practices from around the country. The promising practices are available on the website. During the first half of 2001, the Project Partners organized regional meetings that gave two representatives from each coalition in the five regions the opportunity to meet with each other for training and discussion. National conference calls also gave coalition staff the opportunity to meet together over the phone to learn about a variety of issues including information about the National Violence Against Women Research and Prevention Center and on immigration issues. From the Book Shelf Healing the Harm Done: A Parent’s Guide to Helping Your Child Overcome the Effects of Sexual Abuse By Jennifer Y Levy, Ph.D., Second Edition 2000 Written by a clinical psychologist with broad experience in sexual abuse and mental health, this guide for parents of sexually abused children presents information on a wide range of concerns including troublesome behaviors, emotional effects and obtaining appropriate therapy. Presented in a question-answer format, the booklet provides easy-to-understand responses to some of the most emotional and difficult questions confronting parents. It also offers insight for parents in dealing with their own emotional concerns. To obtain a copy of this booklet, email healing@usa.com or visit www.hopehealing.homestead.com Transcending Silence: A Series About Speaking Out & Taking Action In Our Communities – Focus on Sexual Assault and People with Developmental Disabilities By the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault, 2001 This first booklet of a four-part series focusing on specific underserved populations produced by the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault examines how sexual assault affects the developmentally disabled. It provides a broad range of valuable information, including statistics and legal issues for those who work with and care about people with developmental disabilities. The booklet also provides a list of resources. It may be purchased by calling 608-257-1516. Season’s Greetings and Peace in the New Year The Staff of the NSVRC & PCAR This publication was supported by Grant/Cooperative Agreement Number H28/CCU317184-02 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. This newsletter is available in large print, text only format on our website: www.nsvrc.org