Making the Case for Prevention

As the Director of Community Education for MOCSA, Kansas City’s comprehensive rape crisis center, I often need to “sell” the subject of rape prevention education to our various teachers, parents, and funders. It can be a frustrating experience on many levels, especially in today’s economy. Funders are more compelled to allocate money to an urgent need. Teachers feel too strapped for time and resources to fit in anything outside of basic requirements. Parents don’t want to believe that their children will ever be the perpetrators or victims of sexual assault. All of those reasons are valid reasons to ignore the issue all together. So why even try?

I tend to think the evidence should speak for itself. Studies suggest that it costs over $5.8 billion annually to address issues related to intimate partner sexual assault, physical assault and stalking. Victims often turn to drug use and alcohol to cope, leading them into a life-long cycle of pain and destruction. Countless lives are ruined by sexual assault and abuse. And even though I know that we can do amazing things to help put perpetrators behind bars and help victims turn their lives around, I also know that we CAN stamp out sexual assault completely.

When people ask me about my professional goals, I usually tell them that I’m trying to put my agency out of business. It’s a lofty goal, I know. But in my heart I must believe that if we do our jobs well enough, we can teach every child what a healthy relationship looks like, and that they all have the right to expect respect from their friends, family, and partners. If I didn’t truly believe these things, I would have to find another line of work, because what we do is not easy. But nothing worth doing ever is.

Julia Westhoff is the Director of Community Education at the Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault in Kansas City. Julia has over 10 years of experience as a prevention-focused non-profit administrator.

Teachable Moments by Catherine Johnson

We asked EVAWI Board member and Instructor/Training Coordinator with the North Carolina Justice Academy Catherine Johnson to provide us with a teachable moment involving a new advocate.

What comes to mind is a young, new advocate who had the best of intentions, but interfered in an interview with a victim. I recognized the advocate from the most recent volunteer training. As a Detective, I provided training to new volunteers on the law enforcement response to sexual assault crimes.

The victim in this case was sexually assaulted by her intimate partner and was likely to recant. At the very first sign of a tear, the advocate started asking if the victim wanted a break. After she did that a couple of times we took a break so I could talk with the advocate. I knew she was coming from a good place; she was just a little nervous and overly jumpy.

I asked the advocate to step outside and explained that, although I appreciated her care for the victim, and she was well-intentioned, her intervention was inappropriate at that juncture. I let her know that interrupting the interview like this could get her excused from an interview by other detectives if they did not recognize her inexperience.  The advocate was very receptive to this feedback, and was terrific every other time I worked with her.

I think it is very important for advocates to be in tune with victims and their need for breaks-especially if the interviewer is not being sensitive to the victim's needs. However, it is also important to recognize when it is inappropriate to interfere. This can be a difficult balance, especially for new advocates. Cross-training and open communication are very important to ensure that these types of issues are handled appropriately and in a timely manner so they don’t become bigger problems.

Start by Believing Needs Your Support!

As many of you know, Start by Believing is a public awareness campaign created by End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI) and designed to change the way we respond to rape and sexual assault in our communities.

“My name is Jimmy. I am a Deputy Sheriff with the Hardeman County Sheriff's Department in Texas. When someone tells me they were raped or sexually assaulted, I Start by Believing.”

This program is critical and needs your support. You can donate through EVAWI’s Combined Federal Campaign Designation # 11400. The Campaign Locator will assist you in identifying the CFC program in your area.  More information is available on the CFC page at our website.

In case you are unfamiliar with the CFC, it is the U.S. federal government’s workplace giving program. The CFC presents an opportunity for federal employees and military personnel to support the causes they believe in. If you’re not a federal employee or military member, but still want to give to Start by Believing, you can spread the word to any friends, family members, or colleagues who are.  You can also support the campaign by sharing this blog within your own social media network.

Your generous donation, however large or small, will allow us to continue to raise awareness of the realistic dynamics of sexual assault so victims are not blamed and perpetrators are held accountable.

·         With $25 we can ship 500 bookmarks to spread the message of Start by Believing.

·         With $100, we can work with local community professionals and provide the materials they need to launch their own Start by Believing campaign.

·         With $500 we can ensure that our website will continue to offer a space for people to share their stories and make personal commitments to Start by Believing.

“My name is Lisa. I am an advocate for people with disabilities. When someone tells me they were raped or sexually assaulted, I Start by Believing.”

Thank You

With your support, we can work to change the way we respond to victims of rape and sexual assault, by informing the public, uniting allies and supporters, and improving our personal reactions. The goal is to change the world, and outcomes for victims, one response at a time.

Even if you are unable to make a financial contribution, you can support the campaign by spreading the word and engaging people in the difficult conversations that are required to create change. Thank you.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). To recognize DVAM, we are sending a recap of some recent stories we have been following related to domestic violence:

• An article on the rate of women murdered by men according to the Washington, DC - based Violence Policy Council, which ranks states based on crime data submitted to the FBI.

• An article out of New Zealand, where a battered woman used her car to run over a man who had an extensive history of abusing her.

• An article, also covered extensively on local news outlets, detailing a tragic murder-suicide in Sacramento, CA.

• An appearance on the new Katie Couric show  by Dr. Jacquelyn Campbell who discussed the issues of dating violence along with Sharon and Lexie Love -- the mother and sister of Yeardley Love, the college student who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend.

We’ve also been closely following the heroic efforts to re-authorize the Violence Against Women Act. Last month, VAWA celebrated its 18^th anniversary. We were pleased with the statement released by Vice President Biden commemorating the anniversary and highlighting the importance of passing a strengthened VAWA as soon as possible.

We are also pleased to see the many events currently being promoted on Facebook and Twitter to recognize DVAM.  But we would like to hear from you.  What are you planning in your local community to raise awareness about domestic violence?