Food for Thought

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Donald Glover, sexual assault, truth

Each week there is at the very least one story that highlights a person that has been sexually violated in some way. Whether it is in another country, or in our own backyard. This week we had the story of two ex football players from Vanderbilt, who were actually tried and convicted. Let’s hope they get a deserving sentence! For more on that check out the story here.

This story and similar ones that I stumble upon each week were echoed on Tumblr (also known as a black hole for me.)

It seems like Vanderbilt was fairly proactive, which is great, but that is more of a gem in a sea of crap. The way schools handle sexual assaults has been a big point of contention for me, but seeing this photo just drove it home. If someone cheats on exam or paper, there is usually little leniency for the perpetrator, but if someone is sexually assaulted, the administrations conjure up excuses, move heaven and earth, hell too? in order to justify the actions that took place. Just let this sink in for a bit.

This little gem popped up on my feed too:

Source

There is so much truth here.

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Round Table Tuesday – 10/7

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advocates, intimate partner violence, rape, round table, SAS, sexual assault, sexual assault services

We had another great round table this  Tuesday, where we had Sexual Assault Services  (SAS) come and talk with us about the Red Flag Campaign, and the services that are provided throughout the college.

People had some great questions about consent, and raised some great points about how culturally there is a great impact on how we interact with one another sexually. There was a lot of focus on how “no” is not usually the stopping point, but the beginning of a negotiation, and how problematic that becomes, especially when people get worn down, and feel as though there is no other option.

All of these questions and topics were answered and further clarified by the wonderful people who came to visit from SAS. They did a great job of hosting our round table, and I know I walked away with more knowledge under my belt.

SAS Information Table

One of the biggest things I took away from this round table, is how fortunate we all are to have the support network  created by SAS.  Most institutions do not go to the lengths that these folks do in order to ensure that people get the help they need.

So here are some of  things  these amazing people do:

• Provide support whether you are in a situation yourself, or trying to be there for family or friends who are in abusive relationships, sexual assaults, stalking
• Anonymous reporting
• All services are confidential
• Always on call ( cell #, so you can text as well)
• College -Wide
• They can meet off-campus
• They will go to appointments, court, exams, etc.

They provide support when people need it the most, and are helping to ensure that survivors are aware of all of their options.  We are quite fortunate to have this level of involvement, and people who invest so much time to make sure that survivors get help, and know that they are not alone.

SAS is under the NOVA Cares services here at  NOVA.  Here is there email: nova.sas@nvcc.edu and phone: 703-338-0834

Keep your calendars open for October 21 to join SAS for the  Clothesline Project

Yes Means Yes

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Affirmative Consent Law, California, date rape, Governor Jerry Brown, Senator Kevin de Leon, sexual assault, Yes Means Yes

The internet is buzzing about California passing the Affirmative Consent Law.   There are high emotions on either side, some feeling as though this is long overdue, while others feel as though the government is overstepping.

In California, the Senator Kevin de Leon introduced the Affirmative Consent Law that was recently passed by Governor Jerry Brown. This law is applicable to any higher education institution that receives state funding.  The law tries to better outline what  kind of protocols that should be in place,  as well as what programs and support need to be in place for survivors of sexual violence.

I am curious to see the effectiveness of this bill, and what, if anything happens to institutions who do not comply with this law.  There is a need for more resources available for survivors, and it is important to have a support network,  hopefully this law provides the push needed to get campuses into action and providing these much needed spaces.

It will be interesting to see how other states react to this, especially states with institutions that have higher rates of sexual violence.

There is a lot of back and forth going on about what the law is and isn’t, here is a link Affirmative Consent , where you  can take a look at the points, and what the campuses will have to do in order to comply.

One thing I have noticed in looking through comments, is that people are complaining that this places too much responsibility on the alleged attacker. In most cases the responsibility is on the victim of an attack, where there is the need to justify what they were doing, how much they were drinking, their sexual history, did they do anything to maybe give the faintest whiff of interest, etc.  I think it is alright if there is more responsibility placed on the person being accused, instead of someone trying justify why it was horrible for them to be attacked.

Sexual Assault and Colleges

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call to action, campus sexual assaults, date rape, legislature, lgbtq, male survivors, sexual assault, Violence against women

There has been a lot of talk about the task force Obama plans to implement in order to combat sexual assault on campuses. It is no secret that sexual assault is horrific problem across college campuses.  We all probably know at least one someone who has been a survivor of an assault, and they probably watched their attacker walk away unscathed. This could be a very powerful initiative that is desperately needed overall, but especially after the many disrespectful and ignorant comments that politicians have been making, essentially victim blaming.

Schools have not been doing their part in supporting survivors of attacks, and while they may not have the systems in place to deal with it, there have not been enough questions of how we can implement a system to effectively deal with sexual assault and rape.  The call to action’s desire to have more definitive standards when dealing with

This initiative is apart of a larger initiative to address sexual violence: Rape and Sexual Assault: A Renewed Call to Action, which contains the full report on statistical findings, as well as the amount of work it will take to implement proper safeguards to better help survivors. I strongly encourage folks to at least read the executive that includes some great language that is quite different than much of the rhetoric that has been passed around by politicians as of late.

There is a lot of work that needs to be done, but this seems like a good place to start, and hopefully this helps prevent people from being assaulted, and helps educate folks on the troubling realities that accompany these attacks.

Thus far 55 colleges are being investigated for how they have handled sexual complaints. Hopefully these investigations bring about better practices in dealing with sexual assaults, and ensuring that survivors are able to name their attackers and bring charges if they so desire, as well as making sure that they get the help that they need.

Failure of the System

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Brig Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair, Ft. Bragg, military, sexual assault

Failure of the System

I think, and I am know there are many others out there, that there is a severe lack of punishment for sexual offenders. After following this story about on Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair, it is quite disheartening to see that he is not getting jail time.  It just seems like another story of a person in power taking advantage of those subordinate to him. Assaulting anyone is terrible, and assaulting those that you have power over makes you even more terrible.  

The fact that he was given a deal and in that deal his assaults were labeled “adultery” is reprehensible.  It undermines what happened to those women, and that harm and pain he caused them. It is also insulting to his own family. 

His camp claims that the “system” worked in this case, but I see a seriously flawed system that keep failing the survivors of these attacks. 

We are the 59%

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abuse, cnn ireport, rape, sexual assault, speaking up, violence, voices, we are the 59%

We are the 59%

Trigger Alert

 This link has stories that involve sexual assault and rape. Please use your discretion when clicking the link. 

These are some very powerful stories being shared, and I have so much respect for these people. 

Sexual Assault/ Domestic Violence / Stalking Awareness Training

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awareness, campus police, domestic violence, safety, SAVE, sexual assault, stalking, training

Tomorrow one of our amazing police officers will be leading a training session with a member of SAVE to  help bring awareness and provide safety tips to situations surrounding Sexual Assault, domestic violence, and stalking.  A few weeks ago we had a great round table discussion about this, and this is being extended through this training and awareness program. Everyone is encouraged to attend, and become informed.

Here are some of the topics that will be discussed:

How to avoid sexual assaults, domestic, violence, and stalking

What to do if you are a victim

What to do if someone you know is a victim

Police guidance on relevant topics (i.e. emergency protective orders, police reporting, options, and more)

Resources in your community

I encourage you to come on out to the event it will be held on the Tyler Building in room 112.

Against His Will – CNN article by Sarah LeTrent

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chris brown, cnn, men, rape, sexual assault, violence, women

Last week CNN featured a surprising article by Sara LeTrent on the little talked about subject of female on male rape. I think the article was a good step for many reasons: it discussed something that is usually ignored and ridiculed; it indeed stated that it is something that happens, not some slanderous myth from jaded men, and once again it was discussed (not discussing is what we as a society have been doing for a very long time, and we have seen where that has gotten us).

The article even featured a male survivor who shared his story, and how he struggled to come to terms with what happened to him, as well as his journey forward, which involves helping others come to terms with their own trauma.

I must say that the article surprised me with how it brought up Chris Brown and his interview where he talked about his own early sexual experiences. Sarah LeTrent highlights how this often seen as a conquest, something men are to be proud of, because it shows their sexual prowess at such a young age.  

LeTrent made a lot of pertinent points,  however I do disagree with this statement, “Were you aroused?’  is a question posed to male victims, St. John says. ‘You don’t hear it with female rape victims. It’s an interesting question that men get asked.”   Women face those same questions, and I think it is an irrelevant question.  At the heart of the issue are people who feel like they are entitled to others bodies, regardless of gender, and blatantly ignoring consent. 

Here is the article  to read it first hand:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/09/living/chris-brown-female-on-male-rape/index.html?hpt=hp_t3