The Power of Misinformation

One of the largest hurdles facing sexual assault prevention is a number of sources out there providing the wrong information.  It comes as false facts, such as rapists target women with pony tails because they're easier to grab or women in dresses because they're easier to undress.  It comes as misleading definitions of rape, saying someone is only sexually assaulted if they say they were and denying that coercion with alcohol or drugs should be considered rape, even though the victim didn't want to have sex.  It also comes as the stereotypical attacker in the night who grabs people in parking lots and takes them away in their white vans.

Why are these tales continued to be told even though there are hundreds of credible sources out there that have facts to prove otherwise?  Because people get something from them.  Misinformation helps market fear to sell products and services like guns, pepper spray, and self defense classes, but what good is a gun against the moral struggle about a sexually abusive family member?  Misinformation creates a false sense of security, having victims think that if they have short hair, wear pants, and aren't women they'll be okay, but what then for all those male victims out there?  Misinformation eases a conscience by saying drunken hook-ups are just a part of the scene, but what then about those who didn't know what was happening?

Perhaps the most damaging aspect of misinformation is it misleads prevention efforts.  It makes people focus on an attack from strangers, when 3 out of every 4 rapes are committed by someone the victim knows.  It lies to people, saying rape is a crime of opportunity by sexed crazed deviants when in truth it is about the attacker expressing power and control over their victim.  It also puts the blame on victims, telling them since they couldn't fight their attacker off, the rape was their fault.

So the next time you get emailed a chain letter or flyer offering "helpful safety tips," remember that real prevention addresses attitudes and cultures supporting rape, reducing perpetrators to reduce victims.

Source:  rainn.org

Erin's Law: Requiring Schools to Teach Prevention

Erin's Law, already adopted in some states and being considered in more, would require school districts to teach children, parents, and their staff about warning signs for sexual abuse.  In Michigan, it is a collection of bills which would set in place a task force which would make recommendations for school boards and is receiving bi-partisan support.  Named for Erin Merryn, a survivor of sexual abuse by a family member when she was in high school, her advocacy has lead to the law already being adopted in Illinois, Indiana, Maine, and Missouri.

Some would question the need for this kind of education in schools though.  Opposition would argue that these are lessons that should be taught by parents, especially with younger children, or that teachers should be focusing on "more important" things to help a child find a career.

But the reason why Erin's Law is so important is because a liassez-fiare attitude toward prevention education hasn't helped.  1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men are sexually abused in their lifetime, most even before they turn 18 years old.  Any sexual assault is too many, but these statistics are staggering.  Not only can prevention education equip people with skills so they won't become victims, but it will also equip people with knowledge to reduce perpetrator behavior, which is ultimately where any rape begins.

Another reason for the law is some parents may not know how to approach talking to their children about sexual abuse.  Rape is an uncomfortable topic for a lot of people and requires a finesse with any audience, let alone kids.  Having trained staff in schools will help to make sure the children learn about sexual abuse in an appropriate way so then can be safe.  It also helps to ensure children receive the correct information on sexual assault, reducing their chances of being victimized.

Another advantage to having prevention skills being taught in schools is most parents probably wouldn't take their child to a sexual assault center for a presentation.  Instead, trained experts can come to the schools and talk to the children there, making it less uncomfortable for the child.  These professionals have experience with discussing sexual abuse and can make sure it is presented in a way the child understands without being frightened, just like our Prevention Coordinator at the Sexual Assault Center of Child and Family Services.

Erin's Law doesn't seem to have much opposition from legislators and will hopefully become a law in Michigan, making our schools an even safer place for our children.  If you'd like more information on what kind of sessions are available for children, contact Ash Christians, our Prevention Coordinator, at achristians@sac-saginaw.org.

The Price of Ignorance

This past Thursday saw the release of Penn State's independent inquiry on the handling of allegations against Jerry Sandusky, who was convicted last month of 47 charges relating to sexual assault.  You can read all 267 pages of the report here but the main take-away is former Athletic Director Tim Curley, ex-Vice President Gary Schultz, former president Graham Spencer, and former head football coach Joe Paterno conspired together to conceal the allegations against Jerry Sandusky.  The report has left a maelstrom of controversy and debate surrounding the university.

Attorneys for Curley and Schultz claim the report is lopsided and have continued to state they acted appropriately on what they knew.  However, the report cites among over 430 interviews that a janitor who witnessed one of the rapes said he was afraid to report it to police because it meant he would have been fired.  He said "football runs this university" and if Joe Paterno, who Jerry Sandusky worked under, didn't like someone, they would be gone.

The report also shows how these four top officials made no effort to mention a criminal investigation into Sandusky to the Board of Trustees from charges in 1998 and 1999.  None of these four, Paterno even having an office just feet from Sandusky's, made an effort to discuss Sandusky's conduct with him nor prevent him from bringing children onto campus.

Whether or not these men knew the extent of the truth is still up for debate, but what is evident is they did not want to know.  Joe Paterno passed away in January, leaving his family to issue a response to the report, but before passing had admitted that he wished he had done more.  His family defended him, saying he reported what he had been told and had left it up to higher administration to "do their jobs."  If true, this is still concerning considering there was no follow-through by him on an employee under his supervision.  One would think it reasonable that if a supervisor had an employee under an investigation, they would have an interest in the outcome of that investigation.  This "pass the buck" attitude shows that even if Paterno didn't know what was going on with Sandusky, he didn't want to know.

So then what is the price of ignorance?  Eight known victims of sexual abuse, the tarnished career of a hall of fame coach, pending charges against the university's top officials, and an immeasurable amount of damage to Penn State University's reputation among others.  All of this occurred because people decided they would be happier not knowing.  That's why victims need to be believed, regardless of a person's standing, reputation, or negative publicity.  How much of this could have been avoided if only people had believed the victims and were willing to put them ahead of a reputation?

Does Media Affect Us?

There has been a debate raging on for decades now, an argument that believe it or not, would affect each and every one of us.  Does media affect us?

Unfortunately, the answer is a gray, blurry “sort of.”  Studies have gone on for years trying to determine the effects of violent movies, TV, and video games with no clear determination of an answer.  Some argue that clearly violent media creates an immediate increase in violent behavior, while studies like those in the book Grand Theft Childhood explain it as only a short term effect, when it has shown to have one, lasting as short as a few hours.  It always comes down to a chicken or the egg type of question.  Does violent media make people violent or are violent people drawn to violent media?

What has been proven true though is how media affects our perceptions.  When the news is filled with bleak and depressing stories, it creates the idea in a viewer that everything is wrong in the world.  Our perceptions are affected in other ways as well.  Think of people you may know who become obsessed with medical dramas like Grey’s Anatomy or House.  Do they sometimes act like a medical guru, putting their seasons of study to practical use, repeating diagnoses they’ve witnessed on their shows?  A few years ago a study was done to determine which show was the most medically accurate.  The winner:  House with 30%.  That’s right, the most accurate medical knowledge of a TV medical drama was accurate only 30% of the time.  Still feel safe with that friend’s diagnosis?

Now nobody’s going to let someone perform open heart surgery, no matter how many times they’ve watched their DVDs of all the seasons of ER.  Where this becomes a problem though is when you introduce ideas of sexism and racism.  What message does it send if a cop drama is always arresting African Americans, or if in a drama the woman boss is mean, manipulative, and heartless while the girl intern is stumbling through life waiting to be rescued by a future boyfriend?

When I was young, TV told me Hispanic people were members of drug cartels and bikers were cool bounty hunters.  It wasn’t until I had more influences in the world to see the much bigger picture.  The truth is media does affect our perceptions and our perceptions are our reality.  If we always see bad news our world becomes a bad place.  Inaccurate perceptions create an inaccurate reality.  Women become trophies, minorities become criminals, and violence becomes the answer for every problem.

There is a light in all of this though.  With awareness, we can enjoy whatever media we like without having it influence our behavior.  It can be reduced down to the escapism it was meant to be while we sit back and enjoy the show.  Take the time to learn more outside of what’s presented to you.  Talk with your kids about what they’re watching so they can get life’s answers from you, rather than the TV, and they can be above its influence.

Understand Your Child's Technology

McAfee, the computer security company, recently conducted a study involving children’s computer activity.  Among many of the things they found and posted on their blog, perhaps the most alarming is 71% of teens hide their online activity from their parents, up from only 45% in 2010.  Meanwhile, 45% of parents believe their kids tell them everything, so there is a large gap of parents who believe they know what their child is doing while the child is hiding what they're doing.  Perhaps the scariest of the results is 12% of teens meeting someone in person that they met online.  

There are programs out there that allow you to spy on your kids while they use the computer, but this can create more problems than you might already have.  For starters, if your child is already more tech savvy than you, there's a good chance they will be able to detect the spying program and possibly even deactivate it.  It creates a feeling of betrayal and mistrust.  One of the tactics of internet predators is to drive a wedge between a teen and their parent, to create more trust in them than they have in you.  Once that happens, it becomes easier to negotiate an in-person meeting.  It also closes down lines of communication you could be using to make sure your child is safe.  Instead, you want to build a foundation of trust with your child, that way they know they can come to you when they have a problem.

One of the things you can do is take the time to have at least a base understanding of what they're doing.  You don't need to be actively using Facebook or any other social network, but try to be a bit familiar with it.  Many parents will have their child accept a friend request, but they may not know that the child can also block their parent from seeing posts.  Treat it as you would any other social interaction with your child.  You wouldn't hover over them when they have friends over so you shouldn't comment on every post they make online.  Even if you don't use Facebook often, check in from time to time to see if anything has changed.  Social networks like Google+ have incorporated video chats now as well so the interactions your child can have online are expanding.

If all else fails, simply ask them.  Predators take the time to get to know your kids so you should too..  If you don't take the time to build a foundation of trust and communication between you and them, you're not going to get anything.