Keep Safety in Mind this Summer

It's May now and that means Summer is almost here.  Kids will be getting out of school and be home more.  Maybe you have a family vacation in the works or your kids will be going away to a summer camp.  Now is a good time to start preparing for your children to have a fun, safe summer with a few tips from our Sexual Assault Center.

For the family vacation, take some time to get familiar with the area.  Use a site like Family Watchdog to be aware of offenders that might be in the area.  Familiarize yourself where local police stations and hospitals are in case you need to find them in an emergency.

Take the time to get to know the people who will be around your kids.  If they are going to a summer camp, ask for a chance to talk with the counselors.  Maybe your children will be staying home or going to a babysitter.  Use the time until Summer Break to reconnect with your neighbors.  It's a chance to get an extra set of eyes looking out for your kids.  Don't forget to check if any new offenders have moved into your neighborhood.  Make sure you get to know the babysitter and daycare workers.

Finally, use this time as a refresher for your kids about safety.  Make sure they know who they can trust, how to react to strangers, and what they can do in an emergency.  Your kids are the last line of defense when it comes to their safety.  Help them be safe by making sure they are prepared.

Have any questions about what more you can do?  Feel free to write a comment!

Pentagon Allows Women to Serve Closer to Front Lines, Some Say It Will Increase Rapes

Recently, the Pentagon has announced a new decision to allow female servicemembers to serve closer to the front lines, going against a 1994 policy which previously prohibited them from having positions near combat units.  These new opportunities allow women to apply for jobs that provide more training and better pay.  It was a move in favor of gender equality that didn't take long to generate controversy.  This was a topic that had been debated frequently with servicewomen stating they are just as capable as their male counterparts to defend their county while others like Rick Santorum arguing men would feel compelled to protect the women and therefore women would be a distraction.

Enter Liz Trotta, a commentator for Fox News who has drawn criticism for statements she made in an interview.  Her argument against the Pentagon's change in policy was the government is already spending enough money because of sexual assault in the military and adding women to the front lines would increase that spending due to an increase in rapes.  Her statements boil down to claiming the blame of a sexual assault falls on the victim because it was caused by the victim being a woman.

Her comments completely ignore the fact that sexual assault is not caused by the victim.  There is nothing a victim can do, say, or imply that can cause a rape, whether they are a man or a woman.  The truth is whether or not someone is assaulted is determined by the one who commits the rape.  They are the ones who make the choice to sexually assault someone.  To think otherwise is to deny the very motivation behind rape:  power and control.  Sexual assault isn't committed because of an assailant's lust or finding a victim too irresistible.  It is committed because the rapist wants to express power or control.  They want to show they can do whatever they want to whomever they want.  Anything the victim has done has nothing to do with the attacker's intentions.

It is because of harmful, false beliefs like Trotta's that sexual assault continues to be an issue.  They place the blame not on the attacker, but on the victim.  The Sexual Assault Center of Child and Family Services works to educate people on sexual assault through our prevention activities because as Liz Trotta has shown, there are still people who need to be reached.  Prevention isn't making sure people aren't victims.  Prevention is making sure people don't become rapists.

The Sundance Film Festival Sheds Light on Rape in the Military

A recently released report by the Defense Department has shown reported sexual assaults in military academies are on the rise.  Like many statistics on crime it's possible to interpret these findings from two different sides.  On one hand, it can be viewed that more and more rapes are occurring in the United States' military academies.  On the other, many people are seeing it as a sign that students are more willing to come forward and report the rape, demonstrating a changing attitude on sexual assault in the military.

Last week though, a documentary shown at the Sundance Film Festival displayed the hardships many victims have faced from not only the initial assault but also with trying to report it within the military.  "Invisible War" is a film detailing the epidemic of sexual assault that has been plaguing the United States Armed Forces.  With the military might of 1.5 million troops, shocking statistics are brought to light by the documentary.  1 in 5 servicewomen have been a victim of sexual assault and 1 in 100 servicemen.

Even more shocking is their path to find justice.  If a victim wishes to report their attack, they must do so to their commanding officer, who in some cases is the attacker.  If the commander chooses to investigate, regardless of the findings or how solid of a case it may be, the commander can choose not to proceed with a court martial.  This process has resulted in only 8% of sexual assaults being prosecuted in 2009.  On top of it being almost impossible for victims to have their cases even heard, many victims have also experienced further trauma by having their careers halted, even disciplinary action against them, because of reporting the assault.

The purpose of the film is not to slam the military, but show the justice process needs to be revamped.  Many critics have suggested the cases be conducted by civilian courts, rather than instituting a brand new structure that would need to be created.

What is encouraging though is the help available to the servicemen and women who are victims of sexual assault.  Organizations like the Military Rape Crisis Center help bring attention to the issue and survivors who have been victimized while in the military are just as eligible as anyone to use the free services of Child and Family Services' Sexual Assault Center.  To contact us for information and services, please call 989-790-7500 or our crisis line at 989-790-9118.

Sources:  http://militaryrapecrisiscenter.org;

FBI Updates Their Definition of Rape After Over 80 Years

For many states, the Federal government has often been looked to set the standards, especially when it comes to legal definitions of crimes.  That's why it became a big deal recently when the FBI decided to rewrite their definition of rape.  When was the last definition written?  1927.

So what changed?  For starters, the original definition defined rape only as a crime against a female.  Males have not been included in the definition since the law was written, even though 2.78 million men in the United States have been sexually assaulted or raped.  That means 1 in 33 men will experience an attempted or completed sexual assault in their life.  For many of these victims, as seen with the Jerry Sandusky allegations, the victimization occurred when they were a child or teenager, but that doesn't mean an adult male can't be the victim of rape.

The sexual assault of men is grossly under-reported for many reasons.  Men and boys are told they are supposed to be tough, strong, and able to defend themselves.  They're afraid of being seen as weak or helpless if they admit to being a victim.  Their sexuality may even become an issue or possibly questioned.  There's also a fear of whether or not they'd be taken seriously if they report.  The truth is rape is rape, regardless of a victim's gender or age.

The other significant change to the definition is the previous requirement of resistance by the victim.  Before the change, if a woman did not physically resist the assailant, it would not be considered rape.  The new update brings the definition up to speed with other sexual assault laws in understanding the role coercion plays in rape.  If a victim is threatened, drugged, or drunk they are less likely to be able to physically resist a rapist, but fear alone can be enough for a victim.  A victim may fear harm to her/himself or to someone else they care about if they resist.

By updating their definition of rape, the FBI has taken a stand for victim's rights.  They have shown a more contemporary view of sexual assault and can set a standard for other laws on sexual assault which aren't up to date.

Using Trauma Informed Care with Sexual Abuse Victims

The Sexual Assault Center of Child and Family Services sees many clients each year, each receiving different treatment strategies crafted to help each person find a way to heal.  The strategies as are as varied as the clients but all of them have the clients’ care at heart.  Susie was one of these clients.

Susie is an 11 year old girl who came to us after being sexually abused by a family member, a story more common than people are aware.  The trauma doesn’t end with the abuse though.  Susie was experiencing extreme sadness, nightmares, painful thoughts, and frequent flashbacks of the abuse.  Victims of sexual assault can suffer with these symptoms for decades without help.

Her therapist decided to use trauma informed care with Susie, a philosophy that someone who experienced trauma and violence can be affected neurologically, biologically, psychologically and socially.  Trauma informed care uses a mix of play, art, and talk therapy to help someone reprocess their trauma, letting them eliminate the symptoms plaguing them from the abuse.

Susie suffered from panic attacks and anxiety, sometimes waking from nightmares and having difficult time breathing.  Using trauma informed care; her therapist taught Susie the Bubble Breathing technique.  She would blow all kinds of bubbles.  She would try to blow as big of a bubble as she could.  She would try to blow as many bubbles as she could.  To her, blowing bubbles was fun.  What she was learning with all of this fun though was how to do a deep breathing relaxation exercise.  Susie was learning to control her breathing, and if she woke from a nightmare, she could practice bubble breathing to relax again.

Susie also had a physical reaction to her trauma.  To help her with this her therapist used a technique called “Where is the Hurt.”  They talked about where in their body they feel their emotions, like how we feel sick when we’re nervous or full of energy when we’re happy.  Susie had a lot of anger from her sexual abuse and she felt that anger the most in her stomach.  After realizing that, Susie was able to understand why her stomach hurt and how she could help it.

Susie went on to successfully graduate counseling with a few new tools in her toolbox to help her cope with the abuse.  She now understands the sexual abuse was not her fault.