On Today’s show, Fatima Smith from the YWCA of Richmond stops by to talk about #whYWait and their new teen program for Teen Dating Awaresness Month.
You can listen to the show here
and tune in Monday, February 9th, to hear Fatima talk more about African American women survivors of domestic violence and the disparities of services on our sister show: Community Conversations on Recovery.
Resources:
Today we talk with Ted Lewis, Associate Director LGBTQ Campus Life at the University of Richmond, about Title IX on college campuses, what this means for campuses in protecting students that have experienced sexual harassment and/or sexual violence, as well as it’s implications on LGBTQ students.
This is Part 2 of a 4 part series so please stay tuned! We will be posting the discussion in it’s entirety soon for those that want to listen to it all the way through
Do you need help or information? Here are some options…
You can call the Virginia Family Violence and Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-838-8238. They can connect you with local agencies, services, as well as university services.
If you have been assaulted and feel comfortable with calling the police, call 911.
You can now text/chat The Virginia Hotline Monday through Friday 4pm-8pm at http://www.vsdvalliance.org/
Text: (804) 793-9999 Monday-Friday 4pm-8pm to speak to someone today!
If you have been assaulted in the last 72 hours you can get a forensic exam to collect evidence and receive medical care. You can do this with and without reporting to the police as well.
Want to share a story or ask a question? Email me at thevword.radio@gmail.com or tweet me at my twitter account: @preventviolence. You can read the transcript for this show and past shows on my blog at www.thevword.org
Today’s host was Carol Olson. The V Word is recorded in the studios of WRIR-LP 97.3 and streamed at wrir.org, The V Word is co-produced by Carol Olson and Jenn Gallienne. Music was created by The Etching Tin
Listen to today’s episode here
Welcome to today’s edition of The V Word. Your host today is Carol Olson.
Listen to today’s episode here
You have been hearing a lot about the charge against Bill Cosby for sexual assaulting numerous women. The question I have been hearing the most is “Why did they wait so long to report” “Why now?”
The reality is that many survivors of sexual assault wait to report. They can wait several days or wait years. and statistics show that 60% of rapes are not reported to the police.
There are many reasons why survivors do not feel safe to report immediately. The Sexual Assault Victim Advocacy Center has posted information on the reasons why:
Safety is an important factor. Many survivors will face further abuse, face stalking and harassment by the offender if they report, face retaliation in the workforce and in their social lives.
What can you do?
Need to find the statute of limitations on reporting sexual assault in your state, you can find information on the Victims of Crime . org website (our blog will have the direct link for you)
In Virginia, there are no statutes of limitations in reporting. You can report at any time. Also, in 2007 then Governor Tim Kaine put in force Executive Orders that states a survivor of violence can go to an emergency room and request a PERK exam, that is a physical evidence recovery kit, without having to report to police and that the state will store the evidence until the survivor is ready to report. As evidence needs to be retrieved from the body, usually within 72 hours, this order allows survivors to have evidence collected but still have time to report.
Other places you can find information in Virginia is: Department of Criminal Justice Services website www.dcjs.virginia.gov
For information on how to report an assault in the Richmond, Virginia, USA are, you can call the non-emergency line at 804-646-5100 or go by a local police station office. The main Richmond office is located at 200 West Grace Street.
To get a forensic exam to collect evidence and receive medical care, the local hospitals in the Richmond area with Forensic Nurse Examiners are at Medical College of Virginia and St. Mary’s Hospital.
For help with counseling and advocacy, local rape crisis centers, child advocacy centers and domestic violence shelters can provide services. To find a center closest to you… you can call the Virginia Family Violence and Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-838-8238. That is the Virginia Family Violence and Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-838-8238.
Want to share a story or ask a question? Email me at thevword.radio@gmail.com or tweet me at my twitter account: @preventviolence. You can read the transcript for this show and past shows on my blog at www.thevword.org
The V Word is recorded in the studios of WRIR-LP 97.3 and streamed at wrir.org, read and produced by Carol Olson and Jennifer Gallienne. Sound Engineering is provided by Bryon Connelly. Music is provided by the Etching Tin.
Today we interview Trace G. Fleming, activist and advocate working to end violence against women. She is the creator of both the Advocate News and Self-Care for Advocates, platforms on Facebook to serve advocates. Today she talks about her work starting a Feminist organization, WISE; her work as the Coordinator of the Abuse in Later Life Project and hosting Self-Care for Advocates to be able to provide therapeutic care for advocates suffering from vicarious trauma and burnout.
You can listen to the interview here
Today Fatima Smith stopped by to give an update on the RHART program, a collaborative hospital accompaniment program comprised of local centers around the metro Richmond area.
You can listen to the show here
Through RHART, trained volunteers respond to area hospital emergency rooms to provide advocacy and support to individuals who have experienced sexual and domestic violence. RHART is a regional collaborative between Safe Harbor, Hanover Safe Place, and the YWCA of Richmond. Volunteers respond to hospital accompaniment requests 24/7 and connect survivors with community resources and follow-up services. We provide services to anyone who has experienced intimate partner/domestic violence regardless of race, gender, age, national origin, gender identity or expression, faith, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity and geographic location. Our services are available in both English and Spanish, and all services are offered free of charge to anyone seeking help. – Safe Harbor
Today’s show is an hour long special. Becky Lee and Carol Ann Lajoie of the YWCA of Richmond talk about upcoming campaigns, the state of funding in Virginia and their new regional collaborative hotline.
You can listen to the episode here
Resources:
Show is broadcast on WRIR 97.3 FM and streamed at wrir.org
Check out the interview by Mark Hickman of Inspire Indeed, a sister show at WRIR 97.3 (wrir.org) of a local domestic violence program. Great focus on DV this month on Inspire Indeed!!
October is Domestic Violence Awareness month and this month Inspire Indeed will be featuring agencies addressing domestic violence in their communities. Today we are talking to Patricia Turner Jones, coordinator of The Chesterfield Domestic and Sexual Violence Resource Center. Today you will hear such topics as funding for these critcial programs, community resources, a new national campaign called EndtheBacklog and how it impacts local cities, the national White house campaign “It’s on Us,”and law enforcement trainings/ response
Guest Speaker: Patricia Turner Jones, Coordinator of The Chesterfield Domestic and Sexual Violence Resource Center
Listen to the episode here
Resources:
Chesterfield County Domestic and Sexual Violence Resource Center
Virginia Family Violence and Sexual Assault Hotline- 1 800 838 8238
Get in touch with the program at:
(804) 318-8265
(804) 318-8264 to speak to the Court Advocate
Today Barack Obama published a proclamation about Domestic Violence. While it is always nice to have your President publicly support efforts to end domestic violence, I do wish it was something that was said everyday as it is a daily problem. I have included excerpts below. You can read the entire proclamation here.
Presidential Proclamation
Domestic violence affects every American. It harms our communities, weakens the foundation of our Nation, and hurts those we love most. It is an affront to our basic decency and humanity, and it must end. During National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we acknowledge the progress made in reducing these shameful crimes, embrace the basic human right to be free from violence and abuse, and recognize that more work remains until every individual is able to live free from fear.
Last month, we reached the 20th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). This act is helping change the perception of domestic violence and helping communities work toward increasing funding and making changes. Recently two new campaigns:
1 is 2 Many initiative launched by VP Biden. This initiative is going to raise awareness about dating violence. You can see the PSA here
“It’s on Us” campaign – part of the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault to address the intersection of sexual assault and dating violence on college campuses.
Carol Olson
Jenn
The V Word 