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The V Word: Technology and Sexual Assault

Welcome to today’s edition of The V Word. 

Listen to the show here

August is the month we ease out of vacation and prepare kids to go back to school. And with school comes technology. Technology and the internet is used for everything and kids have access everywhere. I watch my friends and inlaws with children try to put in place controls and blocks, but children can still access cell phones and the internet anywhere. And predators online are clever. If you have kids, is this something you worry about? If so, listen,
this week we are going to talk about predation via technology.

Surveys done by the US Department of Justice found that predators seek youths vulnerable to seduction, including those with histories of sexual or physical abuse, those who post sexually provocative photos/videos, and those who talk about sex with unknown people online.

  • 1 in 25 youths received an online sexual solicitation in which the solicitor tried to make offline contact.
  • In more than one-quarter (27%) of incidents, solicitors asked youths for sexual photographs of themselves.
  • 15% of cell-owning teens (12–17) say they have received sexually suggestive nude/seminude images of someone they know via text.
  • 4% of cell-owning teens (12–17) say that they have sent sexually suggestive nude/seminude messages to others via text message.

The US Department of Justice completed another survey to describe characteristics of interactions between Internet predators and their juvenile victims. The survey found that:

  • The majority of victims had met the predator willingly.
  • Of the 129 victims identified, ages 17 and younger, the face-to-face meetings had occurred in 74% of the cases, and 93% of those encounters had included sexual contact.
  • 75% of the victims were girls.
  • The majority of victims (67%) were children between the ages of 12 and 15.
  • The most common first encounter of a predator with a victim took place in an online chat room (76%).
  • In 47% of the cases, the predator offered gifts or money during the relationship-building phase.

And here is what is surprising:

  • Predators used less deception to befriend their online victims than experts had thought. Only 5% of the predators told their victims that they were in the same age-group as the victims. Most offenders told the victims that they were older males seeking sexual relations.
  • The victims who responded to this survey had willingly met and had sexual encounters with the predators. The authors concluded that vulnerable youth need further education regarding the negative effects of such relationships.

What can you do?

In Virginia there are many laws to protect children. You can find them at the Department of Criminal Justice Services website:

To list one =
Statute § 18.2-374.3. Use of communications systems to facilitate certain offenses involving children. Under this statute there is a list of offences describing abuse of children and use of technology.

Any person who violates this subsection is guilty of a Class 5 felony.

How can you help?

  • You can add your voice to the community’s discussion to eliminate stigma, violence, and it’s impact against the youth of our community. There are many things you can do.
  • Get involved with your local child advocacy center or rape crisis center to learn more about educating your children or the children in your life.
  • Talk with your schools to request a education program to be provided at all grades.

For help or information? Here are some options…

If you have been assaulted or your child has been assaulted, call 911. Local rape crisis centers and child advocacy centers have advocates they can send to help support you and provide information.

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 me, Carol Olson. Music is provided by The Etching Tin

US Department of Justice – Dru Sjodn National Sex Offender Public Website

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Repost: Fairfax County (Virginia) Office for Women & Domestic Violence Services

This is a great new collaboration that I am passing from the DVAC and as posted on the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance newsletter.

 

Sexual and Domestic Violence Advocacy Agency Spotlight: Fairfax County Office for Women & Domestic and Sexual Violence Services

DVAC: A One-Stop Shop for Victims of Domestic Violence and Stalking

Photo below: Teresa Belcher, Advocacy Team supervisor and manager of the DVAC project

Victims of domestic violence, sexual violence and stalking in Fairfax County can now access a variety of services in one accessible, centralized location. Located in the Historic Courthouse, at 4000 Chain Bridge Road in Fairfax, the Fairfax County Domestic Violence Action Center (DVAC) is a comprehensive, co-located service center, staffed by both county agency and community non-profit partners. These DVAC partners provide culturally responsive information and support services for victims of domestic violence, sexual violence and stalking and their families as well as promote the accountability of offenders of these crimes through specialized prosecution and offender supervision. The Fairfax County Office for Women & Domestic and Sexual Violence Services (OFWDSVS) provides an on-site supervisor to coordinate services at the Historic Courthouse location among all the partners providing services on-site. The Advocacy Services team of OFWDSVS is located on-site. OFWDSVS also provides management of the US Dept. of Justice grant that currently funds a large part of this project and coordinates and collaborates with all partners to ensure client and community needs are met.

DVAC is made up of the following county & community-based partner agencies:

  • Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court’s Court Services Unit
  • Fairfax County Office for Women & Domestic and Sexual Violence Services
  • Fairfax County Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney
  • Fairfax County Police Department and the Victim Services Section
  • A Way Forward, providing direct client monetary & goods assistance
  • Ayuda, serving the legal and social services needs of the immigrant community
  • Legal Services of Northern Virginia, providing low-cost legal representation for family issues
  • Northern Virginia Family Services, providing multi-language counseling services
  • Shelter House, Inc., providing crisis shelter for domestic violence victims and services to homeless families
  • Tahirih Justice Center, helping immigrant women fleeing gender-based violence obtain legal status and representation
  • The Women’s Center, providing low-cost counseling services in the community

At DVAC, community victim advocates, system-based advocates, and other service providers offer a safe environment where victims can feel comfortable exploring their options and accessing the services and resources they may need. For the most part, services are free and confidential. Some of the services DVAC can provide to victims include:

  • crisis intervention,
  • emotional support and options for counseling;
  • education about the criminal and civil justice systems (including civil protective orders);
  • victim advocacy, including safety planning, court accompaniment, Criminal Injuries Compensation, assistance with emergency shelter, and
  • other referrals to off-site county and community-based resources.

DVAC also provides services to offenders (off-site only) through a protective order compliance officer, including probation counseling regarding compliance with conditions of civil protective orders and referrals to Batterer Intervention Programs or related treatment, family, or social service resources.

Victims can access DVAC services by calling the Information & Intake line at (703) 246-4573 from Monday through Friday, 8am to 4pm.

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The V Word: Stigma and its Impact on LGBTQ youth

Welcome to today’s edition of The V Word.

The V Word: Stigma Against LGBTQ Youth – radio spot

 

Today I have a question for you. When you were in school, how often did you hear, or did you participate in anti-gay comments, listen to or participate in protests against bullying policies that specifically included antigay harassment, listen to and not object to sermons at places or worship or from leaders of religious denominations demonize gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals, participate in or sit passively during campaigns against gay marriage, or laugh at gratuitous humor at the expense of LGBTQ individuals?

Did you participate in that or ignore it? You participated in perpetuating stigma against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals all of whom are our children, our adolescents, our siblings, our mothers, our fathers.

Today I am going to talk about stigma, specifically the hazards of stigma toward gay, lesbian and bisexual adolescents in the United States. People often ask me who is at a higher risk of sexual violence. Despite my urge to say “ well, everyone”, there are studies that suggest lesbian, gay, and bisexual teens are at a higher risk than their peers for violence experienced in the community, in the schools, and in their homes. What is perpetuating stigma? People are, only people can perpetuate stigma and it takes both active behavior and passive acceptance to keep stigma going.

In 2006, Elizabeth Saewayc published a study in the Child Welfare League of America. She examined the proliferance of negative messages toward sexual minority groups across North America.
Stigma hurts more than just words. Stigma and discrimination based on sexual orientation contributes to health disparities for LGBTQ persons. Another risk factor, other than coming out in an unwelcome environment is gender expression. Waldo’s study found that gender-atypical youth, youth that do not display stereotypical extremes of masculinity or femininity are at risk of violence from their families, or experience a lack of protection from their families when they are bullied and victimized. This can happen in families, school and community setting to youth even before themselves recognize or self-identify as gay or lesbian or bisexual. So what does this mean? It means that some as-yet unmeasured trait of gay or bisexual orientation that event the youth does not recognize will put them at risk of violence or a lack of protection toward violence. People do not even know what they are seeing and they will abuse and violate because they cannot identify it or it does not fit within their worldview.

So once we get past the appalling and horrifying feelings toward that… do you know why this is important to talk about and address? Because this risk for violence among stigmatized groups like LGBTQ children and teens are a potent predictor of youth risk behaviors such as substance abuse, suicide attempts, running away, and teen pregnancy. Teens who are abused and victimized often turn to drugs, truancy, and suicide to cope with the violence that is happening to them and the lack of protection they experience.

Are you ready and willing to help? You can help, understand and communicate that emotional pressure or corporal punishment, or violence will not change a child’s natural gender expression or their sexual orientation. If you have been a bystander who didn’t know what to do, you can intervene with information, help and support.

You add your voice to the community at large discussion to eliminate stigma, violence, and it’s impact against the youth of our community. There are many things you can do.

For help or information? Here are some options…
If you have been assaulted, call 911. Local rape crisis centers have advocates they can send to help support you and provide information.

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, that is 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.

Are you a youth who identifies as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender? There are organizations that can help you. In the Richmond area, you can contact ROSMY – the Richmond Office for Sexual Minority Youth at- 644-4800 – centers like theirs offer support groups. Sensitivity training for professionals, and youth leadership initiatives.

For help with counseling and advocacy, local rape crisis 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 http://www.thevword.org

The V Word is recorded in the studios of WRIR-LP 97.3, read and produced by me, Carol Olson.

Music composed by Richard Schellenberg and John Chambers of The Etching Tin

 

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Support funding for Sexual and Domestic Violence to be increased in Virginia budget

The Virginia House and Senate have come back to Richmond to finalize the state budget.  They are dealing with a shortfall and additional cuts to the budget.  Help me make sure that funding for sexual and domestic violence remains a priority.

Below is a list of Senate Finance and House Appropriations members – call/email to show support for sexual and domestic violence services, thank them for supporting an increase, ask them to increase funding.  These funds will go to centers all over the state to provide needed services for Rape Crisis Centers, Domestic Violence Programs, Hotlines, Advocacy and other services for survivors.

 

Delegate Chris Jones (R-Suffolk)  — (757) 483-6242  —  elCJones@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Steven Landes (R-Augusta)   —  (540) 255-5335  —  DelSLandes@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Kirkland “Kirk” Cox (R-Colonial Heights)  —  (804) 526-5135  —  DelKCox@house.virginia.gov
Delegate John M. O’Bannon, III (R-Henrico)  —  (804) 282-8640  —  DelJOBannon@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Thomas A. “Tag” Greason (R-Loudoun)  —  (703) 203-3203  —  DelTGreason@house.virginia.gov
Delegate Johnny S. Joannou (D-Portsmouth)  —  (757) 399-1700  —  DelJJoannou@house.virginia.gov

Senator Walter A. Stosch (R-District 12)  —  (804) 527-7780  —  district12@senate.virginia.gov
Senator Charles J. Colgan (D-District 29)  —  (703) 368-0300  —  district29@senate.virginia.gov
Senator Janet D. Howell (D-District 32)  —  (703) 709-8283  —  district32@senate.virginia.gov
Senator Thomas K. Norment, Jr. (R-District 3)  —  (757) 259-7810  —  district03@senate.virginia.gov
Senator Emmett W. Hanger, Jr. (R-District 24)  —  (540) 885-6898  —  district24@senate.virginia.gov
Senator John C. Watkins (R-District 10)  —  (804) 379-2063  —  district10@senate.virginia.gov
Senator Richard L. Saslaw (D-District 35)  —  (703) 978-0200  —  district35@senate.virginia.gov

 

Thanks to the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance for the information and their advocacy.  If you have questions, please contact Kristine Hall at khall@vsdvalliance.org or 804-377-0335

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the V word: Corrective Rape

Welcome to today’s edition of The V Word.

https://soundcloud.com/carol-ann-olson/the-v-word-corrective-rape-aired-june-9-2014

The other day someone was asking me about all the different ways we describe rape and why is it necessary. “Corrective Rape” was one of the terms brought up. What is it and how is it different from “Rape”. Really what the person was asking is that why is some rape considered a hate crime and some is, well, just rape?

As defined by E. Bartle in Lesbians and Hate Crimes – Corrective rape is a hate crime in which people are raped because of their perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. It is the use of rape against people who do not conform to perceived social norms of sexuality and gender roles. They goal is to punish perceived abnormal behavior and reinforce the societal norms of heterosexuality and defined gender roles. The common intended consequence of the rape, as seen by the perpetrator, is to turn the person heterosexual or to enforce conformity with rigid gender stereotypes.
While this practice was first identified and termed in South Africa, it can happen and does happen in any community. And while much of the literature talks about corrective rape a happening in other countries, do not kid yourself that it does not happen in the United States, it does. All it takes is an atmosphere supportive of hate crimes against gay men and lesbians to contribute to the practice of corrective rape. A study in 2000,as reported by The Human Rights Watch, suggested this “atmosphere” of acceptance includes the visibility of lesbians within a community, a reaction of indifference to hate crimes by the community, a strong belief in gendered behavior for males and females, and isolated locations.

Corrective rape and other accompanying acts of violence can result in physical and psychological trauma, mutilation, HIV infection, unwanted pregnancy, and may contribute to suicide. Corrective rape is a major contributor to HIV infection in South African lesbians.
Corrective rape is not limited to people under the traditional LGBTQ umbrella. Asexual activist and blogger Julie Decker has observed that corrective rape is common in the asexual community. In a 2013 interview in the Huffington Post, she talks about sexual harassment and assault perpetuated by men who claimed to have the victims interests at heart.

Many believe that corrective rape should be recognized as a hate crime because of the misunderstanding of homosexuality and the animus toward gay people that motivate corrective rape. Perpetrators often think that raping a lesbian, gay, transgender or queer identified person will “correct” their sexual identity, orientation, and gender expression. This type of rape is not always an individual act either, it can have a group mentality to garner support, it can be promoted within a community, and then ignored.

As a survivor, advocate and ally, I have found that rape perpetuated under the guise of “corrective rape” is often minimized by the community. Efforts to serve the victim, to solve the crime, to bring the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice are often pushed aside as less important.

There is a viewpoint that all rape is a hate crime, because it is directed specifically against a gender, an identity, a population. Rape is used to denigrate, control, abuse and force power over another person because they are female, they are transgender, they are gay or lesbian, they display non-conforming gender or sexual identity and expression, they are vulnerable due to disabilities, illness, or immigration status.

For help or information? Here are some options…

If you have been raped, call 911 and go to the nearest emergency room.
For information on how to report in the Richmond, Virginia, USA are, you can call the non-emergency line at 804-646-5100, that is 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 those in Virginia who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, and queer or questioning, you can access a free and confidential telephone service called The LGBTQ Partner Abuse and Sexual Assault Helpline at 1.866.356.6998 Monday through Friday, 8 am to 8 pm for help regarding intimate partner abuse, sexual assault, and stalking. The Virginia Anti-Violence Project at virginiaavp.org stands ready to work with anyone who wants to address anti-LGBTQ violence in Virginia and to help build safe communities. The number again is: 1.866.356.6998.

For listeners from outside of Virginia: GLBT National Hotline @ 1-888-843-4565 or go to GLNH.org/hotline/

For help with counseling and advocacy, local rape crisis 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, read and produced by me, Carol Olson.

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The V Word: Violence Against Transgender

https://soundcloud.com/carol-ann-olson/thevword-06-02-14

 

Welcome to today’s edition of The V Word.

I am sure all you have heard about the assault on two transgender women on a train. They were harassed, beaten and one was stripped. People watched … laughed…cheer… and … no one intervened. If a heterosexual and cis-gendered woman was stripped naked probably people would have helped.. well….probably. Anyone thinking this hasn’t happened in Virginia? It has … three years ago in Fredericksburg, VA, where a transgendered woman was assaulted outside a store by three individuals. Again with the laughing and watching by bystanders… only someone who knew her came to help. I was working in Fredericksburg at the time and only three agencies showed support… the anti-violence agencies of course…. No one else…
It’s hard to understand why people didn’t help, just watched and even cheered. We as a society are making gains in getting bystanders to intervene in accidents, in issues involving children, and yet this rarely happens with sexual or domestic violence and does not happen with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Queer individuals. Are we that afraid? Are we still that phobic about sexual minorities that we do nothing to help them? Nothing?

This month I am giving a nod to the Queer community and talking about interpersonal and sexual violence within that population. You can go to virginiaavp.org for more information, events, and help…
Sexual and gender minorities are considered to be at the highest risk for sexual and interpersonal violence and yet have the fewest resources available. Seriously, just how far can we go to marginalize a person or a group?
Well pretty far actually….

  • Aside from all the usual negatives survivors of rape, sexual assault, or interpersonal violence get to experience, if you are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer – you get a few more negatives and a lot more isolated… …
  • You get to feel shame over your sexual orientation or your gender identity.
  • You get to feel fear over asking for help because it may out you or you may be rejected from the provider or agency that is supposed to help you.
  • You get to have threats of being outed –
  • As we still live in a very conservative country regarding gender and sexual identity, this can be a significant threat to keep an LGBTQ victim of violence from reporting.
  • You get to experience threats of actions to take children away or actually have them removed because of lack of parental rights.

I am a survivor of sexual assault and interpersonal violence and I experienced a lot of negatives that still impact me years later. But one thing I did not have to experience is my abusers using societal fear and hatred of my sexual and gender identity to stop me from reaching out to others.

Isolation from family, friends, even the Queer community itself makes it harder for a survivor to navigate medical, legal, and mental health resources and impact healing.

Being raped and abused is bad enough, living in a society where radio hosts and journalists make fun of rape is bad enough, but to add hatred of you because of how you identify, because you are you basically…..are we as a society not ashamed?

For help or information? Here are some options…

Call 911 if you have been assaulted and go to the closest Emergency Department.
For information on how to report sexual or domestic violence 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. The number again is 804-646-5100

For those in Virginia who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, and queer or questioning, you can access a free and confidential telephone service called The LGBTQ Partner Abuse and Sexual Assault Helpline at 1.866.356.6998 Monday through Friday, 8 am to 8 pm for help regarding intimate partner abuse, sexual assault, and stalking. The Virginia Anti-Violence Project at virginiaavp.org stands ready to work with anyone who wants to address anti-LGBTQ violence in Virginia and to help build safe communities. The number again is: 1.866.356.6998.

For listeners from outside of Virginia: GLBT National Hotline @ 1-888-843-4565 or go to GLNH.org/hotline/
For help with counseling and advocacy, local rape crisis 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 http://www.thevword.org
The V Word is recorded in the studios of WRIR-LP 97.3, read and produced by me, Carol Olson.

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Donate Stalking Education and Prevention Curriculum Programs to local schools, churches, rape crisis and domestic violence centers.

Some Resources: 

National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention – Second Step: A Violence Prevention Program

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention – Violence Prevention Curriculum for Adolescents 

Peace Over Violence – In Touch with Teens

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Ways to Support Stalking Awareness #6 – Support a Victim

If you suspect someone is a victim, ask if they are safe or need someone to talk to. Explain that free and confidential services are available at their local sexual or domestic violence program.

RAINN has a list of Sexual Assault Centers around the nation.

In Virginia, the Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance has a list of centers around the state.

The Virginia Commonwealth University has tips for students.

 

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Ways to Support Stalking Awareness Programs #5 – Join your state coalition

One way you can impact stalking in your area is to join your state’s anti-violence coalition and national training organizations.

End Violence Against Women International provides advocacy and training of law enforcement and other allied professionals. Their annual training this year is being held in Baltimore, MD in April 3-5

In Virginia, The Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance provides legislative advocacy, advocate and allied professional training, prevention education, awareness campaigns and a bi-annual professional retreat.

The National Network to End Domestic Violence has a complete listing of coalitions in every state.

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