NAESV Statement on New Department of Defense Initiative on Sexual Assault in the Military
The National Alliance to End Sexual Violence (NAESV) applauds the efforts of the Department of Defense to put into place initiatives and directives that strengthen the military’s prevention and response to sexual assault within the ranks.
With the military setting new standards and initiatives promising to make it easier for victims and survivors to report the crime committed against them, our hope is that it serves as an example for civilian institutions to adopt and implement those same standards and practices. The NAESV agrees with Defense Secretary Panetta that sexual assault has no place in the military, but is just as important for us to recognize that sexual assault also has no place in our communities.
Spouses and dependents of active-duty military personnel, who are victims of sexual violence, often receive services outside of the military system. We are pleased to see that the Defense Secretary pledges to expand victim advocate and sexual assault response coordinator (SARC) services from active duty personnel to spouses and dependents. This step in the right direction provides a more inclusive and cohesive military installation and shows that they understand that sexual violence doesn’t just affect an individual soldier, it affects an entire family.
While these new proposed initiatives are aimed at reducing the number of sexual assaults within military branches, it is important for us to remember that sometimes stricter and more intense training and certification for victim advocates isn’t enough. The military justice system and the military as an institution are deeply rooted in victim blaming and norms and behaviors that tolerate sexual violence. Unless those norms are challenged and environments on military installations are made even safer for victims to report, the potential for sexual violence to occur will continue to exist.
Housing Protections for Victims of Sexual Assault
The National Alliance to End Sexual Violence urges Congress to protect victims of sexual assault and sexual abuse who reside in Public and Section 8 housing in the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. Specifically, provisions should be included to:
- Protect sexual assault victims from discriminatory denials, terminations, and evictions due to their status as victims;
- Allow sexual assault victims to transfer quickly to a safer location following a sexual assault; and
- Establish mechanisms to examine and address sexual violence committed by housing personnel.
Victims need safe housing in order to heal and stay safe from sexual assault. Too many victims become homeless as a result of sexual assault. Once homeless, they are further vulnerable to sexual victimization and exploitation. Victims often find themselves trapped in homes where they are further victimized by caregivers, parents, siblings, landlords, intimate partners, neighbors, or others in or near their home. Economic insecurity often goes hand-in-hand with sexual violence.
Poverty is a risk factor for sexual victimization, increasing an individual’s vulnerability to sexual exploitation in the workplace, schools, and in prostitution, sex trafficking, and the drug trade.i People with the lowest socioeconomic status are at greater risk for violence.ii Persons with a household income under $7,500 are twice as likely as the general population to be sexually assaulted.iii Some perpetrators sexually exploit individuals who lack sufficient economic resources, forcing them to exchange sex for survival needs such as housing.iv Sexual violence during adolescence results in diminished investments in education, which can lead to lower occupational status and personal income in adulthood. The estimated lifetime income loss due to sexual assault is $241,600.v
Economic insecurity and the trauma that often follows sexual assault make it difficult, if not impossible, for many victims to access safe, affordable housing options for themselves and their families. Public and Section 8 housing programs are vital resources for many victims of sexual assault, yet these vulnerable victims are not currently protected from housing and discrimination under federal law.
Selected Research on Sexual Assault, Housing, and Homelessness:
- According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, an estimated 40% of all sexual assaults occur in a victim’s home; an additional 20% of assaults occur at the home of a victim’s friend, relative, or neighbor.vi
- Ninety-two percent of homeless mothers have experienced severe physical and/or sexual assault at some point in their lives; 43% reported sexual abuse in childhood.vii
- Sixty-one percent of homeless girls and 19% of homeless boys report sexual abuse as the reason for leaving home.viii
- A study of African American survivors of sexual assault found that 76% attributed their rape to the “riskiness of their living situations.”ix
- Fifty-eight percent of respondents to a national survey reported instances of landlord-against-tenant sexual assault; in 79% of those cases, victims reported that their landlords refused to repair locks, supply heat and hot water, or make the living space safe; made sexual propositions to tenants; stalked tenants; and engaged in unwanted sexual contact with tenants.x
Advocates overwhelmingly agree that Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) housing protections for domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking victims in Public and Section 8 housing environments must be extended to sexual assault victims and survivors. In a national survey of 250 advocates, 88% reported that sexual assault victims often need to relocate quickly after an assault, the majority indicating that relocation was necessary due to the perpetrator living in close proximity and fear of further victimization. In the words of advocates throughout the country, here are just some of the reasons why protections are so critical for sexual assault victims and survivors:
- “On June 18, 2007, up to ten armed youths between the ages of 14 and 18 forced themselves into a Florida woman’s apartment in Dunbar Village, where they repeatedly raped her and poured household chemicals into her son’s eyes and over her body. This victim was not protected by VAWA.”
- “One client’s landlord was friends with the rapist. When she reported, the landlord made a dummy eviction notice, taped it to her door, and then changed the locks. The sheriff’s office had to come out and force the landlord to open the door.”
- “My client was a woman raped by the landlord and was evicted when she filed charges.”
- “The Housing Authority became aware of various minor violations that were part of the police report and the victim was evicted.”
- “Client had trouble relocating because the landlord made the housing department aware of the extensive damage done to her residence. The damage was done during the commission of a sexual assault against the client, but housing was slow to move her and said it was because of the condition of her previous residence.”
- “The client experienced harassment from other tenants, and the landlord told her if there were any more problems she would be evicted.”
- “I worked with a client who had to give up on a Section 8 unit she had almost acquired because her previous landlord disclosed the sexual assault incident to the potential landlord when he was doing a search on previous housing history.”
- One transitional housing provider estimated that 100% of the homeless women they serve are survivors of rape or sexual assault.
Without safe, affordable housing alternatives, many sexual assault victims and their children find themselves physically and emotionally trapped in traumatic environments, unable to move forward in a healthy and positive way.
VAWA housing protections will ensure that victims of sexual assault experience less economic insecurity, more opportunity to heal from the trauma of their attacks and a strengthened ability to move forward to contribute in positive ways to their families, communities, and larger society.
i Jewkes, R., Sen, P., & Garcia-Moreno, C. (2002). Sexual violence. In: Krug, E., Dahlberg, L., Mercy, J.A., Zwi, A.B., Lozano, R. (Ed.). World report on violence and health (pp. 147-181). Geneva, Switzerland: The World Health Organization.
ii Ibid
iii Bureau of Justice Statistics. (1996). National Crime Victimization Survey. Retrieved from http://www.ojp.udsdoj.gov/bjs/cvict.html
iv Jewkes et al., 2002
v MacMillan, R. (2000). Adolescent victimization and income deficits in adulthood: Rethinking the costs of criminal violence from a life-course perspective, Criminology, 38, 553-576.
vi U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics. (1997). 1997 Sex Offenses and Offenders Study.
vii Goodman, L., Fels, K., & Glenn, C. (2006). No safe place: Sexual assault in the lives of homeless women. Retrieved from http://www.vawnet.org/applied-research-papers/print-document.php?doc_id=558
viii Estes, R. & Weiner, N. (2001). Commercial sexual exploitation of children in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania.
ix West, C.M. (2006). Sexual violence in the lives of African American women: Risk, response, and resilience. Retrieved from http://www.vawnet.org/research/summary.php?doc_id=578&find_type=web_desc_AR
x Keeley, T. (2006). Landlord sexual assault and rape of tenants: Survey findings and advocacy approaches. Clearinghouse Review: Journal of Poverty Law and Policy, 40(7-8), 441-450.
NAESV thanks the National Sexual Violence Resource Center for their significant research contributions to this document.
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Op-Ed on Sexual Assault Accusations against Dominique Strauss-Kahn
While the recent headlines detailing both a hotel maid’s account and past allegations of sexual assault by IMF Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn came as a shock to some, for those who work with victims of sexual assault – and victims of workplace sexual violence in particular – these facts are nothing new. Sexual violence in the workplace is an all too common occurrence. It happens with alarming regularity across our country and is perpetrated by employers, supervisors, co-workers and third parties, such as hotel guests and other business clientele. Many victims are met with skepticism, blatant indifference, or with a myriad of victim-blaming excuses or accusations. Abuse of power in the workplace can manifest itself through cheating shareholders, harassing subordinates, and yes, sometimes by sexually violating someone with less power. In fact, tragically, far too often women who clean hotel rooms fall victim to sexual violence in the very rooms that they are paid to clean, just like the woman, an immigrant from Africa, who has reported Strauss-Kahn for sexual assault. Immigrant women are especially vulnerable to such abuses of power, whether working in hotels, agriculture, factories, homes or offices. Because they are immigrants and may have limited English language proficiency, fear of law enforcement, and are often isolated, few of these victims ever report the crimes that they suffer to law enforcement.
If we want to end sexual violence we must assure that weak or nonexistent sanctions are not the norm. Law enforcement officials must be willing to believe victims when they make a report. We commend the New York City Police Department’s swift and diligent response in this case. Sadly, the NYPD’s response is all too often not the typical response of a law enforcement agency. Victims of sexual violence must have information about and access to existing civil and criminal legal remedies so that they may have the opportunity to seek justice for what they have suffered.
We must also hold the media accountable for their reliance on innuendo and salacious details in lieu of objective journalism. Finally, we must confront the thinly-veiled smear campaigns of reported victims at the same time we rush to the defense of the accused.
Constant speculation about the motives of those who report these devastating crimes is damaging to the victims in those cases, to anyone who ever finds themselves in a similar position, and to our social understanding of and response to sexual violence as a whole. It is no wonder that the reporting rate for sexual assault is so dismally low.
Unfortunately, Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s recent arrest has brought out the typical responses we’ve come to expect when a wealthy or high-profile man is accused of such a crime. We hear things like, “Why would a successful, powerful, and rich man NEED to rape anyone? He could have almost any woman he chose, or at the very least he could pay for the services of someone.” This logic seems to conveniently and consistently miss the point: Sexual violence is about dominance and abuse of power.
Why is it easier to believe in the intrinsic dishonesty, vindictiveness, and opportunistic nature of alleged rape victims than to believe in a sense of entitlement, and lack of respect and judgment among alleged rapists? In the Strauss-Kahn scenario some are even willing to accept an elaborate conspiracy theory (that this was a set-up by supporters of French President Sarkozy) rather than embrace the possibility that a self-professed womanizer with a documented history of sexual coercion, exploitation and – according to recent reports – prior sexual assaults could possibly attack a woman with very little power or status.
Mr. Dominique Strauss-Kahn deserves the presumption of innocence afforded to all alleged criminals in this country. We long for the day, however, when we show equal restraint before labeling alleged victims as liars and swindlers. So yes, we are willing to suspend judgment on Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s guilt or innocence. By the same token, we are willing to look at the mounting number of accounts from women who speak of their own exploitation or abuse by Strauss-Kahn over the years. We hope the truth prevails and the public can stop being influenced by the far too common knee jerk reaction that disbelieves victims before the case proceeds.
Signatories:
CounterQuo
The National Alliance to End Sexual Violence
Legal Momentum
Victim Rights Law Center
National Sexual Violence Resource Center
The Voices and Faces Project
End Violence Against Women International
Rape Victim Advocates
Oregon Sexual Assault Task Force
Catharsis Productions
Hollywood NOW
Women in Media and News
Women, Action & the Media
Women’s Media Center
Leslie Thomas, ART WORKS Projects
Anne Munch Consulting
The Feminist Wire
Mia Goldman
Chaitra Shenoy
Gillian Chadwick
Erin Scheick
Roseline Guest
For more information, please contact: Terri Poore, National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, tpoore@fcasv.org
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The Costs and Consequences of Sexual Violence and Cost-Effective Solutions
April 2011
The best available research tells us that crime victimization costs the United States $450 billion annually (National Institute of Justice, 1996). Rape is the most costly of all crimes to its victims, with total estimated costs at $127 billion a year (excluding the cost of child sexual abuse). In 2008, researchers estimated that each rape cost approximately $151,423 (DeLisi, 2010). Sexual abuse has a negative impact on children’s educational attainment (MacMillan, 2000), later job performance (Anda et al., 2004), and earnings (MacMillan, 2000). Sexual violence survivors experience reduced income in adulthood as a result of victimization in adolescence, with a lifetime income loss estimated at $241,600 (MacMillan, 2000). Sexual abuse interferes with women’s ability to work (Lyon, 2002). Fifty percent of sexual violence victims had to quit or were forced to leave their jobs in the year following their assaults due to the severity of their reactions (Ellis, Atkeson, & Calhoun, 1981). In 2008, violence and abuse constituted up to 37.5% of total health care costs, or up to $750 billion (Dolezal, McCollum, & Callahan, 2009).
Appropriate and Early Intervention Can Mitigate Costs and Consequences A 2006 study found that when victims receive advocate-assisted services following assaults, they receive more helpful information, referrals, and services and experience less secondary trauma or re-victimization by medical and legal systems (Campbell, 2006). Furthermore, the same study found that when advocates are present in the legal and medical proceedings following rape, victims fare better in both the short- and long-term, experiencing less psychological distress, physical health struggles, sexual risk-taking behaviors, self-blame, guilt, and depression. Rape survivors with advocates were 59% more likely to have police reports taken than survivors without advocates, whose reports were only taken 41% of the time.
Funding Sexual Assault Services is Paramount The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) has helped to reduce the societal cost associated with the criminal victimization of women throughout the U.S. Based on researchers’ cost-benefit analysis, the net benefit of VAWA is estimated at $16.4 billion (Clark, Biddle, & Martin, 2002). Approximately $14.8 billion in victimization costs are averted due to VAWA, which only costs $1.6 billion to implement. At the individual level, VAWA is estimated to cost $15.50 per U.S. woman, yet saves $159 per U.S. woman in averted victimization costs, suggesting VAWA to be a fiscally efficient program.
Without rape crisis advocates, victims are less likely to receive critical services (such as referrals to community-based services, filing of police reports, information about sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy) in the immediate aftermath of their attacks. Additionally, without an advocate present, secondary victimization, or being blamed or re-victimized by first responders, is more likely in these systems. Both an absence of helpful services and secondary victimization have been linked to increased psychological distress, physical health struggles, sexual risk-taking behaviors, self-blame, guilt, depression, and a reluctance to seek further help among rape survivors. Over time, these consequences can take an emotional and financial toll on victims and the larger society. Supportive, non-victim-blaming interventions provided immediately following rape may help to prevent complex, long-term health and mental health struggles among victims and survivors. Therefore, rape crisis center advocacy funded by such programs as the Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP), Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) and the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant can be considered a cost-saving and fiscally responsible approach.
Rape Crisis Services are Scarce According to a 2010 Internet survey by the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence of 644 rape crisis centers from all 50 states, Washington D.C. and two territories:
- 56% of rape crisis centers had been forced to reduce staff in the past year.
- 25% of rape crisis centers had a waiting list for crisis services.
- 66% of rape crisis centers had to reduce prevention education/public awareness efforts because of funding losses.
- 61% of rape crisis centers had three (3) or less staff.
- 60% of rape crisis centers indicated they need at least four (4) full-time staff to meet the current demand for sexual assault services in their community.
- 93% of rape crisis center employees were paid less than $40,000 a year.
Full funding for cost-effective programs such as the Sexual Assault Services Program in the Violence Against Women Act and the Victims of Crime Act in the US Department of Justice as well as the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant in CDC would equip rape crisis centers to address victims’ needs and reduce the long-term costs and consequences of rape for both victims and communities.
For more information, contact Terri Poore, Vice President, National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, tpoore@fcasv.org, (850) 363-2918.
Our thanks to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center for assistance in researching this briefing paper.
References
Anda, R. F., Fleisher, V. I., Felitti, V. J., Edwards, V. J., Whitfield, C. L., Dube, S. R., & Williamson, D. F. (2004). Childhood abuse, household dysfunction, and indicators of impaired worker performance in adulthood. The Permanente Journal, 8(1), 30-38. Retrieved from: http://xnet.kp.org/permanentejournal/winter04/childhood.pdf
Campbell, R. (2006). Rape survivors’ experiences with the legal and medical systems: Do rape victim advocates make a difference? Violence Against Women, 12, 30-45. doi:10.1177/1077801205277539
Clark, K. A., Biddle, A. K, & Martin, S. L. (2002). A cost-benefit analysis of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994. Violence Against Women, 8, 417-428. doi:10.1177/10778010222183143
Delisi, M. (2010). Murder by numbers: Monetary costs imposed by a sample of homicide offenders. The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, 21, 501-513. doi:10.1080/14789940903564388
Dolezal, T., McCollum, D., & Callahan, M. (2009). Hidden costs in health care: The economic impact of violence and abuse. Eden Prairie, MN: Academy on Violence & Abuse. Retrieved from: http://avahealth.org/vertical/Sites/%7B75FA0828-D713-4580-A29D-257F315BB94F%7D/uploads/%7B316BEE7E-F7BB-418E-A246-AF9BB8175CF8%7D.PDF
Ellis, E. M., Atkeson, B. M., & Calhoun, K. S. (1993). An assessment of long term reaction to rape. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 90, 263-266. doi:10.1037//0021-843X.90.3.263
Lyon, E. (2002). Welfare and domestic violence against women: Lessons from research. Harrisburg, PA: National Resource Center on Domestic Violence/Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Retrieved from: http://vawnet.org/advanced-search/summary.php?doc_id=317&find_type=web_desc_NRCDV
MacMillan, R. (2000). Adolescent victimization and income deficits in adulthood: Rethinking the costs of criminal violence from a life-course perspective, Criminology, 38, 553-588. doi:10.1111/j.1745-9125.2000.tb00899.x
National Alliance to End Sexual Violence. (2010). 2010 survey of rape crisis centers. Retrieved from: http://naesv.org/?page_id=212
National Institute of Justice. (1996). The extent and costs of crime victimization: A new look. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved from: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/costcrim.pdf
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**MEDIA ADVISORY**
Vice President Biden to Visit University of New Hampshire to Discuss Issue of Sexual Assault at our Nation’s Schools and Colleges
Vice President, Secretary Duncan to announce new guidance for preventing and responding to sexual violence in school and on campus
Washington, D.C. – On Monday, April 4, Vice President Biden will visit the University of New Hampshire in Durham, New Hampshire with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to call attention to the high rates of sexual assault and violence committed against young women in schools and on college campuses across the country. During their visit, the Vice President and Secretary Duncan will introduce new guidance to help schools, colleges and universities understand their civil rights obligations to better prevent and respond to sexual assault.
For over 20 years, Vice President Biden has led the fight to combat violence against women. As the author of the landmark Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994, then-Senator Biden exposed high rates of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking experienced by women every day in this country – redefining the way domestic violence is handled through changes in law enforcement, improvements in the criminal justice system and the establishment of shelters and services for victims. As Vice President, he has continued the cause, creating unprecedented coordination and cooperation across the federal government to combat violence against women.
Yet in spite of the significant progress made since the passage of VAWA, the threat of violence and abuse continues for a new generation of women. Young women aged 16-24 experience the highest rates of rape and sexual assault, while 1 in 5 will be a victim of sexual assault during college. With Secretary Duncan, the Vice President will highlight the Administration’s commitment to raising awareness and promoting policies to prevent violence and sexual assault against women of all ages.
This event is OPEN PRESS. Additional media details are forthcoming.
The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault and the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence call upon the Department of Defense to take aggressive steps to change the culture within the military services. We ask that changes be made to create a culture which prioritizes the safety and well-being of its members by proudly working to prevent sexual violence, respond to and support victims, and meaningfully hold offenders accountable and disrupt opportunities to offend.
On February 15, 2011, a group of US Veterans consisting of 15 women and 2 men filed a federal class-action lawsuit against the Department of Defense, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and his predecessor, Donald Rumsfeld. The stories of rape and the response of military personnel shared by the plaintiffs reveals military culture that is permissive of a continuum of sexual assault behaviors, which fails to prioritize safety and support for victims, and which protects and enables offenders. We are saddened to see that measures taken during the past seven years to prevent sexual assault within the US Military and to improve services to victims and investigatory processes have not had meaningful impact.
In 2004, the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence provided written testimony to the Total Force Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee in the US House of Representatives. This testimony pointed out a lack of understanding of victim needs, offender accountability, community safety and prevention with regard to sexual assault, as evidenced by the content of the Department of Defense “Care for Victims of Sexual Assault Task Force Report.” Since that time, experts in the fields of sexual assault prevention, victim treatment, criminal investigation and medical care have participated in task forces and issued reports with numerous recommendations to assist the US Military in changing policies, procedures and military culture with the aim of reducing sexual assaults and increasing supports to victims.
Some progress has been made, but like the plaintiffs in this case, we agree that the steps have been too small, taken too long, and are too marginalized to have made the impacts which were originally intended. The treatment suffered by the victims in this lawsuit, both at the hands of their perpetrators and at the hands of commanders, colleagues and “the military” as a whole when they reported these crimes, is outrageous. As leaders in the anti-sexual assault movement, we call on the Department of Defense and Congress to take immediate measures to further remedy this shameful environment:
1) Support legislation to strengthen sexual assault prevention and response within the military. Provisions included by Congresswoman Slaughter in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) introduced in December, 2010, and the Defense Sexual Trauma Response, Oversight, and Good Governance Act (Defense STRONG Act), soon to be reintroduced by Congresswoman Tsongas, provide greatly needed enhancements to existing sexual assault response protocols and give victims in the military access to legal counsel and increases sexual assault prevention training at all levels of the armed services.
2) Additionally, we urge the Department of Defense to work with Congress to enact a comprehensive military justice privilege for communications between a Victim Advocate and/or a hotline/helpline worker and a victim of sexual assault.
3) The Department of Defense must implement the 2009 recommendations made by the Defense Task Force on Sexual Assault in the Military Services.
a. Oversight for all activities aimed at preventing, reducing and responding to sexual assault must be strategically located within the top tier of the chain of command with the Deputy Secretary of Defense.
b. Prioritize the creation of an overarching comprehensive prevention strategy aimed at altering military cultural norms which may or may not be the same as those within civilian cultures. We call upon the Department of Defense to work with civilian experts to create a strategy which includes strategic direction, prevention , response and accountability. Adequate funding, time and support from commanders must be a part of a successful plan.
c. Improve responses to reported sexual assault by creating safety and options for victims. This includes providing confidential or restricted reporting mechanisms which protect the identity of victims, access to appropriate medical care for victims of any gender, and enhancing access to both military and civilian based victim services.
4) The Department of Defense must acknowledge the unique nature of the crime of sexual assault and change military reporting procedures to afford victims with immediate access to the military judicial process, bypassing unit commanders who presently have discretion, but inadequate training and expertise, to decide whether a report is “credible” and should be reported to other military investigative bodies.
The federal government has recognized the importance of continually improving civilian legal responses to sexual assault reports and has invested millions of dollars to train law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, victim advocates and judges to appropriately respond to these crimes and ultimately improve the safety of communities. Many communities have instituted special investigation, prosecution and court systems due to the unique nature of these crimes and rampant misinformation associated with sexual assault perpetrators, victims and what is “normal” following an assault. Constant training is prioritized for all personnel involved to optimize outcomes for safe communities. The Department of Defense is urged to do the same, and to consult with successful civilian models to identify military procedures which currently block victim access to military justice systems and ultimately increase the risk of additional offenses being committed by perpetrators not held accountable.
5) The Department of Defense must acknowledge the serial nature of sexual offenders and the seriousness of their crimes and act to protect the safety of both military and civilian communities by consulting with civilian experts in the treatment of sex offenders to determine appropriate penalties and behavioral interventions for those who commit these crimes.
Enlisted sex offenders only differ from civilian sex offenders with regard to their employer. Civilian experts in sex offender treatment know that reductions of pay, assignment of extra duties, administrative actions by employers, reassignment or transfer to a new location, reprimands, admonishments, censures or rebukes do not elicit a behavior change to stop sexual offending.
The Department of Defense must cease use of these actions as punishment or intervention, and instead impose meaningful penalties and effective treatment strategies. Sex offender treatment experts know that some offenders respond well to treatment and can learn to change their behaviors, particularly when provided appropriate supervision and support. The Department of Defense must incorporate individual offender accountability in addition to system accountability if they are to have an overarching comprehensive plan to prevent and respond to sexual assault.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 3, 2011 Media Contacts:
Monika Johnson Hostler Terri Poore
Board President Vice President/Policy Chair NAESV
(919) 871-1015 (850) 297-2000
monika@nccasa.org tpoore@fcasv.org
Advocates Stand Against Narrow Rape Exemption in Abortion Legislation
More than fifty national and state anti-violence against women organizations joined the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence Wednesday in a statement asking Congress and the federal government to cease using the term “forcible rape” especially as it pertains to any exemption in abortion legislation. The groups also want states required to continue providing Medicaid coverage for abortions in cases of rape and incest. “Rape is rape. The term “forcible rape” indicates a misunderstanding of both the nature and extent of sexual violence in our nation,” said Monika Johnson Hostler, president of the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence. Sexual violence occurs on a continuum of complex and difficult crimes having devastating impacts on victims. According to the United States Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics, only 31% of rapes are reported to law enforcement.1 The term “forcible rape” is used in the Uniform Crime Report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to report incidents of rape and is defined very narrowly excluding many forms of criminal sexual behavior.2 “Using more restrictive language only limits the resources available to all rape victims,” Ms. Johnson Hostler added. “Every area of a victim’s life is affected by sexual violence whether it is a child sexually abused by a family member, a teenager coerced into sex by an older man, a college student drugged and assaulted at a party, or an adult raped by a stranger or by her ex-husband. Advocates at 1300 rape crisis centers across the United States bear witness to the trauma of sexual violence every day and see the torment caused by the loss of power and control over one’s body—one’s most intimate self—that is at the heart of sexual violence,” commented Terri Poore, Policy Chair of the National Alliance Against Sexual Violence. Research shows that at least 1-5% of sexual assaults results in pregnancy.3 In 2008, the Supreme Court of California upheld that pregnancy resulting from rape constitutes great bodily injury.4 “Most of us can’t imagine what it would be like to face the pain of a pregnancy resulting from rape. The cornerstone of our work as advocates is supporting victims in regaining control over their bodies and lives by explaining all available options and supporting the victim’s decision about which option to choose. If after exploring all of her options, a victim of any form of sexual violence decides that she cannot go through with a pregnancy resulting from the crime, we should not add any hurdles or barriers to the process,” Ms. Johnson Hostler commented.
See full statement here.
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We are excited to announce the launch of a new initiative: Move to End Violence. In partnership with the NoVo Foundation, this 10-year initiative is designed to strengthen our collective capacity to end violence against girls and women in the United States. We are committed to supporting the movement, as well as its individual leaders and organizations, to create lasting social change. We encourage you to learn more at http://movetoendviolence.org/.
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Important Update from CEDAW Task Force The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights November 5, 2010 Thank you all for your continued work toward the ratification of the Convention for Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). I want to share with you some exciting news, and ask for your help. SENATE HEARING We are pleased to report that Senator Dubin (D-Ill), chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law will hold a hearing on CEDAW when they return for the post-election work period. The hearing is most likely to take place on Thursday, November 18 at 2pm. An official notice of the hearing will be forthcoming in the next few days. The witness list is being finalized; we will share more information as soon as it becomes available. This is truly exciting, and presents us with added momentum toward a full Senate vote! ACTIONS NEEDED Sign-on to CEDAW Task Force testimony — The CEDAW Task Force has drafted the attached statement, which we’re asking CEDAW supporting organizations to sign onto. Email Emily Martin to sign your organization on: emartin@nwlc.org by C.O.B. on Monday, November 15th. We urge organizations both to sign onto this testimony and submit their own statement for the record. Submit an organizational statement — Organizations that support CEDAW are highly encouraged to write and submit statements for the record. Even if it’s short and simple, it will be very helpful. Attached is a template that you may use to create a statement. Please submit statements to Mara Silver at Mara_Silver@Judiciary-dem.senate.gov by Tuesday, November 16. (The Committee also welcomes statements from women/advocates from other countries, who can tell their story about how CEDAW has helped to bring about change and what a difference it would make if the U.S. were to ratify CEDAW. If you have the ability to reach out to women internationally, please let us know.) Fill the hearing room – Please plan to attend the hearing, and bring others with you. We want to fill the room with CEDAW supporters! Email Erica Swanson to let us know how many people you will be able to bring: swanson@civilrights.org Send an action alert — The grassroots committee is planning a coordinated grassroots action, asking CEDAW Task Force members to email your members/lists the week of November 15th, to ask them to contact their senators with support for moving CEDAW. Sample email actions will be provided; watch your email for a message from Erica Swanson or Anu Joshi. Coordinate communications efforts — Kathy Bonk at the Communications Consortium Media Center is coordinating our communications strategy, preparing op-eds and press releases. Please be in touch with Kathy to coordinate media activities so we are presenting consistent and strong messages (kbonk@ccmc.org).
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Appalling October
It’s been over 20 years since Robin Warsaw published her historic book, “I Never Called it Rape,” to raise awareness about the reality of acquaintance rape. It’s also been over 20 years since the brutal Pike gang rape at Florida State University ended in the first known successful prosecution of a fraternity gang rape. Despite two decades of advocacy, prevention, awareness, marches and testimonials, campuses continue to be a dangerous place for young women, acquaintance rape remains a very real threat, and young men continue to act out the violent and sexist messages they’ve absorbed from the culture since birth. On October 8th, 12 young people, most of them young women who attend Central Washington University, were rushed to the hospital after a mass overdose on rohypnol. None of the young women had more than one or two drinks before becoming violently ill. Detectives are now investigating whether they were given spiked drinks to render them defenseless against a sexual assault. On October 14th, Yale’s Broad Recognition Magazine reported an incident that happened the night of the 13th: Beginning around 9:30 pm, members of the DKE fraternity marched with their pledges around Yale’s Old Campus (the home of almost all of Yale’s freshman women) chanting slogans such as “No means yes, yes means anal” and “My name is Jack, I’m a necrophiliac, I f— dead women, and fill them with my semen.” The fraternity has since apologized and cooperated with the Women’s Center at a forum on sexual assault. But women still had to experience horribly abusive language making light of real fears and the traumatic experiences of survivors. And it’s not like fraternities have room to joke. In her 1992 book, Fraternity Gang Rape: Sex, Brotherhood and Privilege on Campus, Peggy Reeves Sanday pointed out that the culture of sexual violence around fraternities has been very real as evidenced by both past and recent events. In fact, the Gainesville Sun reported earlier in October that University of Florida police were investigating an alleged rape at the fraternity house of Tau Epsilon Phi. This behavior of college men is a symptom of a larger societal problem—we have not agreed as a nation that women must have sexual autonomy. Advocates are exhausted and hoarse from saying it, but our nation must make a collective decision to take a long hard look at the underpinnings of sexual violence. The Office of Violence Against Women has made sexual assault and prevention top priorities. And for the first time, the President of the United States has an advisor on violence against women, Lynn Rosenthal, who has also spoken often of the Administration’s commitment to ending sexual violence. Maybe against this backdrop of appalling events, and with all we’ve learned along the way, ending sexual violence will finally become a national priority.
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Rape in the United States
Here’s a statement made before the Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs Committee on the Judiciary United States Senate by Susan Carbon, the director of the Office on Violence Against Women. The full title is …“Rape in the United States: The Chronic Failure to Report and and Investigate Rape Cases”. Read the statement here: http://judiciary.senate.gov/pdf/09-14-10%20Carbon%20Testimony.pdf
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Elizabeth Barnhill recognized with 2010 Gail Burns-Smith Award
On Wednesday, September 1, Elizabeth Barnhill was presented with the first annual Gail Burns-Smith Award in honor of her contributions to the sexual violence prevention field. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) and the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) are pleased to present Elizabeth Barnhill, Executive Director of the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault (IowaCASA), with the first annual Gail Burns-Smith Award during the National Sexual Assault Conference in Los Angeles, CA. This award, jointly sponsored by ATSA and the NSVRC, is named in honor of Gail Burns-Smith (1946-2009) who strengthened the partnership between advocates in the sexual violence prevention field and those working in the area of sex offender management and treatment. “This is a wonderful opportunity of collaboration as ATSA and NSVRC join together to honor Gail Burns-Smith who was a visionary in both her thinking and her actions. ATSA is very excited to see how this collaborative effort will grow in the future,” added Maia Christopher, Executive Director of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers. From 1982 to 2004, Burns-Smith was the Executive Director of Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Center (CONNSACS). Over the past 20 years, her accomplishments have impacted those in Connecticut and across the U.S. In Connecticut, Gail instituted one of the first Spanish-language hotlines for sexual assault victims. On a national level, she co-founded the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence. She was one of the first national leaders to establish meaningful collaborative partnerships between advocates working on behalf of sexual assault victims and those working to effectively manage and treat sex offenders. She recognized that victim/survivors and offenders live in the same communities, in fact oftentimes in the same family; and the needs of both should be addressed in order to ensure safety. Similarly to Burns-Smith’s work, Barnhill continues to build effective partnerships between advocates who work on behalf of victims and those who work with and treat sex offenders. As, Executive Director of IowaCASA for over 20 years, she serves on numerous state boards and committees related to victim advocacy and sex offender management. She is a founding member of the Iowa Board for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers and provides leadership for the National Sexual Assault Coalition Resource Sharing Project. She is also a past president and founding member of the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence. Karen Baker, NSVRC Director, said “I can’t imagine a more appropriate person to be the first recipient of this award. Beth is a highly respected advocate and leader in both realms. She is establishing a very high bar for future recipients of this award. Gail would be pleased.” ___________________________________________________________________ Happy Women’s Equality Day! In honor of the day, President Obama issued a Proclamation. In addition, Tina Tchen, Executive Director of the White House Counsel on Women and Girls, participated in a live webchat yesterday. You can watch her answer questions during the chat here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/08/26/what-you-missed-open-questions-90th-anniversary-women-s-right-vote
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release August 26, 2010
WOMEN’S EQUALITY DAY, 2010
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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Ninety years ago, on August 26, 1920, the ratification of the 19th Amendment to our Constitution was completed, guaranteeing women the right to vote, renewing our commitment to equality and justice, and marking a turning point in our Nation’s history. As we celebrate this important milestone and the achievements and shattered ceilings of the past, we also recognize the inequalities that remain and our charge to overcome them. In a letter to John Adams, who was then serving as a delegate to the First Continental Congress, Abigail Adams once implored her husband to “remember the ladies” in the “new code of laws” of our fledgling country. It has taken the collective efforts of daring and tenacious women over many generations to realize the principles and freedoms enshrined in our Constitution. Standing on the shoulders of these trailblazers, we pay tribute to the brave women who dot the pages of our history books, and to those who have quietly broken barriers in our workplaces, communities, and society. We can see the remarkable fruits of past struggles and victories today. For nearly two centuries, America could only imagine a female justice sitting on the Supreme Court of the United States. Today, for the first time in our Nation’s history, three women sit on the bench of the highest court of the land, and I am proud to be the first President to nominate two women to the Court. Women lead in boardrooms and in our Armed Forces, in classrooms and conference rooms, and in every sector of society. Their boundless determination has enabled today’s young women to dream bigger as they see themselves reflected at the highest levels of business, communications, and public service — including in my Administration and Cabinet. If we continue to fight for our hopes and aspirations, there will be no limit to the possibilities for our daughters and granddaughters. As we celebrate 90 years of progress on Women’s Equality Day, we also recognize the realities of the present. Women comprise less than one-fifth of our Congress and account for a mere fraction of the chief executives at the helm of our biggest companies. Women hold only 27 percent of jobs in science and engineering, which are critical to our economic growth in a 21st-century economy. And, almost 50 years after the Equal Pay Act was enacted, American women still only earn 77 cents for more every dollar men earn. This gap increases among minority women and those living with disabilities. These disparities remind us that our work remains unfinished. My Administration remains committed to advancing women’s equality in all areas of our society and around the world. I was proud to create the White House Council on Women and Girls to help ensure that American women and girls are treated fairly in all matters of public policy. I also appointed the first White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, whose leadership will guide my Administration in confronting violence and sexual assault against women. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first bill I signed as President, restored basic protections against pay discrimination for women, and to build upon that law, I support passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act. I have also established the National Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force to ensure equal pay laws are vigorously enforced throughout the country. Workplace flexibility is also important to women and families, and we will continue coordinating with Federal agencies to make quality child care more affordable, promote work policies that improve work-family balance, and advance the economic development and security of all women. Fifteen years after the world gathered in Beijing for the Fourth World Conference on Women, far too many women around the world still lack access to basic education and economic opportunity, face gender-based violence, and cannot participate fully and equally in their societies. To help address this, I appointed the first-ever Ambassador at Large for Global Women’s Issues to elevate the importance of women’s empowerment in all aspects of our foreign policy. From Afghanistan to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United States will continue its commitment to the rights of women around the world. Women’s rights are ultimately human rights, and the march for equality will not end until full parity and equal opportunity are attained in every State and workplace across our Nation. It remains our responsibility to ensure that the principles of justice and equality apply to all Americans, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, or socioeconomic status. If we stay true to our founding ideals and the example of those who insisted upon nothing less than full equality, we can and will perpetuate the line of progress that runs throughout our Nation’s history for generations to come. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim August 26, 2010, as Women’s Equality Day. I call upon the people of the United States to celebrate the achievements of women and recommit themselves to the goal of true gender equality in this country. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth. BARACK OBAMA