During Day 2 of the 2011 National Sexual Assault Conference, keynote speaker is Mona Eltahawy, proud liberal Muslim who is working in the global movement for justice and equality for Muslim women, said that, as activists, it is necessary to recognize people’s humanity in order to serve them.

She shared stories with participants about women in the Middle East and North Africa and the way in which they have resisted oppressive regimes in order to help fuel revolutions. She discussed cultural issues surrounding rape such as virginity tests, shame and police states.

“What changed across the Middle East & North Africa? Revolutions are decades in the making thanks to activists on the ground,” Eltahawy said. “Who are these activists?

Keynote speaker at the 2011 National Sexual Assault Conference

Human rights activists that have documented abuse for decades. Recently, young activists joined others by using social media to challenge authority of the regime by saying, ‘I count.’ The idea that we can’t change anything is antithetical to what we are seeing in the Middle East & Africa.”

She travels across the country and speaks about issues related to sexual assault, and she said that part of her challenge when she speaks is to fight against demonization of Arab and Muslim men. She acknowledged the strength of Lara Logan, a journalist who was attacked and raped in Egypt. And she emphasized that the men did not commit rape as Arab or Muslim men. They did it as men of power who were accountable to no one.

“Sexual assault is wrong no matter who commits it,” she said. “Let’s not bring religion and culture into it.”

Eltahawy shared social media clips and campaigns, such as the Adventures of Salwa and HarassMap, that have been created to stop sexual assault and street harassment in Middle East & North Africa communities. She said that one of the challenges is that women and men don’t feel safe approaching and reporting to police in various countries in the region.

The stories that she shared were beautiful and inspiring of women risking their lives for equality, freedom and dignity in the Middle East & North Africa regions.

Organizations respond differently to online hate speech both on and offline

Baltimore hosts this year’s National Sexual Assault Conference (NSAC), an annual gathering of practitioners, researchers and allies in the movement to end sexual assault.  This marks the third NSAC I attend, the first where I co-present with two wonderfully curious and thoughtful colleagues, Jessica Renee Napier and Chad Sniffen.  On the afternoon of Wednesday, September 14, Jessica, Chad and I will co-facilitate a discussion addressing “Online Hate Speech: A Community-Driven Response to Online Violence.”

Much of the work in which we engage as well as that of our colleagues serves to not only validate, ameliorate and give voice to the pain and trauma experienced by survivors through innovative and evidence-based interventions, but also to curb and ultimately end violence through community-based prevention efforts that seek to deconstruct and challenge social norms surrounding gender identity, sexuality and human rights.  While working with rape crisis centers across California and college/university campuses in the United States, Guam and Puerto Rico, my colleagues and I noticed a glaring omission in our practice of response and prevention: organizations lack policies that help to deter hate speech in online communities.  Despite having online comment moderatio policies, many organizations and/or social media spaces fail to keep their users, members or constituencies accountable for their language.  The aim of our workshop is to foster an environment where participants will not only discuss online hate speech, but to also develop strategies of how agencies can improve their organizational response to online hate speech.

While researching online spaces and organizations in the anti-sexual violence field, I came across two creative sites.  The Microaggressions Project: Notes on Power, Privilege and Everyday Life “documents the ways in which power and privilege of social identities is exerted and enforced–often unknowingly–in everyday comments,” as co-founder David Zhou noted in a recent interview with Ms. blog.  What is a microaggression? Chester M. Pierce defined the term as “intentional or unintentional verbal, behavioral or environmental indignities that communicate hostile, derogatory or negative slights and insults.”

As an avid tumblr blogger (and follower), I felt a sense of relief and validation after stumbling upon the Microaggressions blog earlier this year.  The blog serves as an online space where people across identities can share their pain and signal to others how power and privilege impacts people in myriad, subtle ways.  As a social worker interested in language as a powerful means of communicating and exerting identity and power, I find the Microaggressions Project to be a fascinating collection of individuals articulating their shared experiences with systemic violence.  Similarly, the Microprogressions Project is a tumblr blog that encourages people to share experiences of affirmations surrounding social identities.

Both sites serve crucial roles in documenting experiences from a first-person narrative that attest to the systemic oppression of marginalized communities.  One question that arises after visiting these sites for some time: how do we translate our shared experiences into our offline expressions/identities seeking inclusive change?  How do we measure change – because we know it is happening in small increments?  Are you familiar with similar online efforts in other languages or conveyed using different approaches?  If so, we would like to know more!

A packed room during Day 1 of the 2011 National Sexual Assault Conference.

Today marks the first day of the 2011 National Sexual Assault Conference, hosted by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) in Baltimore, Maryland. The theme for this year’s conference is Changing Our Communities, Changing Our World. There are representatives at the conference from all 50 states, and more than 800 attendees present to connect, learn and re-ignite each others’ commitment to this movement.

Day 1 starts with an opening session from Pennsylvania Congressman Chaka Fattah and Linda Degutis, Director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The remainder of the day is filled with workshops and a keynote address from speaker MESHELLE, the indie-mom of comedy.

PCAR has included a variety of topics and issues related to ending sexual assault. Workshops include topics such as, but not limited to:

• an LGBTQ Roundtable;
• bystander intervention as a prevention initiative;
• media and technology issues;
• secondary trauma and self care;
• counseling relationships;
• medical and legal issues; and
• human trafficking.

CALCASA is honored to be co-sponsoring this conference, and looks forward to learning and engaging with new faces and old friends!

If you are looking for materials related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, please visit CALCASA’s official 2010 NSAC webpage. This page is constantly being updated with more information and multimedia, so keep checking back.

Looking for something, but can’t find it on the NSAC page? Email the following people for your specific inquiries:

Prevention Track: David Lee
Advocacy & Intervention Track: Cindy Marroquin
Leadership Development Track: Kavin Black
Technology Track: Chad Sniffen
Film & Media Festival: Jessica Renee Napier
Legal Advocacy Track: Livia Rojas
Wellness Track: Abby Sims
Eliminating Prison Rape Track: Cindy Marroquin
Military Track: David Lee
Sex Offender Management Track: Cindy Marroquin
Multimedia Materials: Jessica Renee Napier
Keynote Speakers: Ellen Yin-Wycoff
Tech Lounge: Chad Sniffen
General Conference Inquires: Harkmore Lee

The 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference is long over — but it lives on forever on the Web! If you’ve been searching for workshop information, resources, photos and video clips, we’ll have those ready for you early next week. You’ll be able to search for specific workshops by track category. We’ll be adding videos over the coming weeks.

If you’re having trouble finding a specific set of photos and/or video, please email me — Jessica Napier — and I’ll get you the resources you need.

Start gearing up for NSAC 2011 in Baltimore!

In a wonderful blog by Laura Fidler for the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault, she asks what is your vision for a nation free of sexual violence.  Above are some of the responses from her workshop conducted at the National Sexual Assault Conference in Hoillywood in September.

My vision is a world full of life-affirming art. What is your vision?

Are you one of those employees that wear several hats within the agency ?  On a daily basis you display your multiplicity of skills by doing many things and doing them well.  You perform your job without hesitation or complaining and are motivated to help clients and support the agency’s mission. 

Yes I am talking to you, the one that skips lunch to sit with a client in anticipation of their court hearing at 1:30 p.m.  Yes you, the one that handles all of the bilingual crisis calls, translates handouts and brochures into Spanish, does the Spanish radio and television interviews, in addition to handling your English speaking client caseload.  Yes you, the one that comes to the office on the weekend in preparation to provide training to all the juniors and senior government classes at the local high school.  Yes you, the one that stays up until 2:00 a.m. to write and submit that foundation or government grant that will hopefully offset the agency budget cuts from the state.  And I am definitely talking to you, the one that responds to the hospital at 3:00 a.m. for the rape survivor, stays until the exam is over and the survivor is released, then returns home to get ready to be at work by 8:00 a.m. 

Yes all of you, the dedicated staff of California rape crisis centers.  You have gone beyond the call of duty on so many occasions that it has become the norm instead of the exception to the rule. 

This behavior that you display while admirable on many levels can have a negative effect on you physically and emotionally.  In order to be an effective resource for survivors of sexual assault you need to give some critical attention to your self care.  CALCASA has continually stressed the importance of trauma stewardship for crisis center staff.  In February 2010, CALCASA held a Trauma Stewardship one day training in Pacifica, California.  We also distributed a book to every California rape crisis center written by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky titled “An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others”.  In addition, CALCASA designed an entire Wellness Track at the National Sexual Assault Conference in September 2010 that was sponsored by the Joyful Heart Foundation.  Some of the workshops from the Wellness Track were:

• Self-Care Tools for Everyone! – Breathing, Yoga and Writing
• Creative Expression for releasing, transforming and healing
• Techniques for Self Massage
• Core Fusion
• The Joy Diet (Self-Care for Advocates)

 The internal calling of a heart for service to help survivors can be strong.  The alarm of self preservation to have a healthy work life balance should be just as strong.  I talked about the importance of work life balance in an post I wrote last year titled “Life is a Balancing Act”.   Having a balance between work and life can restore some harmony to your life and reduce stress.  Take a “time out” to enjoy the blessing in your life.  I coach my son’s under 6 soccer team and my daughter’s under 10 soccer team; that is one of my releases and pleasures in life.  Please share in the comment box below what you do to take care of yourself and establish or try to find that healthy work life balance.  Remember, it is okay to  hang up some of those hats that you wear from time to time.

Bishop Freeze & Lady Tasz perform at the National Sexual Assault Confernece in Hollywood, Calif.

Last week’s National Sexual Assault Conference in Hollywood was — from a CALCASA perspective — a great success. I, personally, learned a lot from many of the attendees.

Although the workshops and plenaries were a large focus of the conference, I think that the networking and dialogue were equally as important. It was inspiring to talk to people who had recently joined this movement, and on the flip side, to learn from those who have been doing this work for decades.

As attendees take this week to reflect, we’re interested in knowing what you walked away with from NSAC. What were some of the highlights? What did you learn? What else could we have had included?

A few people are already writing their reflections. Check out the blogs A Connectionist Perspective on the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference and National Sexual Assault Conference 2010: Ashley’s Perspective.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, 2010 there were more than 80 workshops. The largest track was the Prevention Track sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Workshop Title: Speaking in Sacred Circle: An Indigenous Approach to Assessing and Addressing Sexual Violence in Intertribal off-Reservation Communities

Presenters:

• Strong Oak Lefebvre, New England Learning Center for Women in Transition
• Kimber Nicoletti, MESA: Multicultural Efforts to end Sexual Assault at Purdue University

Description: Participants  in this workshop will experience ?rst hand the power of the Sacred Circle to build and transform communities in promoting healthy relationships and preventing sexual violence. Participants will also learn about how the sacred circle has informed the unique collaboration between two off-reservation indigenous people from Green?eld, Massachusetts and Indianapolis, Indiana.

Resources:

• New England Learning Center for Women In Transition
• Multicultural Efforts to end Sexual Assault (MESA)
• Mending the Sacred Hoop
• National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC): The NSVRC has a variety of resources related to preventing sexual violence against Native and Indigenous women.

For more information contact:
Kimber J. Nicoletti, MSW
Director
Multicultural Efforts to end Sexual Assault (MESA)
Purdue University
231 S. University Street
SERV Bldg. Room 32
West Lafayette, IN 47907
765-494-6871 Office
765-496-7383 fax
[Email]

Strong Oak Lefebvre
New England Learning Center for Women In Transition
479 Main Street, PO Box 520
Greenfield MA 01302
413-772-0871
Hotline: 413-772-0806
888-249-0806
[Email]

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference which took place in Hollywood, California on September 1 -3, 2010, there were more than 80 workshops.  The Leadership Development Track featured Leadership Roundtable Discussions. 

The purpose of the Leadership Roundtable Discussions were to provide an opportunity for each participant affinity group to have an open, honest, and most of all safe space to discuss the issues of leadership from a personal community and organizational framework.  Each group was co-facilitated by a local sexual assault provider and / or a national technical assistance provider.

Leadership Roundtable: Latina /o Community

Co-facilitators: Luz Marquez – Sisters of Color Ending Sexual Assault (SCESA) and Yesenia Curiel – Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, 2010there were more than 80 workshops. The largest track was the Prevention Track sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Workshop Title: What is Healthy Sexuality and What Does It Have to do with Sexual Violence Prevention?

Presenters:

• Brad Perry, Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance
• Bethany Pombar, Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence
• Ashley Maier, Oregon Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force

Description: This panel described a healthy sexuality framework, and illustrate how tools and theories from the field of sexual health promotion can augment primary sexual violence prevention efforts. Staff from state-level sexual violence organizations in Vermont, Oregon, and Virginia will describe and discuss healthy sexuality initiatives in their respective states, from state-level policies to local education projects.

Materials:

• Slides from Bethany Pombar, Vermont [PDF]
• Slides from Ashley Maier, Oregon [PDF]
• Moving Upstream, Virginia’s Primary Prevention Newsletter, Issue 4-1 on Healthy Sexuality

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

At this years National Sexual Assault Conference in Hollywood, CA, CALCASA hosted a variety of workshops dedicated to Intervention/Advocacy for advocates working with survivors of sexual violence. One of those workshops was Healing Child Sexual Abuse Through Qigong.

Presenter: Gayook Wong

Qigong is a 4,000 year-old Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) alternative modality. Taught as a meditative exercise, it simultaneously balances and heals core issues in the mind, body and spirit. Qigong not only alleviates and many times eliminates PTSD from child sexual abuse, but it is effective with all kinds of trauma. You can find more information about Gayook Wong’s work here.

You can download the handout for this workshop here. You can also access a bibliography of helpful resources related to Qigong here.

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, 2010there were more than 80 workshops. The largest track was the Prevention Track sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Workshop Title: STAND & SERVE…Building a World We Want to Live In

Presenters:

• Jennifer Rauhouse and Hannah Larson, Peer Solutions
• Cesar Cristerna, Logan Tompkins, Shalante Perry, Chris Casarreal and Alexia Villalobos, STAND & SERVE Club Members, Middle School and High School Students

Description: Peer Solutions offers STAND & SERVE (S&S), a primary prevention initiative designed to cultivate safety, equality and respect as norms as a means to preventing sexual violence and the subsequent negative affects before they occur. This interactive and fun workshop was facilitated by S&S Middle and High School Students and Peer Solutions staff. We heard from Carol Hensell about how the Arizona Department of Health supports our work. We shared real examples of the steps needed to develop, implement and sustain efforts with an emphasis on community mobilization and relationship building to enhance recruitment and retention. We shared lessons learned from each other about what is working in our communities. We believe it takes everyone to build a world we want to live in. This is a world free from sexual violence; this is a world where safety, equality and respect are norms. We are all Peers, We are all the Solution.

Materials:

• Slides [PDF]
• STAND & SERVE Super Hero Exercise [Word Document]
• STAND & SERVE Memo [PDF]

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, 2010there were more than 80 workshops. The largest track was the Prevention Track sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Workshop Title: The Men’s Story Project: Bringing Critical Conversations about Masculinities, Health and Justice into Mainstream Forum

Presenter: Josie Lehrer, Sc.D., Men’s Story Project

Description:  The Men’s Story Project (MSP) is a replicable arts & community dialogue project that brings critical dialogue about masculinities, health and justice into public forums. In each event, local men share stories about their lives in various mediums, on topics including sexuality, romantic relationships, friendship, family, mentors, rites of passage, violence, HIV/AIDS and spirituality – all with a framing focus on exploration of masculinities and men?s roles; presentations are followed by facilitated discussion. This workshop will present the MSP model and research background; progress to date; future directions; ways to create & evaluate MSP initiatives in local contexts; and ways to use the model to address men?s violence (perpetration and victimization/survivorship) in locally- and culturally-relevant ways. Opportunities for further training will be discussed.

Materials:

• Slides [PDF]
• Description of Men’s Story Project [PDF]
• Read the CALCASA Blog about the Men’s Story Project

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, 2010there were more than 80 workshops. The largest track was the Prevention Track sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Workshop Title: Introducing Vietnamese Community Organizing Work to Prevent Domestic and Sexual Violence Using Community Asset-Based and Close to Home’s model.

Presenters:

Van Lan Truong, Close to Home

Description:
This highly interactive workshop focused on how to engage communities—youth, adults and organizations — in domestic and sexual violence prevention by using participatory assessment as a starting place. It included an examination of Close to Home?s program model, participatory activities to illustrate our process, and community member-created multimedia products. Participants left with practical skills to bring back to their practices.  The workshop was tailored to be relevant to people from a variety of backgrounds including those involved in violence prevention work, and those interested in learning about community engagement.

Materials:

• Read the CALCASA blog about this workshop

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, 2010there were more than 80 workshops. The largest track was the Prevention Track sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Workshop Title: Green Dot Across Kentucky: A Model of Statewide Collaboration

Presenters:

• Dorothy J. Edwards, Green Dot etc., Inc
• Eileen Recktenwald, Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs
• Anne Coker, Professor and Endowed Chair in the Center for Research on Violence Against Women in the Departments of Epidemiology in the College of Public Health and Obstetrics and Gynecology in the College of Medicine, University of Kentucky
• Natalie Kelly, Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services

Description:

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.“ ?Henry Ford.

The Kentucky Green Dot Project is a shining example of how Henry Ford?s words can come to fruition!  Across Kentucky we are attempting to create a “world we want to live (and work) in.”  We would like to share our experience that can have direct bene?t to states around the country embarking on similar missions. It is common knowledge that collaboration is a preferable and effective mode of operation for our work.  But, often such efforts are wrought with controversy, politics and inef?ciency.  This session will highlight a truly symbiotic relationship between the partners of the Green Dot Project in 26 high schools across Kentucky and how coalition building has fostered success.  Strategies which were employed to create this partnership will be discussed, including the importance of fundamental relationship building, clear communications, goal setting, shared vision, ?exibility, and other key components.

Materials: The presenters did not provide materials.

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, 2010there were more than 80 workshops. The largest track was the Prevention Track sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Workshop Title: Green Dot: A Comprehensive Approach to Violence Prevention

Presenters:

• Dorothy Edwards, Green Dot etc., Inc.

Description: This workshop provided an introduction to a comprehensive model of violence prevention that emphasizes the role of bystanders in addressing power-based personal violence (sexual assault, dating violence, stalking). Informed by social change theory, the Green Dot model targets all community members as potential bystanders, and seeks to engage them, through awareness, education and skills practice in proactive behaviors that establish intolerance of violence as the norm, as well as reactive interventions in high-risk situations – resulting in the ultimate reduction of violence.

Materials: Presenter did not provide materials.

• Check out this CALCASA interview about Green Dot

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, there were more than 80 workshops. As a part of the Military Track, there was a workshop called Changing the Culture in the Military to Prevent Sexual Assault.

In recent years, the Department of Defense and branches of the U.S. military have taken steps to prevent sexual assault. In this session, prevention efforts to shift the culture in the military were highlighted.

Presenter: Bette Stebbins and Lt. Colonel Douglas Alexander

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, 2010 there were more than 80 workshops. The largest track was the Prevention Track sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Workshop Title: Creating a World with Multilingual Spaces

Presenters:

• Kimber Nicoletti, MSW,  MESA: Multicultural Efforts to end Sexual Assault at Purdue University
• Roberto Tijerina, Interpreter, Consultant

Description:  It costs too much to print in two languages. Repeating everything takes twice as long! If they don?t understand, they should bring someone to interpret. Sound familiar? Language is a powerful tool used to achieve political goals. It can be used to silence already marginalized voices in an effort to maintain privilege; or it can be used to create spaces for new voices to emerge in ways that transform power relationships and empower marginalized people. With the increase of non-English speaking monolingual communities, these dynamics become increasingly important to anyone working in the field of sexual violence. Whether one works as an organizer, an advocate, or in direct services, social justice work is about relationships and trust. Organizational multilingual capacity focuses on creating social justice spaces where language is used democratically to strengthen cross-cultural alliances by providing the tools and resources necessary for bridging communication across language.

Materials:

• Highlander Institute
• Spanish Basics, 2007 [PDF]
• Equipment, Logistics and Affordable Strategies for Bilingual and Multilingual Meetings, Jefferson Center for Education and Research, Bulletin 3, 2001 [PDF]
• Antonia Castañeda, Children as Translators, La Voz de Esparanza, June 1997 [PDF]
• Barbara Gardner with Christine Smith, Talking Together, Training for Community Interpreters: Interpreters Handbook, 1994. [PDF]
• Various Sources, Tips for Interpreters [PDF]

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, 2010there were more than 80 workshops. The largest track was the Prevention Track sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Workshop Title: Celebrating Differences: Why Culturally Relevant and Community Specific Strategies are Our Best Hope for Social Change

Presenters:

• Lydia Guy Ortiz, LGO Consulting, consultant
• Kimber Nicoletti, MSW, Director and Founder of MESA: Multicultural Efforts to end Sexual Assault at Purdue University

Description: “Building a World We Want to Live In” requires social change. Social change requires a paradigm shift in how we view diversity. We design most sexual violence intervention and prevention strategies to accommodate difference. These accommodations do not engage communities in a meaningful way and only serve to further tokenize the voice, input and needs of communities that have historically been marginalized and oppressed. Truly relevant strategies require us to embrace difference. All communities have specific norms, strengths and challenges. New ideas and energies for culturally relevant sexual violence prevention can emerge when the needs and characteristics of each community are welcomed. Using an experiential learning model, this workshop explored concepts related to health disparities, cultural competence, cultural relevance and anti-oppression.

Materials:

• Slides [PDF]

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference which took place in Hollywood, California on September 1-3,2010, there were more than 80 workshops.  The Leadership Development Track  featured the following workshop:

Workshop Title: Leadership in Changing Time

Presenter:  Christi Hurt – National Resource Sharing Project

Description:  Leaders emerge during times of uncertainty.  This workshop supported emerging leaders at any level of the organization to identify the skill they can develop and bring forward to support the development and momentum inside their agencies.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference which took place in Hollywood, California on September 1-3,2010, there were more than 80 workshops.  The Leadership Development Track  featured the following workshop:

Workshop Title: Choices that Matter: Making strategic decisions to strengthen  and sustain your organizations.

Presenter:  Christi Hurt – National Resource Sharing Project

Description:  Leaders, managers, and staff make decisions every day that impact the long term health and well being of their organization.  This workshop re-framed the daily decisions in terms of their long term impact and provided participants with a set of critical questions to ask when faced with an important decisions.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, there were more than 80 workshops. As a part of the Wellness Track — sponsored by the Joyful Heart Foundation — there was a workshop called The Joy Diet (Self-Care for Advocates).

This workshop was designed for advocates, crisis workers, counselors and others seeking to infuse their day with joy. Exploring strategies for self-care through creative expression, heart-felt conversation and interactive exercises, the presenter provided participants with a much needed self-care break. This session demonstrated the power of art for healing, outreach, education and community building/transformation.

Presenter: Marta Laura Sanchez

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, there were more than 80 workshops. As a part of the Military Track, there was a workshop called Strengthening Military-Community Partnerships to Respond to Sexual Assault.

Sexual assault is a serious problem in the civilian community and the military. To address the needs of military personnel who have been sexually assaulted and to encourage reporting, DoD SAPRO partnered with Pennsylvania Coalition Arrive Rape, Office Victims of Crime and RAINN in order to improve response to military victims. These partnerships led to the development of a training program for civilian victim advocates to better support service member victims of sexual assault and enhancing the national hotline with resources for military survivors.

Presenters: Bette Stebbins & Hallie Martyniuk

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference which took place in Hollywood, California on September 1 -3, 2010, there were more than 80 workshops.  The Leadership Development Track featured Leadership Roundtable Discussions. 

The purpose of the Leadership Roundtable Discussions were to provide an opportunity for each participant affinity group to have an open, honest, and most of all safe space to discuss the issues of leadership from a personal community and organizational framework.  Each group was co-facilitated by a local sexual assault provider and / or a national technical assistance provider.

Leadership Roundtable:  Maisie Tenorio – Northern Marianas Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence and Debra Sue – Center for the Pacific Asian Family

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference which took place in Hollywood, California on September 1 -3, 2010, there were more than 80 workshops.  The Leadership Development Track featured Leadership Roundtable Discussions. 

The purpose of the Leadership Roundtable Discussions were to provide an opportunity for each participant affinity group to have an open, honest, and most of all safe space to discuss the issues of leadership from a personal community and organizational framework.  Each group was co-facilitated by a local sexual assault provider and / or a national technical assistance provider.

Leadership Roundtable: Native American / Tribal Communities

Facilitators: Tami Tejada – Inter-Tribal Council of California and Diane Milllich – Our Sisters Keeper Coalition, Inc. , A Native American Tribal Coalition

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference which took place in Hollywood, California on September 1 -3, 2010, there were more than 80 workshops.  The Leadership Development Track featured Leadership Roundtable Discussions. 

The purpose of the Leadership Roundtable Discussions were to provide an opportunity for each participant affinity group to have an open, honest, and most of all safe space to discuss the issues of leadership from a personal community and organizational framework.  Each group was co-facilitated by a local sexual assault provider and / or a national technical assistance provider.

Leadership Roundtable: African American Communities

Co-facilitators: Luz Marquez – Sisters of Color Ending Sexual Assault (SCESA) and Val Ferguson – Sisters of Color Ending Sexual Assault (SCESA)

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, 2010there were more than 80 workshops. The largest track was the Prevention Track sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Workshop Title: Transforming Communities to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse & Exploitation

Presenter: Annie Lyles, Prevention Institute

Description: Preventing child sexual abuse will require shifting the focus from individuals to environments and from fear to wellness. With support from Ms Foundation, Prevention Institute convened local and national leaders to identify an approach, framework and strategies that could be used to support this shift, cultivate investment in promising primary prevention strategies and foster continued dialogue to maximize change in communities. This session included lessons learned from the consensus process and ways to counter speci?c norms prevalent in the US that contribute to child sexual abuse. These lessons and potential strategies were presented through a primary prevention approach tailored to the skills of practitioners and advocates and a focus on multi-sectoral collaborations. The session also highlighted the importance of forming new partnerships and engaging local leaders to formulate a comprehensive strategy that will transform their community.

Materials:

• Slides [PDF]
• Transforming Communities to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation: A Primary Prevention Approach [Link to download]

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

At this years National Sexual Assault Conference in Hollywood, CA, CALCASA hosted a variety of workshops dedicated to Intervention/Advocacy for advocates working with survivors of sexual violence. Among these workshops was a session entitled: Engaging Community and Systems to Build a Rural Sexual Assault Program.

This workshop provided attendees with a background on the key steps necessary to establish a sexual assault program in a rural community. Attendees learned about the unique challenges in a rural community, as well as innovative models created to establish services in two rural communities. Attendees took a walk in the shoes of a survivor from a rural community to better understand the unique challenges, as well as understand the impact of the community and systems response.

Presenters:

• Alison Jones-Lockwood-Director of Advocacy & Outreach Services, Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault (MOCSA)

You can access the power point for this workshop here.

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

At this years National Sexual Assault Conference in Hollywood, CA, CALCASA hosted a variety of workshops dedicated to Intervention/Advocacy for advocates working with survivors of sexual violence. Among those workshops was Building an Accessible and Safe World: Safety Planning for People with Disabilities.

Does your program offer accessible advocacy services for persons with disabilities? Using the Advocate Guide to Safety Planning for Persons with Disabilities, participants:

1. Learned unique barriers facing survivors with disabilities and in the Deaf community
2. Acquired techniques for safety planning
3. Practiced using the guide Beginning in 2006 through today.

The Safety First Initiative is funded by the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. Development of the OVW approved Advocate Guide stems from the belief that all Safety First activities and products should promote sustainable systems change with focus on changing organizational culture and fostering change in both survivor services and disability services.

Presenters:

• Angie Blumel – Director of Community Relations, MOCSA
• Lisa Fleming, MSW – Chief Operating Officer, Rose Brooks Center

You can download the handouts for this workshop below:

• Safety Planning for Persons with Disabilities
• Advocate Guide

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, there were more than 80 workshops. As a part of the Wellness Track — sponsored by the Joyful Heart Foundation — there was a workshop called Core Fusion.

Fusing the disciplines of core conditioning, Pilates, the Lotte Berk Method and yoga, this highly acclaimed transformational fitness experience incorporates 50 years of collective teacher expertise. It allowed attendees to work from the inside out, consistently delivering results, including washboard abs, a tighter and higher backside, and an athletic toned body. This class was open to all levels and no experience was required. It was a moderately paced 75-minute class emphasizing the basic Core Fusion positions.

Presenters: Jennifer Newman & Lindsay Anne Aamodt

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, there were more than 80 workshops. As a part of the Film & Media Festival, the films Sold in America and Sands of Silence were screened.

Sold in America is a glimpse into the world of sex trafficking in the United States through the stories of three women sold at an early age, whom we now meet as empowered survivors.

Sands of Silence is a cross-platform project encompassing the documentary project Sands of Silence: A Personal Journey into the Trafficking of Women and its outreach digital portal SOS_SLAVES: Changing the Trafficking Game. The online hub integrates a micro-documentary series as well as a game-for-change, inspiring audiences to take direct action through an array of Web-based civic engagement tools promoting real world volunteerism.

Moderator/Filmmaker:

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, there were more than 80 workshops. As a part of the Film & Media Festival, the film THE LINE was screened.

“Where is Your Line?” is an interactive campaign changing how we talk about sexual consent. Using video, WordPress, Twitter, Facebook and stickers, the campaign challenges young people to think about sexual boundaries, self- esteem and self-respect. The documentary, THE LINE, is the jumping off point for an in-depth conversation about the perceived “grey area” in sexual assault, and the myth of the “perfect victim.”

Moderator/Filmmaker:

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, there were more than 80 workshops. As a part of the Film & Media Festival, a workshop was included called Beyond 30 Seconds, on the topic of Public Service Announcements.

CALCASA accepted PSA submissions from agencies across the country. In this session, the audience watched PSAs that work to end sexual violence. Moderator Leah Aldridge guided the audience through a discussion about messaging, the larger campaign and PSA effectiveness.

Moderator/Presenter:

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, 2010there were more than 80 workshops. The largest track was the Prevention Track sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Workshop Title: Rethinking Pornography: Media Literacy in Action

Presenters:

• Gail Dines, Weelock College, Boston, MA
• Robert Jensen, University of Texas – Austin

Description: Using examples from popular pornography websites, the presenters provided a map of the industry and an analysis of how these images work in both complex and subtle ways. The workshop  closed with a discussion on how to develop media literacy skills in youth and young adults. Arguing that the best form of defense against images is education, we began to lay out a framework for curriculum that educates people as to the harms of pornography.

Materials:

• Handouts [PDF]

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, 2010there were more than 80 workshops. The largest track was the Prevention Track sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Workshop Title: Participatory Assessment: Mobilizing Communities to Prevent DV & SA (Close to Home)

Presenters:

• Allison Berry, REACH Beyond Domestic Violence
• Van Lan Tuong, Close to Home

Description:This highly interactive workshop focused on how to engage communities—including youth,  adults and organizations—in domestic and sexual violence prevention by using participatory assessment as a starting place. It included an examination of Close to Home?s program model, participatory activities to illustrate our process, and community member-created multimedia products. Participants left with practical skills to bring back to their practices. Close to Home believes that violence prevention is the responsibility of every community member. The workshop was tailored to be relevant to people from a variety of backgrounds including those involved in violence prevention work, and those interested in learning about community engagement. Close to Home is one of a handful of organizations worldwide that is applying principles of community organizing to domestic violence prevention work and we are excited to share our unique, grassroots perspective on moving from dialogue to action.

Materials:

• Hear Close to Home’s Aimee Thompson on a PreventConnect web conference describing their work

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

Just Detention International - Portraits of Courage (Photographs by James Stenson)

At this years National Sexual Assault Conference in Hollywood, CA, CALCASA hosted a variety of workshops dedicated to Intervention/Advocacy for advocates working with survivors of sexual violence. Among these workshops was a track dedicated to eliminating prison rape, sponsored by Just Detention International. This track consisted of 3 workshops, one of which was titled: Conversations with Survivors of Sexual Abuse Behind Bars: A Multimedia Presentation

This interactive workshop focused on the real-life experiences of survivors of sexual abuse behind bars to increase awareness of the complex issues surrounding this widespread, but often hidden, violence and identified best practices for working with this population of survivors. Attendees had the opportunity to listen to survivors’ first-hand accounts and participated in a panel discussion with rape crisis counselors experienced in working with survivors of sexual abuse behind bars

Presenters:

• Christine Kregg: Survivor Outreach Associate, Just Detention International
• Sergeant Charles Contreras: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)
• Lieutenant Maurice Dunlap: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)
• Norma Riedman: California Department of Corrections
• Troy Erik Isaac: Survivor; Executive Director, Hands On Advocacy Group
• Frank Mendoza: Survivor
• Debora Monroe-Heaps: Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center (Riverside, CA)

You can download the power point slides for this workshop here.

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, there were more than 80 workshops. As a part of the Wellness Track — sponsored by the Joyful Heart Foundation — there was a workshop called Techniques for Self Massage.

Attendees learned some simple massage techniques that they can practice on themselves, which can aid in releasing tension and promoting relaxation.

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, 2010there were more than 80 workshops. The largest track was the Prevention Track sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Workshop Title: From Research to Practice: Designing Community Specific Prevention Programs

Presenter:

• Laura Fidler, New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault

Description:  This workshop will discuss the participatory approach used to develop community-specific primary prevention programs as part of Project Envision, a multi-year community mobilization pilot in New York City. Participants will learn how three community coalitions designed programs that reflect needs assessment findings, are rooted in the principles of primary prevention, and that promote sustainable changes to the social norms which contribute to sexual violence.

Materials:

• Slides [PDF]
• Laura Fidler’s blog about the conference including collective vision for the work
• Listen to the PreventConnect Interview about Project Envision

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference which took place in Hollywood, California on September 1 -3, 2010, there were more than 80 workshops.  The Leadership Development Track featured Leadership Roundtable Discussions. 

The purpose of the Leadership Roundtable Discussions were to provide an opportunity for each participant affinity group to have an open, honest, and most of all safe space to discuss the issues of leadership from a personal community and organizational framework.  Each group was co-facilitated by a local sexual assault provider and / or a national technical assistance provider.

Leadership Roundtable: Persons with Disabilities

Co-facilitators:  Charity Hope – Vera Institute, Jessie Towne Cardensas – Center for Communities Solution, and Cema Mastroleo – SafePlace

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference which took place in Hollywood, California on September 1 -3, 2010, there were more than 80 workshops.  The Leadership Development Track featured the following workshop:

Workshop Title: Planning for the Next Generation of Women of Color Leaders in the Movement

Presenters: Ellen Yin Wycoff – California Coalition Against Sexual Assault  an Yolanda Gotier – Alternative to Family Violence

Description:  This workshop provided women of color and allies the opportunity to discuss key strategies and steps to develop and promote leadership opportunities for women of color in the violence against women movement.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, there were more than 80 workshops. As a part of the Wellness Track — sponsored by the Joyful Heart Foundation — there was a workshop called Creative Expression for Releasing, Transforming and Healing.

With a playful and purposeful approach, attendees explored, un-covered and re-discovered who they really are! Using movement and art, combined with yogic breathing practices, participants flowed through an experience that allowed the body and mind to release stored trauma and pave new physiological and neurological pathways.

Presenter: Allison Talis, Founder, Creative Seeds

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

At this years National Sexual Assault Conference in Hollywood, CA, CALCASA hosted a variety of workshops dedicated to Intervention/Advocacy for advocates working with survivors of  sexual violence. Among these workshops was a two-part session entitled: Building Sexual Assault Advocacy: Key Competencies (Part 1 and 2)

Strong advocacy practice starts with knowing yourself and understanding the key competencies of advocacy. In this workshop, assessments showed the strengths you bring to helping survivors. It provides the base for a personal plan to grow as an advocate. We discussed challenges of advocacy and collaborated on strategies to strengthen sexual assault services, with a focus on dual/multi-service agencies. Advocates left with strategies for effective advocacy and a personal action plan.

Presenters:

• Kris Bein: Rural TA Specialist, Resource Sharing Project (RSP)
• Sally Laskey: Associate Director, National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

You can download the power point slides for this workshop here, as well as the Personal Advocacy Action Plan and the Personal Assessment for Advocates.

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

Just Detention International

At this years National Sexual Assault Conference in Hollywood, CA, CALCASA hosted a variety of workshops dedicated to Intervention/Advocacy for advocates working with survivors of sexual violence. Among these workshops was a track dedicated to eliminating prison rape, sponsored by Just Detention International.   This track consisted of 3 workshops, one of which was titled: Working with Department of Corrections to Eliminate Prison Rape: Establishing Institutional SARTs.

Sexual violence in the prison setting is one of the more destructive forms of sexual violence due to many different dynamics. This workshop focused on these dynamics and lessons learned from the work in PA, focusing on the following. 1. Working with the DOC and lessons learned from this collaboration. 2. What an institutional based SART looks like and how it functions. 3. How high level case review of sexual assault cases has improved responses. 4. How to incorporate local sexual assault advocates into the corrections system to meet the needs of incarcerated victims. 5. How sexual assault of inmates and the prison culture is vastly different between male and female inmates. Specifically there are three areas that meaningfully impact life and culture within women’s prisons that were focused on: 1. Social and cultural backgrounds of incarcerated women 2. Pseudo families that develop in prison 3. Prison sexuality, including consensual and non-consensual behaviors.

Presenters:

• Jennifer Feicht: Independent Consultant
• Hallie Martyniuk: Independent Consultant

You can download the power point slides for this workshop here.

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, 2010there were more than 80 workshops. The largest track was the Prevention Track sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Workshop Title: Building Young Men’s Emotional Intelligence as Part of Sexual Violence Prevention

Presenters: Pat McGann, Men Can Stop Rape

Description: Craig P. Flood and Susan Shaffer, in “Safe Boys, Safe Schools” (“Women’s Educational Equity Act Digest, ” 2000) assert that psychological and emotional detachment – cornerstones of traditional male socialization – lead to violent or aggressive acts, such as sexual harassment. They propose that challenging this disconnect through emotional literacy, especially the intentional teaching of empathy, would benefit boys and lead to safer school communities. Instead of letting emotional intelligence (EI), masculinity, and violence remain buried in the gender norms that populate school hallways, classrooms, and cafeterias, this presentation will raise their visibility and interrelatedness, especially in connection with young men and boys’ roles in sexual and dating violence prevention. Participants will explore their own attitudes and experiences related to men and emotions, learn about the ability-based EI model, and discuss examples of young men learning EI.

Materials:

• Slides [PDF]
• David R. Caruso, All About the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT)
• Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., & Caruso, D. R. (2004). Emotional intelligence: Theory, findings, and implications. Psychological Inquiry, 60, 197-215.004).

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, 2010there were more than 80 workshops. The largest track was the Prevention Track sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Workshop Title: Beyond the Fourth Wall: Using Audience Interaction in Sexual Violence Prevention

Presenters:

• Ben Murie and Amber Kelly, Catharsis Productions
  

Description: Using examples from “Sex Signals, ” a two-person, 90-minute live theatrical presentation and facilitation that uses a unique combination of humor, improvisation, and theatre to explore dating, sex, and consent, as well as bystander behavior and moral responsibility, this workshop will illustrate how utilizing your audience can be part of a comprehensive sexual violence prevention effort. The session will also provide further insight for prevention experts on strengthening their skills through unconventional methods, proving there is often a method to what appears to be madness.

Materials:

• Handouts [PDF]

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference which took place in Hollywood, California on September 1-3,2010, there were more than 80 workshops.  The Leadership Development Track featured Leadership Roundtable Discussions.

The purpose of the Leadership Roundtable Discussions were to provide an opportunity for each participant affinity group to have an open, honest, and most of all safe space to discuss the issues of leadership from a personal community and organizational framework.  Each group was co-facilitated by a local sexual assault provider and / or a national technical assistance provider.

Leadership Roundtable: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Communities

Co-facilitators: Leona Smith – Peace Over Violence, Mercy Salazar – Anti-Violence Program of New York,  Janelle White – San Francisco Women Against Rape, and Alena Marie – Just Communities & CALCASA Dismantling Oppression Work Group (DOWG)

At this years National Sexual Assault Conference in Hollywood, CA, CALCASA hosted a variety of workshops dedicated to Intervention/Advocacy for advocates working with survivors of sexual violence. Among these workshops was a session entitled: Developing & Implementing A Personal Safety Curriculum for Children With Developmental Disabilities

Children with autism spectrum disorder are considered by some as unreachable regarding their ability to recognize sexual abuse. Network of Victim Assistance (NOVA) is empowering children with autism spectrum disorder. NOVA developed a personal safety curriculum specifically designed for children with autism spectrum disorder, ages 7 to 12. This advanced training included: research, first steps, collaboration, funding, curriculum replication, community awareness, successes, lessons learned, and implementation.

Presenters:

• Mary Worthington: Prevention Educator, NOVA
• Mary Richter: Prevention Educator, NOVA

The materials for this workshop are below:

Personal Safety Planning for Children with Developmental Disabilities – Power point

NSAC Handout

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

Just Detention International

At this years National Sexual Assault Conference in Hollywood, CA, CALCASA hosted a variety of workshops dedicated to Intervention/Advocacy for advocates working with survivors of sexual violence. Among these workshops was a track dedicated to eliminating prison rape, sponsored by Just Detention International (JDI). This track consisted of 3 workshops, one of which was titled: Addressing Sexual Violence in Detention: the Paths to Recovery Model

Drawing upon the innovative Paths to Recovery program, which provides confidential rape crisis counseling to survivors of sexual assault at two large California state prisons, this workshop offered a model for how community rape crisis centers can implement similar programs in correctional facilities nationwide. Participants learned best practices and practical skills for providing services to this population of survivors and how to form effective partnerships with corrections officials.

Presenters:

• Linda McFarlane: Deputy Executive Director, Just Detention International (JDI)
• Karin Stone: Project Director, Women’s Center-High Desert, Inc. (Ridgecrest, CA)
• Sergeant Charles Contreras: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)
• Lieutenant Maurice Dunlap: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)
• Debora Monroe-Heaps: Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center (Riverside, CA)

Below are materials from this workshop:

The Paths to Recovery Model – Power Point

Hope for Healing: Information for Survivors of Sexual Assault in Detention

Fact Sheet: The Basics about Sexual Abuse in U.S. Detention

Fact Sheet: Mental Health Consequences of Sexual Violence in Detention

Fact Sheet: LGBTQ Detainees Chief Targets of Sexual Abuse in Detention

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

At this years National Sexual Assault Conference in Hollywood, CA, CALCASA hosted a variety of workshops dedicated to Intervention/Advocacy for advocates working with survivors of sexual violence. Among these workshops was a session entitled:  Circle of Hope: Facilitating Intimate Partner Sexual Violence Support Groups.

Support groups are effective and powerful interventions for reducing isolation and increasing self-efficacy among survivors of Intimate Partner Sexual Violence (IPSV). This practical workshop introduced a curriculum specific to IPSV support groups, with activities that may be incorporated into more general sexual assault groups.

Presenters:

• Jennifer Levy-Peck, PhD – Program Management Specialist, Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs (WCSAP)
  
• Trisha Smith – Advocacy Specialist, Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs (WCSAP)
  

Below are some materials from this workshop:

Workshop Overview

Leadership for a Successful Support Group

Intimate Partner Sexual Assault Support Group Guide

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, there were more than 80 workshops. As a part of the Film & Media festival, the film Boyhood Shadows was screened.

This 61-minute documentary is about male survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Boyhood Shadows journeys with Glenn, revealing a story that began as a young boy under the power of a sexual predator. The film was followed by a Q&A session with the filmmakers and several of the men featured.

Moderator: Steve LePore

Film cast/crew present:

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, there were more than 80 workshops. As a part of the Wellness Track — sponsored by the Joyful Heart Foundation — there was a workshop called Self-Care Tools for Everyone! – Breathing, Yoga and Writing.

Focusing on exercises and practices for stress reduction, anxiety, PTSD, fatigue and general well-being, it explored mind, body and Spirit. Learning simple, easy ways to activate parasympathetic nervous system for calming and grounding, participants played and discovered what their bodies need to be in a state of wellness and how to find ways to live closer to their truth, with intention, purpose and meaning. Attendees left the workshop with solid, practical tools to integrate into their lives, promoting self-healing, awareness and connection to themselves and others.

Presenter: Allison Talis, Founder, Creative Seeds

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, 2010there were more than 80 workshops. The largest track was the Prevention Track sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Workshop Title: Working toward a World Free of Sexual Violence: Virginia’s Primary Prevention Guidelines

Presenters: Brad Perry and Kristi Van Audenhove, Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance

Description: The focus of this workshop will be the development, content, and application of Virginia?s Primary Prevention Guidelines. This publication is an innovative resource crucial to building the capacity of communities to plan, implement, and evaluate effective prevention initiatives. It provides common conceptual ground for prevention professionals, and helps translate research and promising practices into digestible, concrete points (incl. case studies) primed for practical application. It also de?nes basic prevention terminology while also pushing the ?eld to consider promotion-oriented goals, such as “healthy sexuality”. Finally, detailed appendices provide deeper context through the inclusion of a glossary, a list of “Priority Risk & Protective Factors,” and a comprehensive assessment tool.

Materials:

• Handout [PDF]
• VSDVAA’s Guidelines for the Primary Prevention of Sexual Violence & Intimate Partner Violence
• PreventConnect Interview with Brad Perry about Virginia Primary Prevention Guidelines

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, 2010there were more than 80 workshops. The largest track was the Prevention Track sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Workshop Title: Using Freire’s Work to Develop Social Justice Centered Prevention Efforts

Presenters: Kelly Parsley, Carroll College

Description: Most behavior change theories depict a subject-action-consequence model. For example, if I don?t wear my seat belt, I may have negative consequences (horrible injuries); therefore, I?ll wear my seat belt. The world of sexual violence, however, exists outside this pattern. Those who perpetrate often have few or no negative consequences for their actions, and, indeed, there is often much to be gained (e.g., peer approval, dominance). If perpetrators regularly receive positive consequences for their violent behavior, then what theory might work to prevent this crime? One model that can be effective for primary prevention of sexual violence is Paulo Freire?s Theory of Freeing. His model liberates people from biases, allowing them to choose different actions. By freeing potential perpetrators from peer pressure and a world that condones criminal behavior, we free them from oppression that suggests violence and dominance is the only way to be “a real man.”

Materials:

• Slides [PDF]

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

Moderator Ashley Maier poses with Roi Elam & Colleen D'Agostino from The Material.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, there were more than 80 workshops. As a part of the Film & Media festival, there was a panel called Music Matters: Engaging Musicians.

Prevention practitioners often overlook the power of musicians to influence behaviors. This workshop made the case for engaging musicians in sexual violence prevention and sexual health promotion work. A panel of musicians and others involved in the industry provided examples of how they have contributed to social justice/charitable causes, discussed best practice for including them in work, and answered audience questions.

Panelists:

Download the PowerPoint presentation that was included in this workshop.

For more information about this workshop and its presenters, download resources from the Oregon Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force.

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

Vikas Adam & Christina Coultas, presenters for the workshop "Eroticism of Rape in Film"

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, there were more than 80 workshops. As a part of the Film & Media Festival, there was a workshop called The Eroticism of Rape in Film.

In this open discussion workshop, participants watched clips from various genres of film and break down how numerous sex scenes are disguised sexual assaults that are camouflaged through eroticism, romance and other means.

Presenters:

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

During the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, which took place in Hollywood Sept. 1-3, there were more than 80 workshops. As a part of the Film & Media festival, there was a panel called The Media & the Message.

In this panel, Hollywood, Health & Society and writers from three popular primetime dramas (Grey’s Anatomy, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, 90210) discussed the innovative use of TV storylines as a vehicle for raising awareness of sexual violence topics, the challenges of portraying sexual violence storylines accurately and sensitively, and the power of educating millions of viewers about sexual assault prevention in entertainment media.

Panelists included:

To view a complete list of workshops, speakers and information related to the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, click here.

I think the headline says it all. After months of planning, discussion and organizing, the National Sexual Assault Conference is finally beginning on Wednesday. CALCASA is in Los Angeles at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel where the conference is being held.

Today kicked-off the California Statewide Pre-Conference. In this morning’s plenary session, attendees discussed confidentiality, mandated reporting and record keeping. Tomorrow is the CALCASA Annual Meeting. And Wednesday is the big day!

People from all over California, across the country and around the world will be attending NSAC. There are expected to be about 900 people at the conference. Some of the presenters are already arriving, and we’re excited to learn from them. The conference will feature workshops and plenaries about intervention, prevention, wellness, military, technology, film & media, legal and leadership as they relate to the movement of ending sexual violence.

Attendees are  tweeting — so join in the tweeting frenzy! The hashtag is #NSAC. And don’t forget to follow @CALCASA. We Tweet, You Tweet, Re-Tweet! If you have comments, questions or suggestions while at NSAC, feel free to use Twitter to communicate with CALCASA staff.

We’re so excited and honored to be hosting this conference. We hope everyone enjoys it just as much as we’ve enjoyed bringing together all the voices that are dedicated to building the world that we want to live in — a world free from violence.

Next week almost 900 people will gather in Los Angeles at the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference. The 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference Program is now available so you can review the program descriptions and speaker biographies.

Soon we will post information about the speakers in the plenary sessions. Materials from the conference workshops will be also be available after the conference. If you are not able to attend this conference (it sold out over a month ago), follow the conference on Twitter using the hashtag #nsac.

There will be over 80 workshops offered in the following tracks:

• Advocacy & Intervention
• Eliminating Prison Rape (sponsored by Just Detention International)
• Leadership Development
• Legal Advocacy (sponsored by Legal Aid Society – Employment Law Center)
• Military
• Prevention (sponsored by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Sex Offender Management (sponsored by Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers)
• Technology
• Wellness (sponsored by Joyful Heart Foundation)

See you in Los Angeles or online next week.

Digital Story from Jack

I am exciting about the workshops at the National Sexual Assault Conference next week in Los Angeles, especially the prevention sessions.  Van Lan Truong from Close to Home will lead a workshop titled on “Introducing Vietnamese Community Organizing Work to Prevent Domestic and Sexual Violence Using Community Asset-Based and Close to Home’s model.” (She is also co-leading as session on Participatory Assessment: Mobilizing Communities to Prevent Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault with Allison Berry.)

This session is exciting because she will share her experiences to develop a prevention activities within the Vietnamese community using the values, language and resources of the community to make change.  The lesson learned apply not only to the Vietnamese community, but to anyone working to develop a culturally specific prevention effort.

Check out the digital story (link above) from a young man involved to prevent violence in the Vietnamese community.

I look forward to seeing you at the National Conference.

The 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference (NSAC) — taking place Sept. 1-3 in Los Angeles — will welcome a diverse population largely due to the recipients of the National Scholarship. Survivors and underrepresented populations from across the United States and its territories have been awarded the opportunity to be in attendance.

Throughout the application process, I’ve been communicating with award recipients, and I have learned about the dedication and passion that many have for the field of violence against women as volunteers, employees of organizations or as community activist across our nation and the territories of Guam, Puerto Rico and the Mariana Islands.

National Scholarship awardees will bring a voice from rural, tribal and urban communities that will tell the stories of the challenges and triumphs in their respective areas of work to eradicate sexual violence against children, adults and elders. Their attendance will add to the dialogue and exchange of ideas to achieve the goal of empowerment and progress in the movement.

It’s almost here, CALCASA’s 2010 Statewide Pre-Conference and the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference (NSAC) in Hollywood, beginning Aug. 30 through Sep. 3. As we work on the final details of both conferences, we are excited to report that CALCASA was able to support CA Rape Crisis Center Staff in attending both conferences by providing about 120 scholarships!

Scholarship were made available to current 2010 CALCASA Member Rape Crisis Centers, and CalEMA grant recipients, to help support their participation at both conferences this year. Scholarships will cover participant’s travel costs as well as limited, discounted registration fees. All scholarships are on a reimbursement basis and about 55 CA Rape Crisis Centers accessed scholarships for staff to attend.

We are excited to have CA Rape Crisis Center Staff attend both conferences and hope that these events will provide opportunities to learn, network and simply have a great time meeting new people. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Since the National Sexual Assault Conference (NSAC) is going to be in the Movie Capital of the World — Hollywood, Calif. — it’s only fitting to include a Film Festival as a component of the conference.

The full lineup is yet to be released, but I can say who will be opening and closing the festival. On Wednesday, Steve Rosen and Terri DeBono will be showing their film Boyhood Shadows. They will show a film that follows the journey of a man named Glenn Kulik, revealing a story that began as a young boy under the power of a sexual predator. The story chronicles Glenn’s struggle as he tries to make sense of his life as a youngster, keeping his secret and shame inside, promising to tell no one.

Glenn, along with other crew from the film, will be at the festival to discuss the making of the film, its message and why it’s so important for survivors to speak out.

The last film to screen at NSAC is Nancy Schwartzman‘s THE LINE. This film asks the question: Where is the line defining consent? Told through a “sex-positive” lens, it is a 24 minute documentary about a young woman who is raped, but her story isn’t cut and dry. She’s not a “perfect victim” and decides to confront her attacker, recording the conversation with a hidden camera. The documentary includes discussions about justice, accountability and “rape culture” from sex workers, survivors and activists.

The NSAC film festival will be sure to incite emotional conversations, artistic discussions and bring to light difficult realities that conference attendees are working to change.

I’ve been pondering my Utopian world. Most of my requests are petty: more Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt stores, a private jet, a 24-hour yoga studio and an on-call masseuse. I don’t think that this was what CALCASA had in mind when it picked the theme “building the world we want to live in” for its National Sexual Assault Conference (NSAC).

Let me try again. (I’m not that shallow, but I’d humbly take those luxuries if offered.) I want to live in a world where the following iPhone applications don’t exist: I’m Being Assaulted, xOffender and, my favorite, Are You Safe? According to the “Safe-o-Meter” on the Are you Safe application, I’m not safe right now. I’m at risk of motor vehicle theft, robbery, property crime, sexual offense, theft, burglary, assault and murder. I understand that this application has major flaws, but my point is that I want to live in a world where it’s not even necessary to create this application.

How I do I build that world? Dr. Dorothy Edwards addresses some of these building steps with her Green Dot model. She’ll be at NSAC talking about a comprehensive approach to violence prevention. Green Dot is a violence prevention initiative that promotes “any behavior, choice, word or attitude that counters or displaces a red-dot of violence — by promoting safety for everyone and communicating utter intolerance for sexual violence, interpersonal violence, stalking and child abuse.”

Dr. Edwards says that the building steps start with these tasks:

1. Identifying the obstacles that keep people from engaging in prevention and intervention; and
2. Minimizing, eliminating or overcoming these obstacles.

After watching some of Dr. Edwards Green Dot Training in Las Vegas, one truth that struck me was that even honest, upstanding, “good” people sometimes don’t intervene when observing a potentially harmful situation. She offers viable solutions and new directions in violence prevention efforts — and with an amazing level of passion and conviction. Her presentations are more than educational. She’s one of the only speakers I’ve ever listened to for more than an hour and still felt completely engaged and entertained.

I’ll be sure to attend Dr. Edwards workshop at NSAC — learning more about how to build the world I want to live in.

CALCASA was on board the USS Abraham Lincoln.

One exciting thing about watching all of the registrations pour in for the National Conference (NSAC) is getting a glimpse of who will be in attendance and where they are coming from. Staff at CALCASA recently noticed dozens of registrants from various branches of military. This is one signal of an ongoing shift in our field regarding the connection between victim advocacy and the military at large.

There has been a growing partnership between civilian victim advocates and those serving military populations. These ties have been particularly evident since the inception of SAPRO, along with campaigns like I. A.M. Strong, My Strength is for Defending and others. More and more, installations are turning to community-based organizations to provide services on bases, awareness raising or training.

Networking and relationship building between civilian victim advocates and military installations are just one of many different unique opportunities attendees can look forward to at the national conference. What are you looking forward to?

At the National Sexual Assault Conference (NSAC) in September, one of the workshops offered will be about how musicians can help to change social norms. Ashley Maier, prevention program coordinator on Oregon’s Sexual Assault Task Force, and the band The Material will put together a panel of musicians who will make a case for and explore ways to engage musicians in the prevention of violence and the promotion of healthy relationships.

Some of the panelists include Brad Perry, from the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance, and his fellow band members from Worn In Red. The discussion will involve the way in which music shapes environments and promotes behaviors. Conference attendees will learn how to build partnerships with musicians.

For more information about NSAC, visit the Registration Page.

Samhita Mukhopadhyay, Executive Editor at Feministing.com ©jmilles' photostream

As CALCASA is in the planning stages for the National Sexual Assault Conference, we recently finalized details to have Samhita Mukhopadhyay, executive editor at Feministing.com, be a plenary speaker on Sept. 1.

This is exciting news for CALCASA since Samhita’s experience with blogging and social networking technology, combined with her knowledge about the intersection of race and gender, will stimulate conversations among attendees at the conference. Samhita is the web manager at the Center for Media Justice, a media strategy and action center that uses strategic communications and media activism to build a powerful movement for racial justice, economic equity and human rights. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Women’s Studies from SUNY Albany and a Master’s in Women’s Studies from San Francisco State.

Some of her recent blog entries include topics such as: problematic themes in Sex in the City 2; advertisement reviews; the abortion ban in Brazil; and bystander intervention.

For readers who are on Twitter, you can follow Samhita @desifeminista. Start reading some of her blog entries — we hope that you’re as excited as we are to have her speaking at the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference in Los Angeles this September!

As the National Sexual Assault Conference gets closer, CALCASA is calling on its partners to think about what it means to be in the movement to end sexual violence. Kay Buck, executive director, from the Coalition Against Slavery & Trafficking discusses how the work from her agency overlaps with the field of sexual violence. Sally Laskey, associate director, from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center — which is partnering with CALCASA to host the conference — shares her anticipation to meet with others in the field and learn from one another.

CALCASA has stopped taking abstract submissions for the conference. There were more than 190 submissions — we appreciate the tremendous response! Notification of abstract status will be sent in early May. If you have questions related to the conference, e-mail conference@calcasa.org.

Thank you for making the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference a success. Close to 900 people gathered in Los Angeles to learn about the newest trends to address sexual violence and network with others committed to ending sexual violence.

Check out these Conference Materials:

• 2010 Conference Program
• 2010 Conference Program Supplement
• Materials from presentations (coming soon)

SAVE THE DATE:

2011 National Sexual Assault Conference in Baltimore, MD September 14-16.

A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to travel down to Los Angeles with CALCASA’s Public Affairs Director Robert Coombs to meet with some of our members. This trip was a chance for us to hear what our members are excited about for the National Sexual Assault Conference that is taking place in September.

Our visit included a trip to Valley Oasis where we met with Program Manager Liza Rodriguez. Then we spoke with Executive Director Debra Suh from the Center For The Pacific Asian Family. And we wrapped up our trip with a visit to Peace Over Violence‘s new location and a tour from Executive Director Patti Giggans.

For more information about the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, please visit our NSAC 2010 page.

REMINDER: The deadline for abstract submissions has been extended to Monday, March 22.

Brad Perry is the Sexual Violence Prevention Coordinator for the Virginia Sexual & Domestic Violence Action Alliance (VSDVAA).  In addition to being a well respected prevention leader and author of wonderful articles in Moving Upstream: Virginia’s newsletter for the primary prevention of sexual violence and intimate partner violence, Brad is also the drummer of the band Worn in Red. I caught up with Brad as his band was playing at the 924 Gilman Project in California.

Join hundreds of people committed to addressing sexual violence at the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference in Los Angeles. Click here for more information. Abstracts are due March 12, 2010 – please submit your proposals today.

Oakland, CA – Last week, the Bay Region met to discuss activities their centers are planning for Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) as well as share their excitement about the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference in Los Angeles, California.  To watch the interviews, please click on the clip below.  For more information about the National Sexual Assault Conference, please visit www.calcasa.org/nsac.

At the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference in September, CALCASA is creating space for attendees to share public service announcements. We will show PSAs developed by agencies and organizations across the country. We’re interested in learning the goals of your PSA, advice you can offer about the process and the resources necessary to create it.

PSAs should be about one minute, and they should include a clear message about ending sexual violence. This is an opportunity for you to share your experience and to learn from the experience of others.

Submission deadline: May 28, 2010 CLOSED

If you have questions about your submitted PSA, please e-mail conference@calcasa.org.

For this year’s 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference (NSAC) in Los Angeles from Sept. 1-3, there will be unique exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities.   With over 600 people from across the country expected to attend NSAC, it will be a great opportunity to showcase your services and/or products.   This year’s conference will feature a new Exhibit/Media/Tech “lounge” area, where attendees can experience hands-on tech training with social media software or other technologies (e.g. podcasting, Twitter feeds). Or attendees can just relax and connect with others.  

Please visit the official website for the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference to get the lates information: 

Click here to view the conference website and to register.

Registration for the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference is now open!

Click here to view the conference website and to register.

Thank you for your interest. We look forward to seeing you at the 2010 NSAC in Los Angeles this September.

CALCASA received an overwhelming number of abstract submissions for this year’s 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference (NSAC) in Los Angeles.  There was a wide array of outstanding and cutting-edge work submitted for consideration.  As a result, the workshop selection process has taken longer than expected.  We have made final decsions and are in the process of informing proposers.   Unfortunately, not all submitted proposals will be accepted for this year’s NSAC, due to the number of high quality proposals and the limitations in meeting space and time. We appreciate everybody’s understanding and patience. 

You can view some of the selected workshops on the official 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference website.

Click here to view the conference website and to register.

Hotel Information and Registration for the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference can now be found on the new conference website.

Click here to view the conference website and to register.

Thank you!

If you’re interested in presenting at the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference, it’s time to submit your abstracts. For details about submissions, click here.

CALCASA is proud to be hosting the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference in Los Angeles. To get announcements, registration information and other updates, CALCASA is proud to be hosting the 2010 National Sexual Assault Conference in Los Angeles click here.