Blog Archives

August 2015 Community Education E-bulletin

8/4/2015

Welcome to the August 2015 edition of Hope House's Community Education E-bulletin!

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1. New Prevention Project Coordinator Position Opening
2. Upcoming Events
3. Donation Needs
4. Sexual Assault
5. Domestic Violence

6. Children & Youth
7. Miscellaneous News
8. Local News
9. Parents' and Youth Service Providers' Section
10. Resources

New Prevention Project Coordinator Position Opening
We are excited to announce a new position opening at Hope House, the Prevention Project Coordinator. Please help us spread the word to anyone that may be interested in making a difference by working to bring about social change and healthier communities. The job posting and description can be found by going to our Career Opportunities page.

Upcoming Events
Be sure to check Hope House's Events page to learn more about upcoming community safety events and a workshop on understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences.

Hope House Donation Needs
Monetary donations are most needed. Individuals have the option of donating online. Please note that a portion of your online donation will go towards PayPal fees. Donations can be mailed to Hope House, P.O. Box 557, Baraboo, WI 53913. We also appreciate gas cards, gift cards (Walmart, Kwik Trip, Walgreens, Kohl’s), taxi vouchers from Baraboo Taxi, and used cell phones, iPods and iPads. Please note that we are not accepting stuffed animals/plush toys, used toys, clothes (except for new sweatshirts and sweatpants), shoes, used books, furniture, TVs, bar soap, hats, scarves or travel-size bottles of shampoo, conditioner, or body wash. Current needs include

Bathrooms: Toilet paper, Deodorant, Disposable razors, Small garbage cans with bags, Nail clippers, Toilet bowl cleaner, Cleaning supplies such as Lysol disinfecting spray and floor cleaner, Clorox wipes, Hairspray, Bleach, Bathroom rugs and bath mats
Kitchen: Ziploc bags, Tupperware, Small mason jars, Dishwasher soap, 13-Gallon garbage bags, Paper towels, Silverware, Brush for cleaning bottles, Fruit juice, Sip cups, Milk, Saran wrap, Aluminum foil
Laundry: Power laundry detergent, Dryer sheets, Fabric softener sheets
Clothing for Women and Kids: Winter boots, Socks, Women’s underwear, Medium-Large size pajamas, New sweatshirts and sweatpants
Misc: New white full/twin bed sheets, Double stroller, Pack 'n Play, Baby wipes, Band-Aids, Diapers and pull-ups, Pocket-sized calendars, Strollers, Baby bottles, Umbrellas, Hangers, Weather radio, Journals, Exercise balls, Yoga/exercise DVDs, Relaxation CDs, Baby thermometer, CD players, Regular light bulbs

Special Note about Travel-Size Items: We encourage those looking to donate travel-size items to donate them to the Backpack Project. The Backpack Project strives to provide Baraboo School District students who are financially challenged to enter the school doors on the first day ‘just like everyone else’ and to show these children the community supports and encourages them to learn and do their best. If interested in donating towards this project, please contact Becky Hovde at 608-963-8230 or hivebiz@centurytel.net.

News & Research
Sexual Assault

35 Women and #TheEmptyChair: “That was the cover of this week's issue of New York — thirty-five women who have accused Bill Cosby of assault. And one empty chair. That chair signifies the 11 other women who have accused Cosby of assault, but weren't photographed for the magazine. But it also represents the countless other women who have been sexually assaulted, but have been unable or unwilling to come forward…About half an hour after the launch, we started to notice the hashtag #TheEmptyChair circulating on social media. This was not part of our elaborate launch plan — credit goes to Elon James White (a journalist and publisher of This Week in Blackness) for first using it, and the thousands of readers who continued the conversation about sexual assault”…Read more
The Aftermath Of Bill Cosby's Admission? That's Rape Culture: "The fact Cosby's leaked confession holds more weight than the voices of over 40 women who have come out with accusations against him over the years, is horrifying...Proof beyond a reasonable doubt is needed in a court of law, but the court of public opinion does not require the same standards. We should be able to decide for ourselves and listen to the stories of Cosby's accusers who have gained nothing by speaking out”…Read more
Tens of Thousands of Rape Kits Go Untested Across USA: “In the most detailed nationwide inventory of untested rape kits ever, USA TODAY and journalists from more than 75 Gannett newspapers and TEGNA TV stations have found at least 70,000 neglected kits in an open-records campaign covering 1,000-plus police agencies – and counting. Despite its scope, the agency-by-agency count covers a fraction of the nation's 18,000 police departments, suggesting the number of untested rape kits reaches into the hundreds of thousands”…Read more
[Milwaukee] Woman 82, who was Sexually Assaulted, Waited 3 Hours for Police to Arrive

What College Students Want Their Younger Siblings To Know About Sex: “That’s the question that Josy Jablons, a student at New York University, posed to her classmates this year. She wanted to get her fellow college students thinking more seriously about how to address campus sexual assault”…Read more
What a First Kiss Feels Like after a Sexual Assault: “Reddit user throwawayballet shared a victory with the world, ‘I like kissing again!’ The story, which surged to the top of the front page of the Internet, highlights a widespread but often private plight among survivors of sexual assault: Even the smallest gestures of affection can be difficult in the aftermath of trauma”…Read more
“That’s What Happened between Me and Clark”: Revising Old Hollywood’s Greatest Scandal: “Loretta Young made her name in Classic Hollywood as a great beauty — and for the cover-up of one of the industry’s greatest scandals: concealing a child, born out of wedlock, with Clark Gable, one of the era’s biggest stars. It wasn’t until recently that even Young learned the right words [date rape] for what she’d been hiding for decades”…Read more
Mennonites Apologize for History of Sex Abuse following Theologian John Howard Yoder Scandal: “From seminars to a service of lament to a statement confessing its failure to offer healing for survivors, sexual abuse was a prominent topic at the Mennonite Church USA’s biennial convention, which concluded Sunday (July 5). Not prominently mentioned, but on many people’s minds, was the denomination’s complicity in the rampant sexual violations by one of its most distinguished members, the late theologian John Howard Yoder”…Read more

Domestic Violence

Hostage and Barricade Incidents and Domestic Violence: Helping Police to See the Invisible Walls: “According to the FBI's Hostage Barricade Database System (HOBAS), 49 percent of hostage-taking and barricade situations involve a family member, spouse/ex-spouse or significant other. Training now exists in some parts of the country to prepare negotiators for the unique aspects of a domestic violence-related incident. The training entails helping law enforcement officers to recognize that these situations often have a history in which the female victim has endured prior hostage-making tactics such as isolation, threats, coercion, intimidation, and violence long before the current crisis. Partners of these men have often been subjected to three conditions that are now recognized as risk factors for intimate partner homicide: extreme control over their daily activities, isolation from family and friends and constant surveillance or stalking”…Read more
One Simple Idea That Could Reduce Domestic Violence: “A report released Tuesday is proposing a simple way to reduce domestic violence: Give victims free lawyers. Lawyers are expensive, and women who need them often can't afford them. Without legal counsel, it can be harder for women to get protective orders, leave their abusive partners and escape the cycle of violence. And women stuck in violent relationships tend to miss work because of injury or rack up hospital bills they can never pay off, according to the report by The Institute for Policy Integrity, a nonpartisan think tank”…Read more

Louisiana Shooter John Houser had History of Domestic Violence: "The man who police say opened fire Thursday night inside a showing of the Amy Schumer movie 'Trainwreck,' killing two women and wounding nine other people, had a history of domestic violence. Houser committed suicide at the scene. In 2008, John 'Rusty' Houser's wife and daughter filed an order of protection against him after he allegedly 'perpetrated acts of family violence' and threatened them over his daughter's impending marriage"...Read more

4 TED Speakers Who Aim to Inspire Change: “Advocates are out there, speaking on [survivors’] behalf to educate the public on the dangers of domestic violence and the struggles that haunt the survivors. Check out these TED Talks for inspiring messages from three such advocates and share them to help spread the word”…View the videos
Ex-49er Ray McDonald Charged with Domestic Violence: “Ray McDonald has been charged with felony false imprisonment stemming from a domestic violence incident earlier this year during which he assaulted a woman as she was holding their 2-month old infant. The 30-year-old former football player is also charged with misdemeanor domestic violence, child endangerment and with violating a court order that he stay away from the victim. If convicted, his sentence could be up to three years in prison”…Read more

Children & Youth

This Teen Used Her Make-A-Wish To Share Her Story Of Sexual Abuse: “For her Make-A-Wish, Lena wanted to spend a weekend with her two close friends Peach and Mariah – who have also experienced sexual abuse and domestic violence — have a photo shoot together while sharing her story of abuse to challenge the common perceptions of victims, fight the social stigma surrounding abuse, and inspire other victims to speak out and seek support”…Read more
Making Bullying Prevention Part of the Medical Profession’s DNA: “For example, families trust their pediatricians, in many cases more than any other adult outside of the home. We should be at the forefront of planning community prevention strategies and developing multidisciplinary partnerships with community leaders and professionals to promote the well-being of children and families beyond the ones we already have close relationships with. Bullying happens anywhere children and youth gather, learn and socialize. It is not confined to the playground or high school locker room. This is why pediatricians, physician assistants, nurses and public health officials alike need to engage a variety of stakeholders in bullying prevention”…Read more
U.S. Hospitals May Often Miss Signs of Child Abuse: “That guide, from the American Academy of Pediatrics, says that when a child younger than 2 has injuries that suggest possible physical abuse, doctors should order X-rays to look for ‘occult’ bone fractures. Those are bone breaks that aren't readily apparent during an exam, and may be old injuries healing on their own. An occult bone fracture does not always need treatment, but it can help confirm suspicions of abuse…her team found that only about half of babies with suspicious injuries were screened for hidden fractures -- even among those already diagnosed with abuse”…Read more

The Girls Matter Too: Addressing the Girls' Sexual Abuse to Prison Pipeline: “We must see what is happening to our girls at the intersection of race, gender and poverty. The terrible truth is that if you are a poor Black or Brown girl who is victimized by sexual or physical violence and trauma, your suffering is denied. Instead, you are punished for it. You are told you are not a victim of child rape, you are a child prostitute; you are not a scared, hurt girl trying to run away from an abusive parent, you are a delinquent; you are not a survivor of the sexual assault perpetrated by those you were suppose to trust, you are a bad girl”…Read more…Read related article: History of Abuse Seen in Many Girls in Juvenile System
Why Schools Over-Discipline Children With Disabilities: “The White House spotlighted punitive discipline this week, coincidentally coinciding with the ADA’s anniversary, in a gathering of educators, policymakers, and nonprofit leaders. They discussed how each suspension increases a child’s odds of becoming delinquent, abusing substances, connecting with gangs, dropping out, and falling into the 'school-to-prison pipeline'...The dire situation has prompted an Obama-administration initiative to improve “school climate”and efforts in some large, urban school districts, such as Los Angeles, to ban suspensions for non-violent offenses”…Read more
LGBT Students Face More Sexual Harassment And Assault, And More Trouble Reporting It: “Lea Roth, who also prefers ‘they’ and ‘them’ pronouns, said they were raped by a woman before starting at Dartmouth College. The woman was Roth's partner in a relationship, and Roth remembered feeling dependent on the assailant. ‘I wasn't being supported by my family at that time…So I felt reliant on that partner and their family that was more supportive of my identity as a gay person’”…Read more
Guest Editorial by Tonette Walker: Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect is a Moral and Economic Imperative: “We found that traditional approaches to providing services to children affected by maltreatment and other ACEs were inadequate. In fact, it was emphasized that some interventions may actually exacerbate trauma. The two-year Fostering Futures pilot project was proposed as a result of these sessions. Ultimately, Fostering Futures seeks to develop community capacity to integrate trauma-informed care principles into all public and private systems of care affecting children and families, leading to the long-term goal of improving well-being for Wisconsin children and their families”…Read more

Miscellaneous

This Small Facebook Update is a Rad Win for Gender Equality: “Previously, both the Friends and Groups icons on Facebook featured a woman’s silhouette in the background of a man’s silhouette. Now, the Friends icon features the man and woman side by side; and the Groups icon features a woman in the foreground with two men over her shoulders”…Read more

Local News

A New Lisbon woman charged for punching and choking her daughter who is paralyzed from the chest down...Read more
Sean Larson, 24, Lodi, has been charged with repeated sexual assault of a child…Read more
Christopher Richardson, 42, of rural Rio, threatened to kill his girlfriend and has died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound…Read more
Gregory Heep Jr., 28, of Wisconsin Dells, entered a plea of no contest to charges of possession of child pornography…Read more
Richard Delaney, 59, formerly of Juneau County, faces several charges, including two counts of sexual assault of a child…Read more
Jacob Pelanek, 22, of Wisconsin Dells, charged with first-degree child sex assault…Read more

Parents' & Youth Service Providers' Section

The Mask You Live In Curriculum Sneak Peek: “To show our gratitude, we wanted to share a special sneak peek of The Mask You Live In curriculum video, “Masculinity in Popular Culture” that explores how masculinity is represented in media. This summer, watch the video with a young person in your life and complete the accompanying activity.”
Kids Media App: Common Sense Media’s Kids Media App has “the latest movie reviews, plus recommendations for great books, apps, games, and more – customized for your kids”…Check it out here
PACER's Bullying 101: Guide for Middle and High School Students: "This highly visual, age-appropriate guide provides students with the basics for talking with other students about what bullying is and isn’t, the roles of students, and tips on what students can do to address bullying situations. Published by PACER’S National Bullying Prevention Center, this 14-page guide is available online as a free download."
Safe Spaces. Safe Places: Creating Welcoming and Inclusive Environments for Traumatized LGBTQ Youth: This online video from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network is for adults who work with youth, parents, and community members. There is a link to a video resource guide and information on LGBTQ Issues and Child Trauma.
KIDS COUNT Data Book: "The Annie E. Casey Foundation has released the 2015 KIDS COUNT Data Book that shows Wisconsin's children rank 13th overall on their selected measures of child well-being. This is good news and reflects the results from investments we have made in the past in education, employment, and family supports. But the news is not so good for everyone. The rate of growth of children in poverty in Wisconsin is greater than the rate of growth nationally. The economic recovery has not hit all parts of our state or our families and children equally. In fact, children of color in Wisconsin are falling further and further behind their white peers - and disparities between white and black children are greater than anywhere in the nation. There are solutions - we can work together to support families and children by making investments and decisions that have long-term benefits and can move us to the top of the list."

Resources
The Path to Resilience: "As the latest science from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard shows, resilience is fluid and compounding, nurtured by the essential fertilizer of an adult’s caring attention. A new three-part video series produced by the center explores — in clear and simple terms — exactly how that happens, answering questions about why some children who face serious problems can cope and thrive"...Read more and watch the videos

The Sexual Assault Support & Help for Americans Abroad Program, SASHAA, "has launched a new resource to assist American citizens and legal permanent residents who are sexually assaulted in a foreign country while studying or traveling overseas...SASHAA case managers provide an informed, compassionate response, as well as advocacy and assistance navigating medical, law enforcement and legal options. This support is continued long term, including counseling and other services. The program can be reached 24/7 from overseas by calling an international toll free hotline, 866-USWOMEN, via the AT&T Direct Access code for each country. Instructions can be found on the SASHAA website, www.sashaa.org. Other forms of communication include a live chat feature on the SASHAA website, and a crisis email: crisis@866uswomen.org. If the caller is more comfortable communicating in a foreign language, SASHAA advocates and case managers have access to a language bank."

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Lantern Lit on 8/3/15-8/10/15 for Maxwell and Theodore Peterson

8/3/2015

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Lantern Project: Since October 2013, Hope House has joined with other domestic violence programs around the state by implementing the Lantern Project. For our part in this statewide project, we added to the lamppost in front of Hope House a purple wreath. We will turn on the light for a week every time there is a death related to domestic violence in Wisconsin. We will post information online about the person(s) that was killed. If you drive by our building and see our lamppost on, please reflect on the deadly impact that domestic violence has on our communities. We know the list of stories we post here is incomplete. We strive to learn about and share these stories but know that there are some that we and the media miss. If you see a news story of a death in WI related to domestic violence and don't see it posted here, please feel free to let us know about it here. Thank you.

Maxwell Peterson

Obituary: "Maxwell James Peterson was truly an angel in every sense of the word. Max, who passed away on July 21, 2015, lived life as only a person blessed with Angelman Syndrome could. His bright white hair and infectious smile lit up every room he entered. He spread his love to all he came into contact, sealing it with a tight embrace. Max was unique in being able to touch so many people’s hearts without the use of words.

At home with his mother, Deb, father, Ted, and younger brother, Jacob, Max could often be found in their yard, spending countless hours at the slide. He loved stacking books and blocks with his brother and shooting hoops with everyone, including his many wonderful respite care workers throughout the years.

As a boy and later as a young man, Max always loved his time with his grandparents, Gary and Joanne McKinley, playing memory games, snacking on Teddy Grahams and greeting visitors while looking outside from their large bay window. He enjoyed playing with his younger cousins at the playset in the backyard, laughing heartily as he watched them run around and chase each other.

Max was a beloved student at East High School, where his laughter often filled the hallways. Like many teenage boys, one of his favorite parts of the day was gym class where he could be found shooting hoops and sharing in his classmates’ fun as they scampered about. Max thoroughly enjoyed his numerous jobs around the school, which included collecting recyclables and helping clean the cafeteria"...Read more

NBC 15 News Story: UPDATED: Friday, July 24, 2015 --- 3:13 p.m.

"MADISON, Wis.--- The Dane County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Theodore R. Peterson, 47, of Madison, has died.

Peterson is accused of killing his 16-year-old son in Token Creek Park Tuesday night.

Preliminary results from the autopsy confirm Peterson's death is the result of a self-inflicted trauma.

Statement from the Peterson family:

'We’d like to thank everyone for their tremendous support during this terribly difficult time, especially the family and friends who have reached out and the people we have dealt with at the Dane County Sheriff’s Department and UW Hospital. Max was truly an angel who brightened everyone’s life that he came into contact with and Ted was a loving husband and father. Both will be missed greatly.

We ask that everyone respect the family’s privacy during this trying time as the grieving process continues.'
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UPDATED: Friday, July 24, 2015 --- 10:07 a.m.

MADISON, Wis.--- Dane County authorities say Theodore Peterson allegedly used a knife and nail gun to kill his developmentally disabled 16-year-old son in Token Creek Park, according to official documents.

Around 6:11 p.m., a park visitor on horseback called 911 after finding two people lying on a trail within the park Tuesday night. The caller said one individual had his throat slit and appeared dead, and the second individual was shaking and appeared to have been shot in the head.

Maxwell Peterson was pronounced dead at the scene. His 47-year-old father was flown to UW Hospital.

An investigation by the Dane County Sheriff's Office reveals that Theodore took Maxwell, who was diagnosed with Angelman's Syndrome, to the park that evening"...Read more

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Lantern Lit on 8/20/15-8/27/15 for David Friese

Lantern Lit on 8/11/15-8/18/15 for Paige Linsmeyer

August 2015 Community Education E-bulletin

Lantern Lit on 8/3/15-8/10/15 for Maxwell and Theodore Peterson

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