December 2016 Community Education E-bulletin

Welcome to the December 2016 edition of Hope House's Community Education E-bulletin!

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1. The Mask You Live In Screening
2. Holiday Giving
3. New Support Group in Portage
4. Hope House Donation Needs
5. Sexual Assault
6. Domestic Violence

7. Miscellaneous News
8. Local News
9. Parents' & Youth Service Providers' Section
10. Faith Communities' Seciton
11. Resources

 

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Free Screening of The Mask You Live In on Monday in Baraboo
How do stereotypes about masculinity affect not only boys and men in America, but also our society at large, and what actions can we all take to promote healthy masculinity? Join us to discuss this powerful question through a free screening of The Mask You Live In, a documentary by The Representation Project, sponsored by Hope House and the UW-Baraboo/Sauk County PRIDE Club. The trailer for the film can be viewed below. The screening and post-film discussion will be held Monday, December 5th from 4-6pm in the RG Brown Theater on the UW-Baraboo/Sauk County campus. All are welcome, but please note that the film contains mature topics (such as sex, violence, drugs, and alcohol). Common Sense Media recommends the film for ages 15 and older. 
One lucky attendee will receive a $10 KwikTrip card! Questions can be directed to Nola Pastor at Hope House at 608-356-9123 or preventcoord@hopehousescw.org. We hope to see you there! 

 

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​Holiday Giving
Around the holidays, people often ask what gift items they can donate to Hope House for the people we work with. Here is our holiday wish list:

• -For Children and Teens: board games, arts and craft supplies, pajamas, slippers, jewelry, candy or chocolate, sports balls, winter outdoor toys and activities, gloves or mittens, socks, family-friendly DVDs and toys
• -For Adults: area spa certificates, Walmart gift cards, gas cards, bathrobes, slippers, bath products, manicure/pedicure sets, coffee or tea, calendars or weekly planners, journals, gloves or mittens, socks and underwear 

​Please note that all items should be donated unwrapped. You may donate wrapping paper if you would like parents to be able to wrap the presents for their children.

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New Support Group Starting in Portage
Has domestic violence or sexual abuse touched your life in some way? Do you seek connections with supportive individuals who have similar life experiences as you? Please join Hope House advocate Katie on the first and third Friday of the month for support group from 1-2pm at the Portage Library. For more information, call Hope House at 608-356-7500 or 1-800-584-6790.

 

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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 the following; our most needed items are bolded:

• Bathrooms: Liquid hand soap, Full-size bottles of shampoo and conditioner, Full-size toothpaste and toothbrushes, Full-size bottles of body wash and shaving cream, Toilet bowl cleaner, Toilet paper, Deodorant, Disposable razors, Small garbage cans with bags, Nail clippers, Cleaning supplies such as Lysol disinfecting spray, Windex, and floor cleaner, Clorox wipes, Hairspray, Bleach, Bathroom rugs
• Kitchen: Paper towels, Ziploc bags, 13-Gallon garbage bags, Coffee, Blender, Strainer/Colander, Silverware, Tupperware, Dishwasher soap, Brush for cleaning bottles, Sip cups, Saran wrap, Aluminum foil
• Food and Beverages: Cereal, Fruit juice, Meat, Fresh fruit and vegetables, Yogurt, Cheese, Canned soup, Snack items (crackers, granola bars, etc.), Eggs, Milk, Coffee
• Laundry: Laundry detergent
• Clothing for Women and Kids: New socks, especially sizes 2T-4T, New women’s underwear, New medium-large size pajamas, New pajamas and clothes for kids 9-12 months, New sweatshirts and sweatpants
• Misc: Markers and glue sticks, Alarm clock, D batteries, Swiffer mop, New pillows, New full-sized fitted white sheets, Diapers (especially size 5) and pull-ups, Journals, Vacuum, Double stroller, Baby wipes, Band-Aids, Pocket-sized calendars, Baby bottles, Umbrellas, Exercise balls, 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.

 

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News
Sexual Assault

• Feds Give Penn State Record Fine Over Handling Of Sex Abuse Cases: “The U.S. Department of Education announced Thursday it will levy a record-setting $2.4 million fine against Penn State University following an investigation spurred by sex crimes committed by former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky”…Read more​
• Is America Finally Having an Honest Discussion about Rape Culture? [MPR News Discussion]
• Lions LB DeAndre Levy Raises $30,000 to Test Forgotten Rape Kits​​
• It Starts with ‘Locker Room Talk.’ And Then It Gets Worse: “Too often universities put their public images — and their sports success — above everything else. Administrators fail to fully investigate allegations of sexual violence on campus, rely on policies not equal to the task of protecting victims, and underreport rapes and sexual assaults to authorities. In the past, Harvard has been accused of mishandling sexual assault cases. But with the soccer team’s disgraceful behavior, the university did the right thing”…Read more
• 'I Have to Text My Rapist': Victims Forced to Parent with Attackers: “Her attacker was charged with first-degree sexual assault but was able to plead to a lesser charge of third-degree sexual assault. Under Nebraska law, Noemi could terminate her attacker's parental rights if he'd been convicted of sexual assault in the first degree. But because he was convicted of third-degree assault, his parental rights were safe…Of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, fewer than half have laws that allow the termination of parental rights to rapists without a conviction”…Read more​
• Milwaukee Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud and Coercion​
• 5 Things TV Still Gets Wrong About Rape: “If viewers’ complaints teach us anything, however, it’s that producers might be better off doing less defending and more listening if they want to portray sexual assault in a way that doesn’t feel exploitative. Even the ones doing well — which includes most of the ones doing all that defending – have a way to go. Here’s some positive feedback on what they’re doing right — along with five tips on where they could improve”…Read more​

• Stanford Sexual Assault Case Survivor Emily Doe Speaks Out: “So now to the one who said, I hope my daughter never ends up like her, I am learning to say, I hope you end up like me, meaning, I hope you end up like me strong. I hope you end up like me proud of who I’m becoming. I hope you don’t ‘end up,’ I hope you keep going. And I hope you grow up knowing that the world will no longer stand for this. Victims are not victims, not some fragile, sorrowful aftermath. Victims are survivors, and survivors are going to be doing a hell of a lot more than surviving”…Read more
• Why Don’t Sexual Assault Victims Report? Ask These College Women: “Ralston and Carreras each reported to the university that they were sexually assaulted last year, and they both went public in September, detailing their frustrations with how the school handled their cases. Since then, the two students say, they have received a barrage of harassing messages online, calling them ‘lying sluts’ and ‘tramps.’ The harassment recently escalated to vandalism of their property…First, they felt let down by their university’s response. Now, they’re facing more abuse”…Read more​
• Baylor Sex Assault Scandal Far Worse than Previously Disclosed: “‘60 Minutes Sports’ has learned that, since 2011, 17 female students reported sexual or domestic assault charges against 19 Baylor football players. That includes at least four alleged gang rapes”…Read more​
• CU Boulder Sexual Assault Survivor Says She’s Revealing Her Identity to Help Other Young Women: Going public is part of Heuer’s process to let go of feeling ashamed, and to help other young women recognize sexual assault, she said. Her message to young women who have been assaulted is to follow their own timeline, no matter if it takes weeks or months to tell someone, and no matter whether survivors ever reveal their identity, she said. ‘You are taking back the control you lost,’ said Heuer, 21, now a senior at CU. ‘You take it on your own terms’”…Read more​

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Domestic Violence

• 10 Tips to Have an Informed Conversation about Domestic Violence:  Check out the 10 tips from National Network to End Domestic Violence here.
  
• Conference Examines Role of Restorative Justice in Domestic Violence: “When it comes to using it in domestic violence cases, supporters say the practice provides direct victim-survivor involvement, accountability to a perpetrator and an alternative to the unilateral position that a woman in an abusive relationship should always leave. Critics say it could downplay the hurt and harm experienced by the victim and possibly re-victimize”…Read more​
• Domestic Abuse Killings Climb as Murders Drop, Frustrating New York Officials
• National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women Helps Free Ramona Brant: “Ramona Brant will never forget what injustice means because she lived it by serving 21 years in prison. In 1995, after Ramona was arrested with her abusive boyfriend, a drug dealer, she was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Even though there were a series of police reports that documented and there were family members who could testify about the violent abuse Ramona suffered from her boyfriend, the jury never heard a word about the abuse she endured, how she feared him, and how she was one of his victims, not a co-conspirator…NCDBW staff reached out to Ramona’s most recent attorneys and asked if they would work on her clemency petition. Working pro bono, they did an incredible job on her behalf that resulted in Ramona having her sentence commuted by President Obama”…Read more​​
• FIU's Jonnu Smith Out for Season after Suffering Multiple Burns: “Florida International senior tight end Jonnu Smith will miss the remainder of the season after police say his girlfriend poured boiling water on him, causing burns to multiple parts of his body. According to an arrest affidavit, Smith, an NFL draft prospect, suffered severe burns on his head, neck, back, a shoulder and an arm. Mary Gaspar has been charged with felony aggravated battery”…Read more​

 

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Miscellaneous

• Gender-Based Violence: Not Just About Gender: “This month, you will likely hear that 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence, but you may not hear that over 92 percent of homeless mothers have experienced severe physical and/or sexual abuse. You might hear that 1 in 5 women will become a victim of rape, but you may not hear that for women with disabilities, the risk is much higher — that 80 percent of women with disabilities have been sexually assaulted. You might hear about campus sexual assault, but you may not hear that lesbian, gay and bisexual students are three times more likely than their heterosexual peers to be sexually assaulted. You might hear that abusers often leverage immigration status against their victims, but you may not hear that 48 percent of Latinas report that their partners’ violence against them actually escalated after they came to the United States”…Read more
  
• Harvard Men's Soccer Season Canceled for Lewd 'Scouting Report': “Athletic director Robert L. Scalise wrote in an email to Harvard student-athletes that he decided to cancel the rest of the team's season because the practice, in which women were rated on their perceived sexual appeal and physical appearance, appeared ‘to be more widespread across the team and has continued beyond 2012, including in 2016’”…Read more
• Columbia Suspends Wrestling Team Over Lewd Texts: NYT: “Columbia made its decision after BWOG, a student news website, published several text messages last week dating back to 2014 between teammates that contained jokes about rape and the use of homophobic, racist and sexist slurs and comments”…Read more
• ​Hairdressers in Illinois Will Be Trained to Recognize Signs of Domestic Abuse, Sexual Assault: “Illinois has become the first state to pass a law requiring that licensed hairdressers receive training to recognize in their clients any evidence of domestic and sexual violence, according to a local news channel, WQAD. The law, which was signed by Governor Bruce Rauner in August and takes effect on Jan. 1, 2017, is unprecedented in the salon industry”…Read more​

 

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Local News

• Jeffrey M. Denman, 39, of Baraboo, charged with eight counts of possessing child pornography, pleaded no contest to one of those charges. The other seven were dismissed…Read more
• Heather B. Mead, 33, of New Lisbon, received two class A misdemeanors for neglecting a child after pleading no contest to both counts. Mead will receive two years probation and a fine of $465 for each offense…Read more​
• Isaac J. Thomas, 32, of St. Paul, Minnesota, charged with felony second-degree sexual assault of an unconscious victim at a Wisconsin Dells campground…Read more​
• Mistrial Granted in [Kevin] Kroener Sexual Assault of a Child Case​

 

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​Parents' and Youth Service Providers' Section

• ​Teaching Kids About Sexual Assault: “What we do know, says Tabachnick, is that the cost of sexual assault is huge, both socially and economically. We know that when an organization or a community—whether college campus or elementary school or church group—creates a culture of accountability, where sexual assault is talked about and not tolerated, where inappropriate behaviors are discussed and addressed through organizational policies, and people are educated about healthy sexual development—people are less likely to offend”…Read more
• #20MinutesOfAction4Change: “On November 25th, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we’re turning the deplorable phrase ‘20 minutes of action’ from the Stanford rape case on its head by encouraging dads to take 20 minutes to talk to their sons about consent. Because sexual assaults on campuses need to stop”…Check out their conversation starters
• ​The National Runaway Safeline 1-800-RUNAWAY or 1-800-786-2929: “The mission of the National Runaway Safeline (NRS) is to help keep America’s runaway, homeless and at-risk youth safe and off the streets…NRS provides education and solution-focused interventions, offers non-sectarian, non-judgmental support, respects confidentiality, collaborates with volunteers, and responds to at-risk youth and their families”…Learn more​​
• Middle School Suicides Reach An All-Time High: “In 2014, 425 young people 10 to 14 years of age died by suicide…So educators shouldn't be afraid to talk about suicide — because saving lives begins with ‘asking a question.’ Yesterday we chatted with Jobes on NPR Live about the six myths on suicide that every parent and educator should now”…Read more
• StopBullying.Gov’s Bullying Prevention Training Course: “Discover your role in bullying prevention! This training provides guidance on how to take a public health approach to bullying prevention through the use of long-term, community-wide prevention strategies. Take the course, earn continuing education and make a difference today!”…Read more
  

• CDC’s Sexual Minority Youth Data Infographics: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a series of new infographics on LGB students. These infographics cover topics such as suicide, bullying, and dating violence. LGB students are significantly more likely to have made a suicide plan, attempted suicide, been bullied, skipped school for safety reasons, and experienced dating violence than heterosexual students. The infographics provide statistics and keys for prevention.  
• The Limitations of Teaching ‘Grit’ in the Classroom: “If a hypothetical classroom of 30 children were based on current demographics in the United States, this is how the students in that classroom would live: Seven would live in poverty, 11 would be non-white, six wouldn’t speak English as a first language, six wouldn’t be reared by their biological parents, one would be homeless, and six would be victims of abuse. Howard said that exposure to trauma has a profound impact on cognitive development and academic outcomes, and schools and teachers are woefully unprepared to contend with these realities. Children dealing with traumatic situations should not been seen as pathological, he argued. Instead, educators need to recognize the resilience they are showing already. The instruments and surveys that have been used to measure social-emotional skills such as persistence and grit have not taken into account these factors”…Read more
• NIOS Identity Safe and Inclusive School Program Now Available: This new guide will "help school leaders, teachers, and students address bullying, intolerance and work to create an inclusive school climate." It "provides breakthrough guidance for educators ready to take the next step in addressing inequities, confronting implicit bias, and creating a safe environment for all students. For more information and to pre-order, visit niot.org/InclusiveSchoolProgram or contact info@NIOS.org. 

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Faith Communities' Section

• Faith Trust Institute on the 16 Days of Activism: "16 Days of Activism calls on us to recognize the pervasiveness of domestic violence and sexual assault, and the larger social, faith, and cultural impacts that violence has on all of us. Each day from November 25 until December 10, we will highlight the work of our colleagues, offer ideas for getting involved, recognize the courage of activists, and offer our prayers"...Read more
• We Will Speak Out: 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence: “Every year, We Will Speak Out members around the world participate in 16 Days of Activism. From November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to December 10, Human Rights Day…The church has a very significant role in speaking out against sexual violence and challenging the silence that too often surrounds issues of sex and gender inequality. It can help to change attitudes through biblical teaching and interpretation...This prayer guide can be used by individuals, home groups, church groups or organizations to follow the 16 Days campaign (or at any other time of year) to pray into gender-based violence issues”…Read more

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• Invitation to Be Involved with the Creation of the Sauk County Peace Initiative: After the Orlando night club mass shooting, members and pastors of the First United Methodist Church, First Congregational UCC and St. Joseph Catholic Church gathered together in a vigil of peace to light candles, read scripture, sing songs, call out names of the victims and pray together. Out of that evening, a small group of people interested in an “ongoing vigil” gathered together to discuss how to keep the energy of peace and nonviolence going. One of idea was to develop a Sauk County Peace Initiative. The following is a sampling of the ideas that were generated: peace banners, peace table in your organization, peace/stone garden, meditation group or peace prayer group, book study on living peace and non-violence, educational group or workshop, plays and visual arts, and International Peace Day events in September. There are two happenings to participate in coming up soon. First, a Care Card event for the families that were directly affected by the Sandy Hook School shooting, and for a family whose daughter was murdered in a shooting in February 2016 near Madison. This event will be held at the First United Methodist Church, 615 Broadway St., Baraboo, on Mon. Dec. 5th and Tues. Dec. 6th both at 6:30-8:30pm. There will also be a Peace Prayer Vigil at The First Congregational United Church of Christ, 161 6th Ave., Baraboo, on Sat. Dec. 10th at 3pm. Please join us and bring your friends. If you are interested in playing a part in the Sauk County Peace Initiative, please contact CaSandra May at: casandra@oneheartinc.org, or casandramay3@gmail.com or 608-393-2799.
  
  

 

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Resources

• NSVRC’s Free Primary Prevention Primer (15 minutes): “This interactive learning tool introduces primary prevention through a set of activities to enhance knowledge about primary prevention. Information covered includes the Moving Upstream story, the Social Ecological Model, and an exploration of the differences between Risk Reduction and Primary Prevention”…Learn more
• The Blue Campaign: Combating Human Trafficking: "The Department of Homeland Security's Blue Campaign works to combat the heinous crime of human trafficking by raising awareness around the country. Created in 2010, the Blue Campaign works with law enforcement, government, non-government and private organizations to protect the basic right of freedom and bring those who exploit human lives to justice. The Blue Campaign provides free resources to educate and train professionals and the general public to recognize and report human trafficking. If you would like more information, click here."

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