June 2016 Community Education E-bulletin

6/6/2016

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

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1. Lantern Project Update
2. Hope House Donation Needs
3. Sexual Assault
4. Domestic Violence
5. Children and Youth
6. Miscellaneous News
7. Local News
8. Parents' and Youth Service Providers' Section
9. Training Opportunity

Hope House is pleased to share that during the 2015-2016 school year, our staff gave 305 presentations to elementary, middle, and high school students on topics such as protective behaviors, internet safety, bullying and sexual harassment, healthy relationships, dating violence, sexual assault, bystander intervention, media literacy, and gender roles and violence. Thanks to all the school staff that invited us into their classrooms this year to help bring awareness and prevention to our young people throughout our five-county service area!
We hope you have a wonderful summer!

Lantern Project
The first domestic violence homicide of 2016 in America happened in Wisconsin. As of May 24 this year, the death toll of domestic violence in Wisconsin alone rests at 20 victims and 5 abusers, for a total of 25 lives lost. That is a life lost every 5.8 days. A quarter of victims were age 18 or under. If the trend continues, that will be at least 63 lives lost in our state this year due to domestic violence. As some of you know 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 a purple wreath to the lamppost in front of Hope House. We turn on the light for a week every time there is a death related to domestic violence in Wisconsin. We 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.

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 bowl cleaner, Toilet paper, Deodorant, Disposable razors, Body spray and makeup, Small garbage cans with bags, Nail clippers, Cleaning supplies such as Lysol disinfecting spray and floor cleaner, Clorox wipes, Hairspray, Bleach, Bathroom rugs and bath mats
Kitchen: Paper towels, Ziploc bags, Strainer/Colander, Silverware, Tupperware, Small mason jars, Dishwasher soap, 13-Gallon garbage bags, Brush for cleaning bottles, Sip cups, Saran wrap, Aluminum foil
Food and Beverages: Meat, Fresh fruit and vegetables, Yogurt, Cheese, Canned soup, Snack items (crackers, granola bars, etc.), Fruit juice, Milk
Laundry: Laundry detergent, Dryer sheets, Fabric softener sheets
Clothing for Women and Kids: Socks, Women’s underwear, Medium-Large size pajamas, New sweatshirts and sweatpants
Misc: New pillows, Diapers (especially sizes 4-6) and pull-ups, DVD or BluRay player, Vacuum, New white full/twin bed sheets, Double stroller, Baby wipes, Band-Aids, Pocket-sized calendars, 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 and Research
Sexual Assault

Victims Are Guaranteed Rape Exams. But the Nearest Trained Examiner Could Be Hours Away: “Although jurisdictions are required by the Violence Against Women Act to offer free forensic exams to victims of sexual assault, there’s no requirement that the exams be carried out by people trained in evidence collection or rape-victim support…The same report found that nearly half of all counties in Wisconsin have no nurses with sexual assault examination training…Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) introduced the Survivors’ Access to Supportive Care Act, which aims to address the dearth of trained examiners and an absence of national standards for certification... And it would create a $10 million pilot grant program to expand sexual assault examiner training, with a special focus on rural areas"…Read more
Sexual Assault Survivors Now Have a Basic Federal Bill of Rights: “The Sexual Assault Survivors’ Rights Act outlines that a survivor has the right to not be charged for a forensic exam, the right to be notified 60 days prior to the destruction of a rape kit and the right to have a rape kit preserved throughout a state’s entire statute of limitations. Many survivors won’t feel the impact of the bill yet as it only functions at a federal level, not at the state level, which is possibly why the bill passed in the Senate so quickly with strong bipartisan support”…Read more
Story of 3 Brave Women Preventing a Potential Rape is Hitting a Nerve: “‘Monica, Marla, and I were at Fig at the Fairmont for their delicious happy hour,’ explains Sonia Ulrich in the above Facebook post, which has been shared more than 36,000 times. ‘I was going on about something and saw Monica staring behind and making a funny face. I stopped. 'What's going on?' After a few second [sic] she said 'That guy just put something in her drink’”…Read more
Cologne Sexual Assault Case Collapses: “The first sexual assault charge to be brought after the New Year’s Eve attacks in Cologne has been dropped after witnesses failed to recognise the defendant”…Read more
Bearing the Untold: Why We Need to Hear Stories of Sexual Assault: “Three years, two labs and six studios later, I’ve created 150 handmade books that use a combination of art, text and sculpture to share the narratives of survivors. The books will be placed in universities and museums throughout the country and sold, with the potential to raise nearly $50,000 for sexual assault survivor resources…What began as a facet of my own healing process has now transformed into Art Against Assault—a network of artists and organizations that support and connect survivors across the country and beyond”…Read more
Child Sex-Abuse Victim Finally Gets Justice: Wisconsin’s Extended Statute of Limitations Held Abuser Accountable after 30 Years: “In February, a jury convicted the 92-year-old on eight counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child involving Wolfe’s cousin, who was between ages 8 and 11 when the molestation happened. He is eligible for a sentence of up to 160 years…Compared with other states, Wisconsin's criminal statutes of limitation on child sex abuse are favorable for victims, said law professor Marci Hamilton at Yeshiva University in New York City. She tracks changes to those statutes nationwide. Wisconsin and 36 other states have no criminal statute of limitations for first-degree sexual assault of a child”…Read more

My Name Is Madeline Wilson, And My College Is Protecting My Rapist: “My name is Madeline Wilson and I'm a senior at St. Olaf College. While my friends are applying for jobs and going to interviews, I'm working with a team of lawyers to change St. Olaf's legacy of failing to address rape on campus. I’m also working with a group of students to bring awareness to St. Olaf’s cowardice in dealing with rapists. It isn’t easy to constantly be talking about my rape, and it sucks to have people think of rape when they see my face. This isn't fun for me, but it’s the only way to get St. Olaf’s administration to take survivors of sexual assault seriously”…Read more...Read related article: Special Report: University of Wisconsin System under fire for a series of alleged sexual assaults
Internet Shaming Could Change How Colleges Handle Sexual Assault: “‘I do think social media is really the backbone of this movement, and the reason it’s this successful has been because survivors are able to turn toward a platform of activism that is free, and it’s accessible, and it’s international and 24/7,’ says Andrea Pino, director of policy and support and co-founder of End Rape on Campus, a survivor advocacy organization”…Read more
Report Finds the Military Punished Women Who Reported Sexual Assault by Discharging Them: “While the military has improved its management of sexual-assault cases over the past several years, ‘virtually nothing has been done to address the ongoing harm done to thousands of veterans who reported sexual assault before reforms took place and lost their military careers as a result of improper administrative discharges,’ the report says. ‘Our interviews suggest that all too often superior officers choose to expeditiously discharge sexual-assault victims rather than support their recovery and help them keep their position.’ Human Rights Watch suggests an overhaul of the military's review process concerning discharges, urging officials to give survivors the chance to tell their stories in court”…Read more
New Report Says Pentagon Not Doing Enough For Sexual Assault Victims: “Anything other than an honorable discharge can carry heavy consequences. It usually means no VA care, no benefits. Phillips says he wound up sometimes homeless, in jail — a drunk for most of 20 years. ‘Nothing has been done for the thousands of people who were kicked out after they reported their sexual assault and still have to live with these terrible discharge papers that continue to impact their lives,’”…Read more...Read related article: Pentagon: Sexual Assault Cases in the Military Remain Constant

Domestic Violence

You’re Asking All The Wrong Questions About Amber Heard: “But despite Heard’s photographic evidence, her sworn statement, and her corroborating witness, the public’s reaction has been one of disbelief. While she is the alleged victim in this scenario, she has ostensibly become the one on trial. Much of the media coverage around the case has focused on raising questions that purport to undercut Heard’s credibility”…Read more…Read related article: We Need To Talk About How Social Media Is Reacting To Amber Heard's Allegations
This Hashtag Confronts the Side of Abuse We Don't Talk About Enough: “The hashtag #MaybeHeDoesntHitYou sheds light on various forms of abuse in relationships, ultimately sending the message that a person does not need to be physically assaulted to be the victim of abuse from another — partner abuse can manifest in many ways, including emotional or verbal abuse”…Read more
FBI Begins Tracking Animal Abuse: “Up until this year, animal cruelty cases were grouped into an 'Other Offenses' category, along with such things such as loitering, writing bad checks and violating curfew. Through the National Incident-Based Reporting System of the FBI, the bureau will now classify animal cruelty as a Group A felony, the same classification of offense as homicide, arson or assault…‘Now we can see the pockets in a city that seem to have the most overlap between animal cruelty and [reports of] domestic violence. Organizations can target resources and do more interventions here’”…Read more
Domestic Violence Hurts at Work: “The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control estimates it costs the nation nearly 8 million days of lost work per year, along with $728 million in lost productivity. The abused might miss work, be at work injured, or be so stressed by turmoil at home that they can’t focus. But also, many abusers stalk, harass or assault—even kill—their victims at work…‘I tell companies all the time, ‘Don’t think that because your headquarters is in a great area or because you employ such-and-such percentage of college grads or Ph.D.’s you’re immune,’ says Jane Randel, co-founder of No More...So what can companies and managers do? The answer is three-pronged”…Read more
Should Domestic Violence Victims Go To Prison For Killing Their Abusers?: “She pleaded guilty and served five years of probation instead. But Williams-Julien never forgot just how close she came to a life behind bars. Other domestic violence survivors, she knew, were not so lucky. They were sent to prison for decades. It was up to her, she decided, to try to change that. Since 2011, she’s been actively lobbying the New York state legislature to pass a bill that gives judges greater discretion when sentencing domestic violence survivors convicted of crimes directly related to their abuse. Her efforts paid off in early May, when the New York state assembly passed the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act, or DVSJA for short...Under the legislation, judges could consider the role of domestic abuse in a case during sentencing, and bypass mandatory minimums set by the state. They could opt to give survivors shorter sentences, or let them avoid prison altogether by sentencing them to alternative programs”…Read more
Hector Olivera Suspended 82 Games for Violating MLB's Domestic Violence Policy

When Immigration Status is Used as a Weapon for Domestic Abuse: “‘One thing that I see all the time in cases where one of the spouses is undocumented, they’ll often get threatened by the abuser that they’ll get deported,’ Baeza said. ‘Or the abuser will say, ‘If you call law enforcement, I’m going to call immigration and they’ll send you back'...Usually, the kids are U.S. citizens so the abuser will go as far as to say, ‘If you call law enforcement, you’ll get deported and the kids will stay here. You’ll never see your kids'...Baeza said that the number of domestic abuse cases he sees yearly has dropped significantly since he took his post in the early 2000s, a fact that he attributes to the unanticipated consequences of Texas’ ‘zero tolerance policy’ toward domestic abuse”…Read more
Advocates’ Hopes High for Domestic Violence Hotline for Native Women: “Sometime this year, the National Domestic Violence Hotline expects to take the first call at a hotline created specifically to respond to tribal victims. The hotline, four years in the making, will be staffed either by tribal women or specially trained advocates ‘who can answer calls from Native women to help them…problem-solve around these issues,’ said Katie Ray-Jones, CEO of the national hotline…With the help of the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, the tribal hotline will offer crisis intervention, safety planning assessments and referrals to local resources tailored to Native women”…Read more
Tribe Now Can Prosecute Non-Natives for Domestic Violence: "It's only the ninth tribe in the U.S. and the first in Michigan to implement such changes. ‘When we actually passed (our domestic violence code) at our Tribal Council meeting, people stood up and applauded,’ Lanning said. ‘It was emotional. Because you think, 'They should have that right to do that. It's 2016. We don't have that right?'”…Read more
Pastors, Imams And Rabbis Urge Congress To Close Gun Loopholes For Domestic Abusers: “Nearly 500 Christian, Jewish and Muslim faith leaders have signed a letter asking Congress to close loopholes in federal law that allow domestic abusers to own and buy firearms…The letter urges members of Congress to support the Zero Tolerance for Domestic Abusers Act (HR 3130) and the Protecting Domestic Violence and Stalking Victims Act (S 1520), which would expand federal prohibitions on firearms to include stalkers and individuals who abuse dating partners”…Read more
Hair Cuttery Donates 55,000 Haircuts to Victims of Domestic Violence Nationwide: “Hair Cuttery, the largest family-owned and operated chain of hair salons in the country, today announced the donation of 55,000 haircuts to benefit survivors of domestic violence…With the help of NNEDV, free haircut certificates will be distributed through the organization’s partners, including domestic violence shelters as well as state and local programs, in communities local to Hair Cuttery’s nearly 900 salons”…Read more
Almost A Third Of Mass Shooting Deaths In 2015 Were Related To Domestic Violence: “Thirty-one percent of all mass shooting deaths in 2015 were related to domestic violence incidents, according to a New York Times analysis published Sunday. The New York Times examined violent episodes in which four or more people were killed or wounded by a firearm, including the shooter”…Read more
9 Things You Should Know About Abusive Relationships: A survivor of an abusive relationship opens up about what happened and how she moved on in this 3-minute narrative video. Watch it here.

Watch this on The Scene.

Children and Youth

Woodstock’s Girls-Only Dress Code Assembly Prompts Backlash: “According to Taylor, a teacher ‘explained to the school’s girls that when they don’t comply with the school’s dress code, they are distracting the boys from being able to learn. She said that when they wear short skirts, the boys hide under the stairs to look up them.’ That’s a damaging message, Taylor said, because it blames girls for wearing outfits that distract their male peers, rather than holding boys accountable for their behavior”…Read more
Why Public Health Scholars Should Study Pornography: “We also found that adolescent dating abuse victimization was associated with more frequent pornography use, viewing pornography in the company of others and being asked to perform a sexual act that a partner saw in pornography. Approximately 50 percent of dating abuse victims and 32 percent of nonvictims reported that they had been asked to engage in a sexual act that their partner saw in pornography, and 58 percent of all youth who were asked did not feel happy to have been asked”…Read more

Miscellaneous News

Together We Can Fight Human Trafficking: “Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Blue Campaign is launching two new tools to help raise public consciousness of the terrible crime of human trafficking across the Nation. The Blue Campaign was founded on the simple premise that if everyone in the United States knows what human trafficking is, together we can work to end human trafficking in the United States…The new Blue Campaign video provides a brief overview of what human trafficking is, what it looks like here in the United States, and what we must do together to end it”…Read more and watch the video here
Human Trafficking: It's "Hidden in Plain Sight": “Swanson’s documentary film Break the Chain aims to do just that – to reframe how we understand human trafficking…‘We haven’t had accurate representation and accurate reporting numbers because this is a crime much like sexual assault and domestic violence, where people don’t necessarily report it or identify themselves as being victims or survivors and most certainly don’t trust law enforcement,’…‘I didn’t identify myself as a victim,’ Debbie said. ‘I was always told that it was my choice, that I wanted to be there. And so, after a while, you start believing it’”…Read more
A Day in Milwaukee's Trauma-Informed Court: Parents Work to Regain Custody of Their Kids: “‘Trauma-informed care is not a program. It’s not a project. It is a philosophy and a way of being,’ Triggiano said during a recent interview. ‘It’s how you interact with somebody’…Ellis, who endured an abusive and neglectful childhood and domestic abuse as an adult, turned to drugs and alcohol to escape her trauma. In 2013, she lost custody of her daughter, Gaeliona. The love and support she found in Triggiano’s courtroom, Ellis said, helped her kick her addictions and regain custody of her 5-year-old in 2014”…Read more
Record Year for Meriter Hospital Program that Collects Forensic Evidence in Assault Cases: “The program is the only one of its kind in Dane County and one of the few statewide with staff trained to work with child victims, many of whom travel two hours for care…Domestic violence showed the highest jump since 2012, increasing from 9 to 64 exams in 2015...The rise was attributed in part to an increased emphasis by police and medical providers on investigating and documenting chokings”…Read more

Sexual Harassment Training May Have Reverse Effect, Research Suggests: “Studies testing the effects of harassment training are very limited, but some research has suggested counterintuitive and troubling consequences – that after men complete trainings, they may be more inclined to brush aside allegations and discount victims. Some researchers believe trainings have no positive effects, tend to be more about legal cover than meaningful prevention or may even have unintended negative consequences – raising serious concerns about the way colleges and companies heavily focus on training as a solution to harassment”…Read more
The 'Headless Women Project' Highlights a Huge Problem With Hollywood's Movie Posters: “When New York stand-up comic Marcia Belsky noticed a disturbing trend among popular movie posters, she decided to make an entire website dedicated to making other people notice it too...Belsky's comment is in reference to the dearth of Hollywood movie posters that include females' heads and faces: you know, the combination of eyes, lips and noses that usually signify to us that something is human. What can be found instead is a huge number of posters that feature only ‘parts’ of women”…Read more
Hollaback’s HeartMob Helps with Online Harassment: “As the first online platform to tackle online harassment by providing real-time support to individuals experiencing online harassment, we’ve learned a lot in these past few months. In response to your feedback we launched a new resources page where you'll find links to our guides, an updated list of supportive organizations, and other helpful resources! Specifically, we wrote two brand new guides just for you all: a Tech Safety Guide and a Know Your Rights Guide.” Check it out here.
The “Bystander Effect” Keeps Catcalling Alive. Let’s Train Ourselves to Take Action: “A 2011 meta-analysis on bystander intervention, published by the American Psychological Association, identified several factors that can reduce passivity and make people more likely to step in. Unsurprisingly, people tend to take action more often when they feel they’ve got backup—when their fellow bystanders are men, for example, or when the other bystanders are acquaintances rather than strangers…It’s safe to assume that, if someone is aware of the psychological damage that catcalling does to men and women, they will be more likely to react…If it appears safe to step in, the anti-street harassment website iHollaback offers advice on how to engage directly, delegate help, and create distractions to put an end to bad situations”…Read more

Local News

Timothy Christensen, 37, of Portage, is being held on a $10,000 cash bond after a new criminal charge violating probation and rules of the sex offender registry…Read more
Heather Mead, 33, of New Lisbon, faces one count of physical abuse of a child – intentionally cause bodily harm…Read more
Derrick Milton, 45, of Reedsburg, faces four counts of sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl on multiple occasions in 2006…Read more
Jeremy Clark, 32, of Union Center, is charged with physical abuse of a infant – repeater…Read more
John Henning, 43, of Endeavor, reached a deal with prosecutors Tuesday in which he will spend the next two years on probation for making sexual advances and requesting explicit photos of a girl, even after she told him she was 15…Read more
Adam Walsh, 32, of Portage, scheduled to go on trial for repeated sexual assault of a child, denied bond reduction…Read more
Raymond Crowe, 26, of Portage, charged with six counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child, two counts of child enticement and one count of child sexual exploitation, has been sentenced to 23 years in the Wisconsin prison system…Read more
Kenneth Olson, 26, of Wisconsin Dells, has been charged with one count of attempted sexual exploitation of a child, along with a separate count of exposing a child to harmful material after sending nude photos to a minor…Read more
Jermayne Webley, 27, of Baraboo, has been charged with four felony counts of child pornography possession…Read more
Zachary Dempsey, 31, of Wonewoc, has been charged with 10 counts of possession of child pornography…Read more
Timothy McCracken II, 24, of Mauston, faces charges of strangulation and suffocation domestic abuse, misdemeanor battery domestic abuse repeater and disorderly conduct domestic abuse repeater…Read more

Parents' and Youth Service Providers' Section

When Kids are Bullied, What Can Parents Do?: “When kids make it home after school, don’t limit the conversation to academics and classmates. ‘Ask how it’s going on social media, not just ‘how’s school,’ Koss advises. ‘If parents are proactive, it’s easier to respond when bullying happens,’ she added. Pre-emption also means modeling civil behavior and sound relationships, so that kids don’t accept rudeness and aggression as acceptable social conduct”…Read more
This Text Line is Helping Teens Talk about Mental Health without Saying a Word: “That text was the catalyst for Crisis Text Line, a mental health-based text messaging support line geared toward teens in the U.S., founded in August 2013. Over the past three years, users of the text line have exchanged nearly 7.5 million text messages with volunteer Crisis Text Line counselors”…Read more
White House Sends Schools Guidance On Transgender Access To Bathrooms: “The Obama administration issued guidance to schools Friday, saying they must allow transgender students to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity. The administration acknowledges this is ‘new terrain’ for some people and says it wants to help school districts avoid running afoul of civil rights laws…In practical terms, there are a variety of different obligations that school districts have, including responding promptly and effectively if a transgender student is harassed, safeguarding transgender students' privacy and using proper pronouns. The main question seems to be about bathrooms or locker rooms”…Read more

Training Opportunity
Webinar: Guiding Principles for Working with Older Victims of Abuse: In commemoration of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (observed annually on June 15), the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence is hosting a webinar on June 10 from 2-3:30pm to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect experienced by older persons and the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect. This webinar will highlight National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life’s guiding principles to help victim service providers better serve older adults victims of abuse. To learn more and to register, click here.

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June 2016 Community Education E-bulletin

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