A few weeks ago, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill into law that compels California universities to use an “affirmative consent” standard when investigating campus sexual assaults. As Amanda Hess from Slate explains, This means that during an investigation of an alleged sexual assault, university disciplinary committees will have to ask if the sexual encounter […]
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Carrying a mattress until a rapist is punished — and other examples of the culture we live in
Domestic and Sexual Violence Maine FocusA friend of mine recently asked me what I thought of the woman from Columbia University whose senior art project is to carry around a mattress until the student who raped her is removed from campus. A few thoughts came to mind. First, I thought, “Yes. You go, woman.” Then, I was disappointed that someone […]
Two things you can do to prevent child sexual abuse
Domestic and Sexual Violence Maine FocusLast week, I attended the National Children’s Alliance Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. During several interesting sessions about child sexual abuse and conversations with colleagues from around the country, I again was thinking about how to respond to the inevitable question of, “But what can I do to help prevent and respond to child sexual […]
Rape victims are not asking for it
Domestic and Sexual Violence Maine Focus
It’s not in the way you dance, the way you dress, or the way you act – you’re never asking to be sexually assaulted. That’s the message of Project Not Asking For It, which is meant to counteract our typical cultural response to sexual violence victims. The project is a grassroots effort which asks students […]
White House report on campus sexual violence laudable, misses an important mark
Domestic and Sexual Violence Maine Focus
In a time of consistent reports of colleges and universities failing to take campus sexual violence seriously, the White House created the White House Task Force to Protect Students From Sexual Assault, which released its first report, Not Alone this week. As with many issues related to sexual violence, the issue of campus sexual violence […]
Want to prevent sexual violence? Start with healthy sexuality.
Domestic and Sexual Violence Maine FocusIf I walked up to 100 strangers on the street and asked them to define healthy sexuality, I’m guessing responses would range from uncomfortable laughs to puzzled looks to real responses. In my life, I’ve certainly had difficulty defining what “healthy sexuality” means and in fact, most Americans do. Pause for a moment and think […]
Football, violent crime, and our hero worship
Domestic and Sexual Violence Maine FocusOver the last few days, I’ve been sent the New York Times’ latest interactive article on campus sexual assault several times. The article details the error-filled investigation of a rape reportedly perpetrated by star freshman quarterback – and Heisman trophy winner – Jameis Winston. People are (rightfully) outraged and disgusted that Florida State University and […]
Remember Isaac. Stand up to bullies.
Domestic and Sexual Violence Maine Focus
“My name’s Isaac,” the email began. “I just wanted to let you know I love what you guys are doing. I have lots of friends who have been badly bullied and have always tried to help against bullying as much as I can. I myself have been hassled about acting gay (even though I’m straight).” […]
Stand up, step forward
Domestic and Sexual Violence Maine FocusToday marks the launch of Stand Up, Step Forward. Watch it. It could save a child’s life. In 2012, almost 50 percent of contacts with Maine’s sexual assault support programs were from or about someone who experienced sexual violence under the age of 18. Because child sexual abuse is so under-reported, we cannot determine the full […]
Community solutions to help trafficking victims
Domestic and Sexual Violence Maine FocusHuman trafficking is making Maine and national headlines more and more frequently. Some of the news is about how much work there is left to do. But more recently, it’s about exciting successes in the field, such as the $400,000 federal grant that Maine just received to develop victim services for human trafficking victims in […]