Experts Link Recession to Increased Domestic Violence

As noted in Boulder's Daily Camera and in the US Catholic there is a noted increase of domestic violence during recessions. It is important to remember that Domestic Violence includes sexual assault. Sexual assault is sexual assault even if it is by a partner/spouse. If a person does not consent it is sexual assault.

Some great articles to check out about Parter/Spousal Sexual assault
Spousal Rape Laws: 20 Years Later

Spousal Abuse
Are You a Victim of Physical, Emotional, Sexual or Economic Abuse

Criminal Law: Spousal Abuse

Remember:
Myth: A Husband cannot rape his wife.
Fact: In Colorado, any act of sexual conduct to which a woman does not consent is rape, regardless of an individual's marital or social relationship with the abuser. Historically, rape laws have been based on an assumption of a wife as property of a husband. They did not recognize a woman's right to control her own body. Fortunately, today the vast majority of states allow a woman to criminally charge her husband with rape.

7 Ways You Can Coach Boys into Men

Teach Early. It’s never too soon to talk to a child about violence. Let him know how you think he should express his anger and frustration – and what is out of bounds. Talk with him about what it means to be fair, share and treat others with respect.

Be there. If it comes down to one thing you can do, this is it. Just being with boys is crucial. The time doesn’t have to be spent in activities. Boys will probably not say this directly -- but they want a male presence around them, even if few words are exchanged.

Listen. Hear what he has to say. Listen to how he and his friends talk about girls. Ask him if he’s ever seen abusive behavior in his friends. Is he worried about any of his friends who are being hurt in their relationships? Are any of his friends hurting anyone else?

Tell Him How. Teach him ways to express his anger without using violence. When he gets mad, tell him he can walk it out, talk it out, or take a time out. Let him know he can always come to you if he feels like things are getting out of hand. Try to give him examples of what you might say or do in situations that could turn violent.

Bring it up. A kid will never approach you and ask for guidance on how to treat women. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t need it. Try watching TV with him or listening to his music. If you see or hear things that depict violence against women, tell him what you think about it. Never hesitate to let him know you don’t approve of sports figures that demean women, or jokes, video games and song lyrics that do the same. And when it comes time for dating, be sure he knows that treating girls with respect is important.

Be a Role Model. Fathers, coaches and any man who spends time with boys or teens will have the greatest impact when they “walk the walk.” They will learn what respect means by observing how you treat other people. So make respect a permanent way of dealing with people – when you’re driving in traffic, talking with customer service reps, in restaurants with waiters, and with your family around the dinner table. He’s watching what you say and do and takes his cues from you, both good and bad. Be aware of how you express your anger. Let him know how you define a healthy relationship and always treat women and girls in a way that your son can admire.

Teach Often. Your job isn't done once you get the first talk out of the way. Help him work through problems in relationships as they arise. Let him know he can come back and talk to you again anytime. Use every opportunity to reinforce the message that violence has no place in a relationship.

(courtesy of the Family Violence Prevention Fund)

Sex objects: Pictures shift men's view of women

(Ian Sample, Chicago guardian.co.uk, Monday 16 February 2009 13.42 GMT)

Men are more likely to think of women as objects if they have looked at sexy pictures of females beforehand, psychologists said yesterday.

Researchers used brain scans to show that when straight men looked at pictures of women in bikinis, areas of the brain that normally light up in anticipation of using tools, like spanners and screwdrivers, were activated.

Scans of some of the men found that a part of the brain associated with empathy for other people's emotions and wishes shut down after looking at the pictures.

Susan Fiske, a psychologist at Princeton University in New Jersey, said the changes in brain activity suggest sexy images can shift the way men perceive women, turning them from people to interact with, to objects to act upon.

The finding confirms a long-suspected effect of sexy images on the way women are perceived, and one which persists in workplaces and the wider world today, Fiske said.

"When there are sexualised images in the workplace, it's hard for people not to think about their female colleagues in those terms. It spills over from the images to the workplace," she said.

Speaking at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Chicago yesterday, Fiske said the findings called into question the impact of sexualised images of women that might be pinned on workplace walls or sent around offices where there was a strong locker-room culture.

"I'm not saying there should be censorship, but people need to be aware of the associations people will have in their minds," Fiske said.

In the study, Fiske's team put straight men into an MRI brain scanner and showed them images of either clothed men and women, or more scantily clad men and women. When they took a memory test afterwards, the men best remembered images of bikini-clad women whose heads had been digitally removed.

The brain scans showed that when men saw the images of the women's bodies, activity increased in part of the brain called the premotor cortex, which is involved in urges to take action. The same area lights up before using power tools to do DIY. "It's as if they immediately thought to act on theses bodies," Fiske said.

In the final part of the study, Fiske asked the men to fill in a questionnaire that was used to assess how sexist they were. The brain scans showed that men who scored highest had very little activity in the prefrontal cortex and other brain regions that are involved with understanding another person's feelings and intentions. "They're reacting to these women as if they're not fully human," Fiske said.

Why Should Men Be Involved?

During our struggle to end sexual violence, often due to time, staffing, and monetary constraints, many of us as advocates have been forced for too long to fail to adequately include the portion of our population that is most often responsible for sexual misconduct. We need desperately to begin collectively and in a comprehensive and strategically manner to act on the knowledge that we live in a society that values male dominance, and that places great emphasis on the importance of the strong and stoic, or macho man. In any other arena, it would make sense to focus on the cause of the problem. However, too few of us dedicated to our cause have created the time, initiative, and funding that is necessary to effect adequate change. It it now time for all of us as advocates, professionals, therapists, friends, and victims to work to address an actionable solution to the problem of sexual violence.

We believe that it is through the education and inclusion of males that this is possible. It should be the goal of all of us to extend our efforts to area and strategies that have been underutilized in the past. Through organized community outreach to males including educational components we can begin to spread the word that sexual violence does indeed wider attention. We can begin to convince those living around us who have not had the unfortunate duty of seeing firsthand the terrible scars that are left by a sexual assault , that sexual violence is indeed an epidemic in the United States that has the potential to directly affect all of our lives.

(Excerpt from PCAR - Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape)

Byron Hurt Coming to Denver

Mark your calendars! Byron Hurt-- well-known for his documentary "Beyond Beats and Rhymes"-- will be coming to the Auraria campus Wednesday, April 29, 2009 at 1 pm!

Filmmaker Byron Hurt, a life-long hip-hop fan, was watching rap music videos on BET when he realized that each video was nearly identical. Guys in fancy cars threw money at the camera while scantily clad women danced in the background. As he discovered how stereotypical rap videos had become, Hurt, a former college quarterback turned activist, decided to make a film about the gender politics of hip-hop, the music and the culture that he grew up with. “The more I grew and the more I learned about sexism and violence and homophobia, the more those lyrics became unacceptable to me,” he says. “And I began to become more conflicted about the music that I loved.” The result is HIP-HOP: Beyond Beats and Rhymes, a riveting documentary that tackles issues of masculinity, sexism, violence and homophobia in today’s hip-hop culture.

For more information about the film, click here.

If you are interested in attending, contact the MESA office!

NHL Punishes For "Sloppy Seconds" Remark

The National Hockey League responded very quickly following player Sean Avery's comments about his former girlfriend. Avery went on tape during an interview and said

"I am really happy to be back in Calgary, I love Canada. I just want to comment on how it's become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I don't know what that's about. Enjoy the game tonight."

The comment was directed towards another player, Dion Phaneuf, and Phaneuf's girlfriend Elisha Cuthbert, whom Avery used to date.

NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman, responded:

"Mr. Avery has been warned repeatedly about his conduct and comments, which have too often been at odds with the manner in which his more than 700 fellow players conduct themselves. Playing in the National Hockey League is a privilege, requiring a high standard of personal behavior. Mr. Avery forfeits that privilege for six games. Mr. Avery has expressed remorse for his recent comments and has sought a professional anger management evaluation. I will require that he follow through with that process as a condition of his returning to the ice and that he complies with any and all recommendations."

This is a fantastically unprecedented punishment for sexism in the sports arena. As you might imagine, there are a lot of fans and sports writers who have criticized this move as "unnecessary" and "extreme". However, it has been very interesting to note that many of the older players have supported the suspension and also condemned the remarks.

Mike Domitrz, Executive Director of The Safe Dates Project, taped a youtube video response in support of the NHL's actions. It can be found here.

MESA in the News

Boulder Weekly published a great article about ending sexual assault this week. It also highlights the Men Standing Up program, and the ways that men have been involved in the movement.

Check it out, HERE.

Victim Blaming those "Drunk Chicks"

So TMZ reported today that the host of "Human Weapon", Jason Chambers, was arrested for an alleged sexual assault.

In a follow up post, they posted a video with the headline "Celeb Rape Suspect Was a Drunk Chick Magnet" The post reads as follows:

By the way the drunk chicks were flocking toward Jason Chambers when we caught him out in Hollywood in October, it's hard to believe the former History Channel host would be arrested for allegedly raping someone only a few weeks later.

But he was -- and he'll be back in court December 5.

Understandably, the charges are pending, and it is America-- innocent until proven guilty. But let's discuss the media coverage, shall we? Is the post sarcastic because it's impossible to believe that "drunk chicks" could be raped? Or because he is a host of a History Channel program? Where is the responsibility here? Not surprisingly, the victim-blaming that exists in the post exacerbates the readers' victim-blaming in the comments.

Is it possible, TMZ, that the "drunk chicks" are particularly vulnerable targets, that some men may take advantage of? Perhaps we should be putting responsibility where it is due.

source

"Nude Priest Gets Probation, Will Register as Sex Offender"

According to an article in the Boulder Camera today:

"Robert Whipkey, 53, was serving at parishes in Erie, Mead and Frederick when he was arrested and placed on leave. This summer, Whipkey was found guilty of indecent exposure, a misdemeanor that carries mandatory registration as a sex offender for at least 10 years."

While the case may not sound that provocative, there is an incredible discussion following the article in the "comments" section-- causing the article to be labeled "hot" by the online Camera. [see comments HERE] The discussion mainly centers around the question "what behaviors mandate the registering a sex offender?". There are some very interesting points that are being raised.

Here is the rest of the story:

“This conviction has cost me my career and my life,” said Whipkey, according to a report in the Greeley Tribune.

Judge Timothy Kerns said the nude jogging was a manifestation of a bigger issue that needs to be treated, according to the Tribune.

The Weld County District Attorney’s Office reported that a lawyer for Whipkey has alerted the court of his intention to appeal the case. Whipkey will not have to register as a sex offender while the appeal is underway.

Nine years ago, the Archdiocese investigated Whipkey for “inappropriate personal behavior” when he was pastor of St. Anthony’s parish in Sterling. In that case, Sterling police said they looked into reports that 11-year-old boys had seen Whipkey naked at a summer camp. But the boys didn’t file formal complaints, and no charges were filed.

Do you think that the previous actions change the investigation or case at all?
What do you think about who should register as an offender or not?

source

Why should you join the Men Standing Up Program?

Lend a hand in helping end violence against women. Be part of the Men Standing Up Program. Call 303-443-0400 and join today.

The Longmont White Ribbon Campaign has kicked off! The Men's Program from MESA helped Longmont kick off their white ribbon campaign by preparing the 24 white ribbons that now hang on Main Street. It was an adventure of it's own painting 24 ribbons during torrential downpours! With the help of volunteer Jeff Israel, we were able to get them done in time to hang! MESA volunteers Kevin Kelly and Francisco Flores, stopped by to check out the white ribbons after presenting to a group of 30+ about Men’s Roles in Gender Violence Prevention: Film Viewing and Discussion.

What Men Can Do To Stop Rape

1. Obtain clear, participatory consent for any sexual behavior with another person. Always.
2. Educate yourself. Attend programs, take classes, and read articles and books about the root causes of sexism and gender violence
3. Be aware of language. Words are very powerful. Choose to use words that are respectful of women and girls rather than those than that put them down or view them as sexual objects
4. Speak up! Challenge attitudes and behaviors (such as crude jokes or harassing comments) that degrade women or promote rape
5. View rape as a men's issue. Although most men are not rapists, most rapists are men. As a man, YOU have the power to confront abusive peers
6. Don't support, promote, or fund violence against women. Refuse to purchase magazines, rent videos, buy music, or view websites that portray women and children in a sexually manner
   

Men's Roles in Gender Violence Prevention

Historically, women have been at the forefront of addressing gender violence issues. An encouraging and growing trend is the appearance of groups of men also dedicated to ending violence against women. Men can take a stand as leaders demonstrating the true meaning of strength, healthy values, and integrity. The LEVI White Ribbon Campaign focuses on men working to end violence against women. This campaign is currently in its second year, and is being held June 8 - 22, 2008 in Longmont, Colorado. As part of the campaign, LEVI is holding this free professional seminar in order to educate and inspire professionals working in fields related to gender violence.

FILMS: Tough Guise: Violence, Media and the Crisis in Masculinity is a film that examines the relations between pop culture's construction of masculinity and the reality of being a man in the late 20th century American society. Jackson Katz argues that there exists a contemporary crisis in masculinity. The media offers men certain "manly" roles to play, but these roles often play out violent and selfish attitudes, traits harmful to women. Various excerpts fomr other films such as as Wrestling with Manhood and Beyond Beats and Rhymes may also be shown during this session.

DISCUSSION: Facilitating a discussion about men's roles in preventing gender violence is Marti Hopper, the Prevention Education Director at MESA. Dr. Hopper coordinates MESA's Men's Prevention Education program.

To enrich the discussion , please come with your ideas, thoughts and comments on how we can enlist men in the effort to end violence against women. By increasing the number of men interested in working on issues of gender violence, new and unique efforts are likely to occur. It will take many different approaches to find solutions appropriate to community needs, but we can get a good start right now...together!

SPACE IS LIMITED - RSVP TODAY!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008
8:00 am to 10:30 am
Longmont Safety and Justice Center, 255 Kimbark St, Longmont
Cost: FREE
RSVP by June 5, 2008 to cheryl.swanson@ci.longmont.co.us or 303-774-4534