Once again, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) has chosen the prevention of sexual violence in the workplace as its national focus for Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The 2009 campaign message is “Respect Works.” What is Workplace Sexual Violence? Sexual violence includes all kinds of sexual behavior, ranging from sexual harassment to rape and incest that happens without the freely given consent of the victim. Most often, we hear about sexual harassment in the workplace; however, all forms of sexual violence can and do happen in the workplace. How can sexual violence in the workplace be prevented? Stopping it before it happens requires that we examine the way we treat one another, and how we view sexual violence in our society in general. One way employers can prevent sexual violence is to adopt and publicize a comprehensive policy for reporting and responding to sexual harassment and violence. Another is for businesses to support their local rape crisis center, through cash or in-kind donations, or volunteer hours. At BWIC, we work with sexual violence issues on many fronts. Some of the biggest ongoing concerns for advocates who work with victims and survivors of sexual violence revolve around the continued secrecy that surrounds the issue, and the continued shame, self-blame and blame from others experienced by victims. When we as “helpers,” and as a society in general fail to take the issues seriously and respond in supportive ways to assist victims and hold perpetrators accountable, we make it that much more difficult for all victims to tell their stories, and, if they choose, to cooperate with the authorities on a prosecution.
BWIC counselors and advocates are available to assist victims and survivors of sexual assault, to “meet them where they are” no matter where that is in the process. Counselors meet with victims of recent assaults, and also with survivors who have a history of assault in the past, or in childhood, resulting in unresolved issues. In addition, counselors meet with victims of domestic violence, or intimate partner violence, for whom sexual assault is just one aspect of their victimization. Legal advocates accompany victims to court interviews, hearings, and trials, to provide information about the process and to be that supportive presence that may help the victim get through what, to many, is a “re-victimization” within that process.
Prevention work and the advancement of safety strategies is an integral part of our work as well. Much of the work we do to end sexual assault takes place in schools and on college campuses. Each year, we become more involved with campus activist groups, such as the FMLA (Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance) and the Women’s Center, both at Kutztown University; and the SHADOW (Students Helping to Abate the Destruction of Women) at Albright College. We also work with Alvernia, Penn State Berks, and RACC on various initiatives and awareness projects. Kutztown University, Albright, and Alvernia plan “Take Back the Night” events, a long-standing tradition for sexual assault awareness that usually involves a silent march to show solidarity against sexual violence, and a survivor speak-out. We make or assist with presentations on campuses about safety strategies to prevent sexual assault for women, and the responsibilities of being an ally, or bystander, to men, encouraging them to intervene with their peers when appropriate. A group of dedicated students and faculty lead each campus organization or project. Kutztown University has further committed to the elimination of violence by sponsoring BWIC’s entire 60-hour educational seminar on their campus for two years in a row, resulting in nearly forty trained and certified sexual and domestic violence “HEART Team” advocates on campus. Graduation students move on to continue the work in sexual assault and domestic violence centers in the communities to which they return. PeaceWorks, the prevention education arm of BWIC, has four educators who are busy in Berks County schools delivering programs on sexual assault and dating violence prevention for elementary, middle and high school students. From programs on “good and bad touches” for elementary students, to sexual harassment, statutory rape and acquaintance rape for middle and high school students, PeaceWorks programs address sexual violence in an age and developmentally appropriate way with students. For high school seniors, we offer “College Prep” programs for gender specific audiences, to prepare girls with safety strategies as they enter the most vulnerable period for sexual assault – the first few months of their freshman year in college – and to enlist the support of boys and young men as bystanders, PeaceWorks also sponsors two sexual assault awareness displays, “The Clothesline Project” and “The Shoe Project for SAAM,” that travel to various locations throughout the month of April and the year. Photos of these displays are in this issue of WomenSpeak; more information about them is available on our website, www.berkswomenincrisis.org, under prevention education. At Berks Women in Crisis, we are committed to breaking the silence regarding issues of sexual violence, and we encourage others to do the same. We can speak to your group or gathering to bring the issues to light; we can provide assistance to victims and survivors and we will continue to work with young people and adults on prevention efforts. Again, please contact us if you would like to get involved in these efforts. ◆
Berks Women in Crisis has a resource kit and training materials that can help your business or workplace address these issues. Please contact us at 610.373.1206 if you would like to discuss options to get involved.
These efforts are impressive and progressive, but the old attitudes remain and much work still needs to be done. For example, still, when a sexual assault occurs on campus and the victim knew her attacker and maybe even invited him to her room and/or consumed alcohol with him, most of the “campus buzz” blames the victim for the assault. If the victim, under pressure of not being believed, decides it is not worth it to cooperate with an investigation, it is often assumed that she “made up” the charges, even though research tells us that this is the case less than 8% of the time, depending on which study you reference. Campus advocates are charged with challenging these social norms with their peers and faculty on campus.