According to a 2011 Newsweek report, women are more likely to be assaulted by a fellow soldier than harmed in combat.
The Department of Defense estimates that there are
about 19,000 sexual assaults in the military PER YEAR.
According to 2013 Pentagon statistics, only
1,108 troops filed for an investigation of their assault.
Of those 1108 cases, only 575 were processed. Of
those processed, only 96 went to court-martial.
Join us TONIGHT for a screening of the critically acclaimed
and award winning documentary, The Invisible War.
This event is co-hosted by
WGAC
and Adult Learner and Veteran Services.
TUESDAY APRIL 9th
7pm, Clark A104
THE
INVISIBLE WAR is a groundbreaking investigation into one of America’s most
disturbing secrets: the epidemic of rape within the US military. Focusing on
the powerful stories of several young veterans, the film is a moving
examination of the staggering personal and societal costs of these assaults.
Both a comprehensive inquiry and an
insight into what can be done to bring about much-needed change, THE INVISIBLE
WAR urges us all, civilian and military alike, to fight for a system that
protects our men and women in uniform.
Did you know that 1 in 4 women on a college campus will experience sexual violence?
That's 25% of the female population.
We often hear about the importance of "retention" as it relates to various groups of students. But how often do administrators include sexual assault in the discussion about the retention rates of women in college?
Sadly, not often enough.
Although every survivor responds differently after experiencing trauma, some common reactions include:
difficulty concentrating or focusing
difficulty sleeping and/or eating
feeling excessively tired
flashbacks, intrusive memories and/or nightmares about the event
withdrawal from people and places in one's life
fear of judgement
fear of being "outed" (if they identify as LGBTQ)
fear of losing their community of friends
fear of retaliation from the perpetrator
self-blame
We know that college can be a challenging time for ALL students but 25% of our female population are not only trying to navigate the everyday challenges of college, but are doing so while also managing the trauma they have experienced.
Here is a short list of things that YOU can do to help create change on campus:
1. Educate yourself about sexual violence on campus and believe survivors. Ask your administrators about their commitment to end violence on campus. If you have an opportunity to participate in a discussion/project about college student retention, include sexual violence in the discussion.
2. Instructors and Professors - Educate yourself in the area of sexual violence and make your role as a mandatory reporter clear at the beginning of the semester. Put contact information about confidential resources and advocacy on your syllabus so students know where to go when they need help.
3. Parents and family- do your best to support your loved one as they make the decisions that feel right for them. Tell them you believe them and that it wasn't their fault.
4. Partners/friends/roommates - try to remain patient and understanding as your partner/friend/roommate navigates the healing process. Be supportive and understanding, even if your friend/roommate suddenly seems distant. Keep lines of communication open and offer your support in whatever ways you can.
5. All loved ones of a survivor- make sure you also seek support for yourself. Similar to when a flight attendant instructs passengers on a plane to "put your own oxygen mask on first" ...we are only helpful to those around us if we first take care of ourselves. Advocates are available as a safe space to talk about your feelings.
6. Take time to check out the resources near you. At CSU those resources include the Women and Gender Advocacy Center! All SAAM events will include information about WGAC but you are also more than welcome to just stop in and say hi!
Join us for this week's SAAM events:
TUESDAY APRIL 9th
Film Screening: The Invisible War
7pm, Clark A104
THE
INVISIBLE WAR is a groundbreaking investigation into one of America’s most
disturbing secrets: the epidemic of rape within the US military. Focusing on
the powerful stories of several young veterans, the film is a moving
examination of the staggering personal and societal costs of these assaults.
Both a comprehensive inquiry and an
insight into what can be done to bring about much-needed change, THE INVISIBLE
WAR urges us all, civilian and military alike, to fight for a system that
protects our men and women in uniform.
WEDNESDAY APRIL 10th
Workshop: Developing Porn
Literacy
6:30pm, Corbett Hall Lobby
From your iphone to the magazine
stand, pornography is increasingly affordable, accessible and relatively anonymous.
Yet for something so prevalent, we rarely are given the tools to be able to
"read" the messages we get from porn about sex and sexuality. Join
the discussion and learn how porn is working to change the way we get down!
THURSDAY APRIL 11th
SAAM day on the plaza!
10am-4pm, LSC Plaza
SAAM awareness on the plaza will
include games, prizes, community and campus resources, the Clothesline Project,
the CTMO photo booth, the Red Whistle Brigade, art, candy and more!
THURSDAY APRIL 11th
Take Back The Night!
6pm, LSC Plaza
This internationally recognized
rally and protest creates an atmosphere of empowerment, while raising awareness
about sexual violence. The event begins with a speak-out and ends with a march
to Old Town.
From the article: "We live in a culture where we give guidelines to potential victims on how
to act in order to not be victimized. We create an illusion of control in a
situation where there is none. I propose we begin creating a culture where the rhetoric is, instead, 'Don’t rape.'"
Join us next week for the following SAAM events:
TUESDAY APRIL 9th
Film Screening: The Invisible War
7pm, Clark A104
THE
INVISIBLE WAR is a groundbreaking investigation into one of America’s most
disturbing secrets: the epidemic of rape within the US military. Focusing on
the powerful stories of several young veterans, the film is a moving
examination of the staggering personal and societal costs of these assaults.
Both a comprehensive inquiry and an
insight into what can be done to bring about much-needed change, THE INVISIBLE
WAR urges us all, civilian and military alike, to fight for a system that
protects our men and women in uniform.
WEDNESDAY APRIL 10th
Workshop: Developing Porn
Literacy
6:30pm, Corbett Hall Lobby
From your iphone to the magazine
stand, pornography is increasingly affordable, accessible and relatively anonymous.
Yet for something so prevalent, we rarely are given the tools to be able to
"read" the messages we get from porn about sex and sexuality. Join
the discussion and learn how porn is working to change the way we get down!
THURSDAY APRIL 11th
SAAM day on the plaza!
10am-4pm, LSC Plaza
SAAM awareness on the plaza will
include games, prizes, community and campus resources, the Clothesline Project,
the CTMO photo booth, the Red Whistle Brigade, art, candy and more!
THURSDAY APRIL 11th
Take Back The Night!
6pm, LSC Plaza
This internationally recognized
rally and protest creates an atmosphere of empowerment, while raising awareness
about sexual violence. The event begins with a speak-out and ends with a march
to Old Town.
Our sex-positive theme continues with tonight's event... Safer Sexy Sex! Hosted by GUIDE and facilitated by Beforeplay and Slumberparties, this workshop will discuss ways to make sex fun, safe and CONSENSUAL!
You might be wondering what the HECK sex positivity even means. You're not alone, so allow us to explain...
Like many terms within feminism, sex positivity means different things to different people.
As a broad ideology and world view, sex positivity is simply the idea that all sex, as long as it is healthy and explicitly consensual, is a positive thing.
The core of sex positivity is the idea of informed consent and agency within one's own sexuality. For some people this means having lots of sex. For other people it might mean abstaining from sex all together.
Sex positivity aims to remove stigma and shame from all sexual choices and instead encourages people to not only embrace their own sexual choices, but also respect the choices of others.
So come join us tonight at 7:30 in the summit hall conference room for a discussion about empowering yourself
and forming healthy relationships with others.
We will also raffle off CTMO tshirts and copies of the following books, written and/or edited by our keynote speaker JESSICA VALENTI!!
Welcome to day THREE of SAAM! Too often, anti-rape movements are stereotyped as being "anti-sex". Conversations about the need for consent quickly get labeled "prude" or "rigid". Well join us today at noon for a presentation about sex positivity and the connection between sex positivity and rape prevention! Hosted by Priscilla Gardea and Emily Ambrose (two of our favorite women!!), this presentation is one you do NOT want to miss! oh... and we will be debuting our CTMO condoms!! yay!!
Women at Noon: Sex-Positivity Workshop- Taking the BOO out of taboo!
"Sex. Why is it that this topic can cause some people to blush, but can also help some people to feel empowered? We will explore how society defines and confines sexuality. In a safe, open and confidential space, participants will learn about what Sex-positivity is and how to incorporate it into their own lives."
Today's SAAM post is brought to you by the number....
As in.... did you know that according to the FBI,
less than two percent of reported cases of sexual assault are false reports?
Less than 2 percent.
Kinda makes you wonder why so few victims are believed when they come forward.
Be sure to check out our blog for daily updates related to SAAM. Our next upcoming event is tomorrow... hope you can join us!!
Women at Noon: Sex-Positivity
Workshop- Taking the BOO out of taboo!
"Sex. Why is it that this topic can cause some people to blush, but can also
help some people to feel empowered? We will explore how society defines and
confines sexuality. In a safe, open and confidential space, participants will
learn about what Sex-positivity is and how to incorporate it into their own
lives."
April 1st marks the official start to Sexual Assault Awareness Month!! yay!! *crowd cheers!*
Here at CSU we have lots and lots of fantastic programs, workshops, films and other events planned for the month in the hopes of raising awareness on our campus about the issue of sexual violence.
Since today is also april fool's day, we thought we would start things off by sharing a short animated film that uses satire to poke fun at typical "prevention" strategies.
we hope you enjoy!
Sexual Assault Prevention with Dolly & Red
Created by Monica Rivera
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