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Not Invisible: Rape on the Reservation and What You Can Do About It

Government statistics paint a shocking picture – Native American and Alaska Native women are more than 2.5 times more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted than other women in America. Indigenous women interviewed by Amnesty International said they didn’t know anyone in their community who had not experienced sexual violence. Why is this? What can be done to prevent these atrocities and how can service providers and communities come together to support survivors in culturally appropriate and meaningful ways?

We were honored to have Mending the Sacred Hoop Executive Director Tina Olson explore these questions and more for this important webinar.  A lot of important and powerful information was shared, particularly relative to native women (it was focused specifically on women).  Click here to view the recording and view additional resources below.

Now Available: 2013 Family and Intimate Partner Homicide Report

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner announces the release of the 2013 Annual Report on Family and Intimate Partner Homicide: A descriptive analysis of the characteristics and circumstances surrounding family and intimate partner homicide in Virginia.

This report contains an overview of 2013 data from the Family and Intimate Partner (FIP) Homicide Surveillance Project.  Highlighted findings include:

• 36% of all homicides in 2013 in Virginia were attributed to Family and Intimate Partner Violence (FIPV).  While the overall number of homicides has decreased since 2009, the proportion of deaths attributed to FIPV remains stable at one in three or higher.
• Firearms were used in 57% of FIP Homicides, a 21% increase from 2012.
• Despite the majority of FIP Homicide victims being white and female, the highest death rate was among blacks (2.9), with black males dying at a higher rate than any other group (3.1).
• The highest number of FIP Homicides occurred in the Eastern Health Planning Region (39); Richmond City had the highest number of deaths (10) for any one locality.

We invite your review of the full report, which is available at: http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/medExam/documents/pdf/2013%20FIPS%20Report.pdf.

Officers and Advocates: Oil and Water?

From End Violence Against Women International

One of our most popular articles addresses the collaboration between law enforcement and victim advocates, with the title Oil and Water?  This article was first written years ago, but it remains just as timely today.  We are therefore providing the information in a series of Training Bulletins.

In this first installment, we begin with a historical perspective and explore the role of victim advocates within the context of the criminal justice system.  In the second bulletin, we describe why some professionals are reluctant to integrate victim advocacy in their work and identify strategies for overcoming that reluctance.  Then in the final installment, we walk through an example of how advocates might address one particular challenge:  When the law enforcement investigator feels like the facts "don't add up."

CLICK HERE FOR PART 1 OF THE SERIES.

Open Minds to Equality Resource Book

Open Minds to Equality is an educator’s sourcebook of activities to help students understand and change inequalities based on race, gender, class, age, language, sexual orientation, physical/mental ability, and religion. The activities also promote respect for diversity and interpersonal equality among students, fostering a classroom that is participatory, cooperative, and democratic. Learning activities are sequenced to build awareness and understanding. This book is an essential resource for teachers, leaders in professional development, and curriculum specialists.

This fourth edition of Open Minds to Equality contains a wealth of updated information and resources. New lessons address immigration, anti-Muslim discrimination, gender identity, and bullying. The comprehensive, annotated bibliography has been revised and updated.

Out of the Shadows: An Analysis of Sexual Harassment Charges Filed by Working Women

In order to paint a clearer picture of workplace sexual harassment, the National Women’s Law Center analyzed sexual harassment charges filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) by women in the private sector between 2012 and 2016. Although an estimated 87 to 94 percent of those who experience sexual harassment never file a formal legal complaint, during fiscal year 2016 alone, nearly 7,000 sexual harassment charges were filed with the EEOC, and 82 percent of those sexual harassment charges were filed by women. This report features an intersectional analysis of the charge data by race, additional bases of discrimination alleged, and age; and an analysis of the charge data by industry and size of employer. This analysis establishes a critical baseline for evaluating the impact, if any, of the MeToo movement on filings with the EEOC in future years.