tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32952444520736214772024-02-06T21:04:02.241-05:00CUNY POLICY: Creating a Greater CUNY for allWelcome to the CUNY Sexual Assault Policy Tracker!
This blog was a creation of Students for a Greater CUNY (SGC) to track the progress of the CUNY Sexual Assault Policy Taskforce. As of June 28, 2010, SGC achieved a hard earned dream alongside many supporters. We have kept this open for others who may be striving to achieve similar goals to become inspired to create effective coalition building!
Questions? EMAIL US AT cunysgc@gmail.com. Feel free to spread the word!!Students for a Greater CUNYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758832047520879095noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295244452073621477.post-90735279927682064112010-09-01T19:51:00.003-04:002010-09-01T19:52:44.514-04:00SGC's recommendations accepted by Vice Chancellor Jordan !!!! As promised, our last posting of this tracker involves the implementation recommendations SGC worked on and negotiated during the summer . Here are the recommendations that were accepted by Vice Chancellor Jordan and will be incorporated in the implementation of the policy that is now in effect:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;"><b>Recommendations on how to enact on the CUNY Sexual Assault, Stalking and Domestic Violence Policy SGC put together:</b></span><br />
<ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><b>Compliance</b></span></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">All CUNY institutes must perennially ensure the policy and procedures are being followed and observed by campus officials, evaluations are done yearly and student's feedback is taken consistently.</span></ul></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Campuses should be able to clearly define domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking to its students.</span> </ul></ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><b>Access to the Policy </b></span></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">CUNY should advertise the policy on their websites, and the policy must be sent to students and faculty via mass email.</span></ul></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Students should be provided with up to date information. For instance, all incoming freshmen should be made aware of the policy during freshmen orientations and there should be tabling information/fliers/brochures in offices where students have access to it in places like, One Stop /Financial Aid/Admission/Freshmen Services etc.</span> </ul></ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><b>Education/Training</b></span></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Institutes should also offer workshops once or twice every semester (besides orientations) to make sure that all students and faculty know and understand what their options are and are knowledgeable enough to prevent sexual assault, stalking and domestic violence all together, whether it is on or off campus.</span></ul></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">If CUNY budget allows, new faculty and interested students should be trained along with campus security personnel to effectively identify and respond to the crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking, as these would be preventative measures.</span></ul></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Prevention Education</span></ul></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">a) Nformd.net- Cost of program willing to be negotiated since SGC has had contact w/ company since the start of the policy taskforce b) UN Gender Module c) DOJ report & guidelines for implementing sexual assault policies d) Bystander training- CANNOT be the sole means of education but part of a comprehensive educational structure.</span> </ul></ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><b>Services/Resources</b></span></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">CUNY centers should be able to provide services to survivors as a referral/resource center and open up campuses to outside service providers.</span></ul></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">The centers should make it easy for student victims to reach out to them and help victims with in a warm and endearing manner. </span></ul></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Centers must provide an advocate/trained counselor/staff member who is trained in the topics of sexual assault/domestic violence/stalking. The trained expert should be able to build a relationship with the victim based on trust and accountability as it is vital in getting the victim started with the healing process.</span></ul></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">CUNY should work in collaboration with current victim service providers (Eg. RAINN, SART Teams, Safe Horizon, NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault) and also work in with law enforcement officials from local jurisdiction, and be able to address confidentiality of victims. </span></ul></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">CUNY institutes must continue to fund and expand services for survivors and keep an updated list of local and national resources that are available for students. </span> </ul></ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><b>Investigation</b></span></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Who investigates? a) No one person should investigate. Given current capacity of schools to provide adequate staff power, CUNY should consider at least a 6 person team to rotate cases and lessen burn out. b) Training of investigation team should be refreshed every semester with a mandatory training time to attend free city workshops to keep investigators abreast of new information. c) Sensitivity training, stalking, DV and sexual violence training necessary. Popular, cost effective and reputable places to seek are Safe Horizon, Connect NYC (free for orgs & other entities), NYS Coalition Against Domestic Violence, NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault, Urban Justice Center, Men Can Stop Rape. SGC has contacts for most on the list and can connect CUNY. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span></ul></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Timeframe of Investigations: a) Sexual Harassment investigations on campuses easily fail because students are waiting for months or even a school year</span></ul></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">b) Investigation should be between 3-6 months. In the interim - What to do with alleged victim and perpetrator? </span></ul></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">c) Give victim option to switch housing, schedule, etc., if he/she chooses. If not, perpetrator must switch.</span></ul></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">d) There must be an expressed consent form of notification of rights to victim and perpetrator alike. </span></ul></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">e) Consent form should include counseling info for victim and perpetrator & indicate that it is outside of the care & attention that the school pays to the investigation (the counseling & other outside services).</span></ul></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">f) Timeframe of investigation and rights according to investigation information should be expressed in the consent form. Names and other information of investigation team should be readily available within consent form.</span> </ul></ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><b>Sanctions of Perpetrator</b></span></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">What is the spectrum of sanctions? I.E. If a student is sexually assaulted and bears no severe physical injury, does the proved perpetrator receive a suspension and removal from areas where the victim is</span></ul></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Levels of discipline & sanctions appropriate for perpetrators of sexual assault, rape, IPV, DV & Stalking? What happens, as is statistically linked, if a victim experiences overlapping crimes? </span></ul></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Combine sanctions for perpetrator and where dubious, choose a reasonable compromise between the sanctions.</span></ul></ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><b>Research/Evaluation</b></span></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">CUNY should be able to conduct research on service providers for special populations (Men, LGBTQI, immigrants, elderly / disabled</span></ul></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Campuses must continue to make sure that all student voices are heard, especially the voice of a sexual assault victim or victims of other forms of violence as they have a distinctive understanding of violence.</span></ul></ul><ul><ul><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">It is absolutely imperative to use the survivor's voices as guidance when reviewing the policy and procedures annually, and making recommendations and/or changes to the policy by CUNY Administrators (for e.g College President, Vice President, Dean of Students, and students represented from the student government).</span></ul></ul><br />
In addition to the above, we have successfully submitted and have had additional national and state empirical data well received by Vice Chancellor Jordan, and have provided connections for administration to use as they continue to pass the torch and share responsibility for policy implementation.<br />
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What to do now?<br />
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Well, if you are a CUNY community member, continue to keep a watchful eye on your own actions and continue to educate yourself on sexual violence and prevention! The new policy allows for access to education and continual review boards to ensure implementations, but it is up to you to take on a level of responsibility for yourself and your community!<br />
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Below is the policy that was in effect as of July 1st :<br />
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<h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":"msg"}" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK<br />
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES CONCERNING SEXUAL ASSAULT, STALKING <br />
AND DOMESTIC AND INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AGAINST STUDENTS<br />
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I. POLICY STATEMENT</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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The City University of New York seeks to create and maintain a safe environment in which all members of the University community—students, faculty and staff—can learn and work free from the fear of sexual assault and other forms of violence. The University’s policies on Workplace Violence and Domestic Violence and the Workplace apply to all acts of violence that occur in the workplace or that may spill over into the workplace. The University’s Sexual Harassment Policy prohibits many forms of unwelcome conduct, including but not limited to, physical conduct of a sexual nature. This policy is specifically directed towards sexual assault, domestic and intimate partner violence and stalking committed against students on and off-campus. </span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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CUNY wants all victims of sexual assault, stalking and domestic and intimate partner violence to know that the University has professionals and law enforcement officers who are trained in the field to assist student victims in obtaining help, including immediate medical care, counseling and other essential services. If the perpetrator is also a member of the CUNY community, the college will take prompt action to investigate, and, where appropriate, to discipline and sanction the perpetrator. CUNY urges all victims to seek immediate help in accordance with the guidelines set forth in this policy with the assurance that all information received from a complaint will be handled as confidentially as possible. </span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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In order to eliminate sexual assaults and other forms of violence perpetrated against students, and to create a safe college community, it is critical to provide an appropriate prevention education program and have trained professionals to provide vital supportive services. </span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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Accordingly, CUNY is committed to the following goals: </span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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• Providing clear and concise guidelines for students to follow in the event that they or someone </span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
they know have been the victim of a sexual assault, domestic/intimate partner violence, or stalking. <br />
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• Assisting victims of sexual assault or abuse in obtaining necessary medical care and </span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
counseling, whether be on or off-campus. <br />
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• Providing the most informed and up-to-date education and information to its students about how </span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
to identify situations that involve sexual assault, domestic and intimate partner violence, or <br />
stalking, and ways to prevent these forms of violence.<br />
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• Educating and training all staff members, including counselors, public safety officers and student </span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
affairs staff, to assist victims of sexual assault, domestic/intimate partner violence, or stalking. <br />
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• Ensuring that disciplinary procedures are followed in the event that the alleged perpetrator is a CUNY student or employee.</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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II. PROCEDURES FOR REPORTING INCIDENTS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AND OTHER FORMS OF VIOLENCE</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
Obtaining assistance after a student is sexually assaulted, stalked or is in an abusive relationship is extremely important and can involve different points of on-campus contact for students, faculty and staff, including the Public Safety Department, Women’s/Men’s Centers and Counseling Departments, and/or the Dean of Student Development/Student Affairs. Each provides different forms of assistance which together address many of the needs of survivors.<br />
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• Contact Law Enforcement Personnel Immediately</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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CUNY urges any student who has been the victim of a sexual assault or other act of violence or abuse, or any student or employee who has witnessed a sexual assault or other act of violence against a student, to immediately report the incident to the college Public Safety Department if the attack occurred on-campus, or to call 911 or go to the local NYPD precinct if the incident took place off-campus. Each college shall be provided with a list of emergency contact numbers as part of its orientation and training programs. </span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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• Seek Immediate Medical Attention</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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It is critical that victims of a physical assault receive comprehensive medical attention as soon as possible. For a sexual assault in particular, immediate treatment and the preservation of evidence of the attack (i.e. retain the clothing worn during the attack and do not shower) is crucial to a criminal investigation. If a student believes that she/he may be the victim of date rape by being drugged, she/he should go directly to a hospital to receive a toxicology examination since such drugs only remain in a person’s system for a short period of time. In all other circumstances, public safety and police personnel can assist the victim in obtaining medical care. Each college shall be provided with a list of local hospitals, some of which are designated as SAFE (Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner) hospitals that are specially equipped to handle sexual assaults and are trained to gather minute evidence from such assaults. Rape crisis advocates at emergency rooms are also trained to handle domestic violence. EMS will be directed to bring victims to a SAFE hospital at their request. Medical attention is critical not only to treat internal and external injuries and to combat the possibilities of sexually transmitted infections and/or pregnancy, but also to collect evidence that can be used against the alleged perpetrator. It is also vital to ongoing safety and recovery that victims receive emotional support and professional counseling as soon as possible after the attack. </span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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• Seek On-Campus Assistance</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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CUNY encourages student victims to contact the Dean of Student Affairs/Student Development to obtain assistance in accessing medical and counseling services, or to make any necessary changes to the student’s academic program or residential housing situation. Public Safety can assist victims getting to and from campus safely, filing a police report and obtaining an order of protection against the perpetrator. Victims can also file a complaint with the College against a perpetrator who is a student or employee of the University with the Dean of Student Affairs/Student Development and the Public Safety Office. </span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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• Obtaining an On-Campus Advocate</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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Student victims of a sexual assault, stalking or domestic or intimate partner violence shall be provided with on-campus support in the form of an advocate from the Women’s/Men’s Center (if there is one on campus) or an appropriately trained counselor to assist them in handling the various aspects of their ordeal, such as: 1) explaining to victims their options of whether or not to report the incident to campus or law enforcement authorities; 2) providing guidance if they require medical attention; 3) providing guidance in obtaining crisis intervention and/or ongoing counseling services (or a referral to obtain the necessary services if such services are not available on campus); and 4) assisting victims throughout the College’s disciplinary process if they choose to file a complaint against another student in connection with the incident. </span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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• Handling Sexual Assault, Stalking and Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence </span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
Complaints On-Campus <br />
The Colleges shall act promptly in response to information that a student has been sexually assaulted, or has been the victim of domestic or intimate partner violence or stalking by another member of the CUNY community. Upon receipt of a complaint, the College shall undertake an appropriate investigation. If it appears that there is sufficient evidence to warrant disciplinary charges against a student or staff member, such charges shall be brought pursuant to the appropriate University procedures or collective bargaining agreement. If the perpetrator is a student and the matter is brought before a hearing, the victim and alleged perpetrator are entitled to the same opportunities to have others present and to be informed of the outcome of the proceedings. The victim is entitled to a report of the results of the proceeding at her/his request. If a student is found guilty of committing a sexual assault or other act of violence against another CUNY student or employee after a disciplinary hearing, the penalties may include suspension, expulsion from residence halls, or permanent dismissal from CUNY. <br />
In addition, if during the course of the investigation and/or disciplinary process the perpetrator, or anyone on his/her behalf, seeks to contact the victim so as to harass, intimidate, threaten or coerce the victim in any way, the College reserves the right to bring additional disciplinary action against the actor. Such conduct by any member of the CUNY community will not be tolerated. <br />
• Confidentiality<br />
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The University recognizes that confidentiality is particularly important to victims of sex crimes, domestic and intimate partner violence and stalking. If the victim seeks counseling with a licensed professional and/or works with an advocate from the campus, those communications will be confidential. CUNY encourages victims in all circumstances to seek counseling in order to speak about her/his options and to begin the recovery period.</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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While complete confidentiality cannot be guaranteed, every effort will be made to maintain confidentiality on a “need to know” basis. Generally, the wishes of a victim not to report a sexual assault or incident of domestic/intimate partner violence or stalking to the police will prevail, though the College reserves the right to notify the police when it believes that such reporting is necessary for the protection of the College community. Such notification, however, will be done without divulging the victim’s identity and will be done only for the purpose of providing a campus-wide safety alert. In addition, the College must adhere to legal mandates such as Title IX, medical reporting laws, and the Campus Security Act. For example, CUNY is required to make an annual report documenting the occurrences of violent crimes on campus, including sexual assault. However, this report does not include any information identifying the individuals (including the victims) linked to these crimes.</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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III. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES CONCERNING SEXUAL ASSAULT AND OTHER FORMS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST STUDENTS</span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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The President and Vice President for Student Affairs/Student Development of each college shall be responsible for implementing this policy in accordance with the most up-to-date information and resources pertaining to sexual assault, stalking and domestic/intimate partner violence education and prevention, and victim assistance. The following steps must be taken to implement this policy: </span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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1. Publication: A copy of this policy shall be easily accessible on the CUNY website and on the website administered by each College. A summary shall also be incorporated into every College student handbook. In addition, copies of the policy and procedures shall be made available in student centers, residence halls, student affairs/student development offices, women’s/men’s centers, counseling centers, health clinics and public safety departments, and shall be distributed to all new students during orientations. </span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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2. Prevention/Risk Reduction Education: Each College shall develop materials and programs to educate its students, faculty and staff on the nature, dynamics, common circumstances and effects of sexual assault, domestic/intimate partner violence and stalking, and the means to reduce their occurrence and prevent them. Prevention education should provide up-to-date and relevant information, such as education pertaining to bystander intervention, the importance of peer networks and the significance of fostering a community of responsibility. </span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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Prevention education materials and programs shall be incorporated into campus orientation activities for all incoming undergraduate and graduate students (including transfers), and shall be made available to all student activity groups, clubs and athletic teams. In addition, all residence halls shall have a mandatory orientation on sexual assault, stalking and domestic/intimate partner violence prevention. Colleges are encouraged to assist in the organization of peer education groups and to provide resources to such groups so that the groups can provide training and outreach to other students throughout the academic year. Since the abuse of alcohol is frequently involved in occurrences of sexual assault and other forms of violence, it is important that the education program include education about the deleterious effects of alcohol abuse. </span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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3. Professional Training: Each College shall provide periodic training relating to the prevention and handling of sexual assaults, stalking and domestic/intimate partner violence for all relevant personnel, including public safety officers, counselors, student affairs staff and residence hall assistants by experts trained in the field. Education and training shall also be made available to any interested faculty and staff member. Each campus must have at least one qualified staff or faculty member serve as a designated liaison and trainer. </span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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4. Oversight by CUNY Central Administration: The University Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs shall monitor compliance with this policy at all of the campuses, shall review the policies and procedures on an annual basis, and shall make recommendations in the event that updates to prevention and education information are necessitated. In addition, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs shall provide educational materials that may be needed to ensure full implementation of this policy on every campus. Liaisons will be identified from each campus who will receive standardized training in order to fulfill their responsibilities on their campuses. The policies, procedures and outreach materials and programs will be subject to a periodic process of assessment in order to maintain efficacy.</span></h6><h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":"msg"}" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">*The policy is currently being placed on the University's homepage and individual college pages, as well as placed in mandated sites around campuses. </span></h6><h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":"msg"}" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="color: blue;">So this is it, we thank you for supporting us during this two year venture and hope you will join in with us as we forge ahead with our newest initiative, the Torture Awareness Campaign (TAC) that you can find out more about through our webpage. </span></span></h6><h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":"msg"}" style="color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">To building a Greater CUNY!!</span></h6><h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":"msg"}" style="color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">SGC </span> </h6><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.cunysgc.com</div>Students for a Greater CUNYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758832047520879095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295244452073621477.post-54330150835741602432010-06-29T14:11:00.000-04:002010-06-29T14:11:23.240-04:00WE DID IT!!!!SGC is proud to announce the following: <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0B3X6db7fO6qPhRNr2ah2eVXFzTV0Ymm8IczoE5NbBOUzyJbkrp-0gMYbOX-OJWaUsd0Nbe7FIr2ci6YBN0MyjKqxrDDkiSrCgvHcaViM3e6tlY2lc1fUW70dS2FPsQgZZpfW_biNgc/s1600/Great+Job+CUNY!!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ru="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0B3X6db7fO6qPhRNr2ah2eVXFzTV0Ymm8IczoE5NbBOUzyJbkrp-0gMYbOX-OJWaUsd0Nbe7FIr2ci6YBN0MyjKqxrDDkiSrCgvHcaViM3e6tlY2lc1fUW70dS2FPsQgZZpfW_biNgc/s400/Great+Job+CUNY!!.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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We will be wrapping up the tracker with a final post on recommendations for the implementation of the version of the policy that has been passed, which you will find on our website in a few days. Thank you for sharing in this journey with us, engaging in dialogue, passing the word on to friends and colleagues, and cheerleading us on all the way! Feel free to keep up with us on our website, we have other projects in store to continue building a Greater CUNY!! <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Special thanks and shout out to our committed Media Team that kept the tracker going: Darakshan Raja, Sonatha Allan and Rabeea Jabbar! </strong></span><br />
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It's been a pleasure,<br />
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Elischia Fludd<br />
Chair<br />
Students for a Greater CUNY (SGC)<br />
<a href="http://www.cunysgc.com/">http://www.cunysgc.com/</a><br />
<a href="mailto:cunysgc@gmail.com">cunysgc@gmail.com</a> <br />
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Become involved! VISIT CUNYSGC.COM!<div class="blogger-post-footer">www.cunysgc.com</div>Students for a Greater CUNYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758832047520879095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295244452073621477.post-72228792475467576922010-06-08T16:28:00.001-04:002010-06-08T16:30:37.601-04:00POLICY ACTION ALERT!!After extra months of re-negotiations, SGC is proud to annouce the following action alert: <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioMw_GY03vDgNQifKngVkBjAeqs_TezwYC5lk8Qaj8RaQ58C3NYHqWI8iArs78WllkkAgMgZJKooTWtNxJYEZ9dPRi7HVp754dbHQperkk0X8Fsp-AOPEI1oq16iwjFtpCpThQ0KOsZNU/s1600/CUNY+Policy+action+alert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioMw_GY03vDgNQifKngVkBjAeqs_TezwYC5lk8Qaj8RaQ58C3NYHqWI8iArs78WllkkAgMgZJKooTWtNxJYEZ9dPRi7HVp754dbHQperkk0X8Fsp-AOPEI1oq16iwjFtpCpThQ0KOsZNU/s400/CUNY+Policy+action+alert.jpg" width="372" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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Become involved! VISIT CUNYSGC.COM!<div class="blogger-post-footer">www.cunysgc.com</div>Students for a Greater CUNYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758832047520879095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295244452073621477.post-79055166277798823652010-02-03T23:48:00.000-05:002010-02-03T23:48:01.531-05:00Sexual Assault Policy set for approval from BOT in AprilThe policy is done and the multi-level processes of approval have long begun since the end of the fall 2009 semester. <br />
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SGC has gotten confirmation from the Vice Chancellor and head of the taskforce, Frederick Schaffer, that the policy has wildly impressed the Council of Presidents and the Committee on Student Affiairs and is reported to be in the hands of the University Student Senate (USS). All projections appear well for the policy's passage. <br />
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The projection is for the Board of Trustees to get it in time for their April meeting, which is also Sexual Assault Awareness Month!<br />
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It's been a long road, and when you get closer to a destination, the road seems to get longer. It's a waiting game folks. <br />
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As usual, we will keep you posted. <br />
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Dedicated to building a Greater CUNY one step at a time,<br />
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SGC <br />
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Become involved! VISIT CUNYSGC.COM!<div class="blogger-post-footer">www.cunysgc.com</div>Students for a Greater CUNYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758832047520879095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295244452073621477.post-47476694090746640242010-01-31T15:03:00.003-05:002010-02-03T23:36:32.024-05:00Sexual Assault in LGBT CommunitiesBy Rabeea Jabbar<br />
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Sexual Assault in LGBT Communities<br />
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Sexual Assault in LGBT Communities occurs frequently among members of the same sex also known as “Same Sex Sexual Assault”. Most people get violent among members of the same sex, and they often get raped and go into denial. Only a very small percentage of people report the rapes within their communities. The rate of these rapes going unreported is roughly the same as rape among heterosexuals. Many people also seem unaware of such rapes within their communities.<br />
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According to Wcasa's Bi-Annual Educational Journal recent survey, “A study on 70 survivors of sexual violence by Girshick (2002, forthcoming) showed how serious the denial is. Lesbians were caught off-guard by sexual assault at the hands of another woman. Nora's comment is typical: I have a hard time acknowledging that women can be violent and that a woman can rape another woman. In talking about her volunteer training at a domestic violence agency, Cecile said, Obviously I was in some denial myself, but I think that their analysis of battering not only didn't include lesbian battering but made lesbian battering pretty much impossible”.<br />
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Denial is one of the most common issues among rape survivors among depression, anger, suicidal thoughts, fear, and humiliation. Domestic violence among LGBT communities is another serious issue and is also often underreported. In many ways rape and domestic violence LGBT relationships can be avoided by family and friends providing unconditional love and support, listening to survivors, believing in them when they say that they were raped, making them understand it was not their fault, and by keeping it confidential.<br />
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Rape survivors should also not be pushed to make decisions but as a friend or family member one should allow them to take charge and let them make decision for themselves. Here's a video on Lesbian rape also known as “Corrective Rape” i.e. raping a woman and torturing her in order for her to become straight.<br />
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBXBtC-5Eko&feature=related<br />
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Become involved! VISIT CUNYSGC.COM!<div class="blogger-post-footer">www.cunysgc.com</div>Darakshanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11489966258349283316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295244452073621477.post-9771348253445219882009-12-19T00:06:00.001-05:002010-02-03T23:38:01.343-05:00NEWEST DRAFT VERSION OF POLICY NOW UP! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!<br />
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We hope you are doing well with the stress of finals and papers! <br />
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We are pleased to bring you the latest draft version of the CUNY policy on <a href="http://cunysgc.com/">on our website</a> .<br />
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The taskforce is set to patch up last additions to the policy in time for an early January submission of the policy to the CUNY Board of Trustees.<br />
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This process is coming to a close soon and we are anticipating the policy's passage once it is in the hands of the Board of Trustees. <br />
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Be safe and well for this holiday and we'll see you in the new year!<br />
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SGC <br />
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Become involved! VISIT CUNYSGC.COM!<div class="blogger-post-footer">www.cunysgc.com</div>Students for a Greater CUNYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758832047520879095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295244452073621477.post-56539563377374885422009-11-28T22:12:00.006-05:002009-11-28T23:21:43.618-05:00Sexual Assault in LGBT Population<div align="left"><strong>Sexual Assault occurs among individuals of all sexual orientation.</strong>
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<br />Below are some information that explores sexual assaults in LGBT communities.
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<br /><strong>What is same-sex sexual assault?</strong>
<br />• Same-sex sexual assault may include (but is not limited to) forced vaginal or anal penetration, forced oral sex, forced touching, or any additional form of forced sexual activity.
<br />• Same-sex sexual assault may occur on a date, between friends, partners or strangers.
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<br /><strong>What issues around rape are unique to the LGBT community?</strong>
<br />• Survivors who are not "out" may find sharing and/or reporting the rape especially difficult or even impossible.
<br />• The uncertainty of knowing the level of sensitivity of resources may make reaching out for support very difficult.
<br />• Lack of awareness of same-sex rape both within and without the LGBT community may make silence seem the only option.
<br />• If the LGBT community is small, the fear of other's disbelief and/or people "taking sides" may cause the survivor to keep silent.
<br />• Guilt and self-blame may take the form of questioning ones sexual identity and sexuality. These, rather than the rape may become the central issues.
<br />• Internalized homophobia may compound the complexities of strong emotions after rape.
<br />• Gay/bi male survivors may face the fear of not being believed and/or being ridiculed because of the stereotype of men never rejecting a sexual opportunity.
<br />• Lesbian/bi women survivors may face the fear of not being believed if they are raped by a female because of the myth that "women don't do that sort of thing." </div><div align="left">
<br /></div><div align="left"><strong>What issues are common to all rape survivors?</strong>
<br />• Fear, humiliation, self-blame, depression, denial, powerlessness, anger and suicidal feelings are common after rape.
<br />• The need to be believed and reassured that what happened was in no way their fault.
<br />• The need to be given the dignity of making their own decisions about any course of action. </div><div align="left">
<br /></div><div align="left"><strong>How can I be helpful as a friend or partner?</strong>
<br />• By believing your friend or partner who has been raped.
<br />• By respecting the need for confidentiality.
<br />• By avoiding judgmental comments.
<br />• By controlling your own feelings of anger and/or frustration.
<br />• By asking how you can be helpful rather than giving unsolicited advice.
<br />• By respecting her or his decisions even when yours might be different.
<br />• By being a good listener.
<br />• By being honest with yourself if you have trouble handling the aftermath of the rape.
<br />• By finding other sources of support if this is the case.
<br />• By offering unconditional love and support.
<br />• By avoiding pressure to resume any form of sexual activity until initiated by your partner. </div><div align="left">
<br /></div><div align="left"><strong>*“There are many levels to internalized and externalized homophobia,” and in order to comprehend same-sex sexual assault, it is significant to construct an obligation to accept and confront homophobia. </strong></div><div align="left"><strong>
<br /></div></strong><div align="left"><strong>*It is also imperative to distinguish that individuals within the LGBT community are beleaguered for sexual assault due to professed gender expression.</strong></div><div align="left"><strong>
<br /></div></strong><div align="left"><strong>*Sexual violence is used as a form of social control to maintain heterosexism.</strong></div><div align="left"><strong>
<br /></div></strong><div align="left">The two (2) videos below portrays some example of how LGBT communities are treated in Iraq and South Africa. </div><div align="left">
<br />Gays in Iraq terrorized by threats, rape, murder
<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0ummPbp2EY">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0ummPbp2EY</a></a> </div><div align="left">
<br />South African black men rape South African black lesbians
<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAh-6ANY480">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAh-6ANY480</a></a> </div><div align="left">
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<br /><strong>Resources for the LGBT Community</strong>
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<br />• California Coalition Against Sexual Assault
<br />www.calcasa.org
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<br />• Community United Against Violence
<br />www. cuav.org
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<br />• National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs
<br />www.ncavp.org/
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<br />• Northwest Network
<br />www.nwnetwork.org
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<br />• The Network/La Red
<br />www.thenetworklared.org/
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<br />• Survivor Project
<br />www.survivorproject.org/
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<br />• Out Front
<br />www.outfront.org/
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<br />• PFLAG
<br />www.pflag.org
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<br />Become involved! VISIT CUNYSGC.COM! </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.cunysgc.com</div>Sonathahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11522878978014308835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295244452073621477.post-21795922336692498792009-11-20T02:19:00.002-05:002009-11-20T02:21:43.269-05:00An Invisible ThreatStalking: AN INVISIBLE THREAT<br /><br />Part1: Prevalence<br /><br />Stalking in America is a major problem. Attention towards stalking occurred as a result of celebrities who were being stalked. In the past decade 50 states have passed anti-stalking laws. The study of stalkers has been limited to a small number of clinical samples. There is a lack of empirical data that exists on stalkers and on the issue of stalking. The major questions that are discussed within a major national study on stalking include the prevalence of stalking in the United States, who stalks whom, and how often stalkers overtly threaten their victims. Other questions within the study included how often stalking is reported to the police, as well as what are the psychological consequences of stalking.<br /><br />What is stalking?<br />Stalking is considered threatening and harassing behavior which is carried out repeatedly. Common practices include threatening behaviors such as appearing at the individual’s home, their place of work, their business, making harassing phone calls, vandalizing the individual’s property and cyber-stalking, which is bombarding someone with e-mails, instant messages, and other forms of communication. With the advancement of technology, stalkers have newer ways of conducting the stalking.<br /><br />While stalking differs from states to states, the following is taken from the New York State Penal Code for stalking. If anyone wants more information, please look at the National Center for Victims of Crime (<a href="http://www.ncvc.org/src/main.aspx?dbID=DB_Register204">http://www.ncvc.org/src/main.aspx?dbID=DB_Register204</a>) .<br /><br />Legal Definitions of Stalking<br />Stalking differs in each state. The CUNY prevention-based sexual assault policy outlines New York State Law on stalking. In addition Safe Horizon’s website provides more in-depth information on stalking and services for individuals who feel they are being stalked. Legally most states do present stalking within the context of someone who is willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly following the individual.<br /><br />Prevalence<br />· Stalking is more prevalent within the United States than was thought prior.<br />8% of women and 2% of men are stalked within their lifetime. Around 1,006,970 women and 370,990 men have been stalked within their lifetime. As suggested by Tjaden and Thoenness stalking needs to be considered a public health as well as a public health concern<br />· Invisible Groups: Alaska Native women as well as American Indian women were considered to more likely to report being stalked than any other racial groups<br />· Stalking cuts across gender. However 78% of stalking victims are female and 87% are male<br />· Adults between the ages of 18-29 are the primary targets and make up over 52% of all victims<br />· Perpetrators who stalk are known to the victim(Lack of research exists within the field of stalking by intimate partners/relevant for sexual assault and intimate partner violence incidents)<br />· Strong link exists between forms of violence in intimate relationships.<br />· Average Stalking Case lasts about 1.8 years. Approximately 1/5 of the victims move away from<br />31% of victims who were cohabiting with their partner and were stalked were also sexually assaulted. Approximately 1 out of 3<br />Stalking rates were highest among Spouse/Ex Spouse relationships. Interestingly for stalking carried out by a stranger, more males reported being stalked by females.<br />· Less than 50% of the stalking victims are actually directly threatened by their stalkers but they do feel an intense level of fear.<br />· Deplorably less than half actually report their stalking to the police and only in ¼ cases are the suspects actually arrested. Only 12% of stalking cases actually result in any conviction<br />· From all of the victims who did receive restraining orders, approximately 69 percent of the women and 81 percent of the men said their stalkers violated the order.<br />· Only 30 percent of female stalking victims and 20 percent of male stalking victims seek psychological counseling as a result of their victimization<br /><br />College-Aged Women<br />· In another study the sexual victimization of college women they found that in a survey of the rates of women on college campuses(156.5 per 1,000 female students). On a college campus approximately 13.1 percent of the female students had been stalked. This challenges the National Survey as women within the college age population.<br />· Within the same study women were stalked by a boyfriend (42.5percent), classmate(24.5 percent), acquaintance(10.3percent), friend(5.6percent)<br /><br />This blog is followed by two other blogs that look at cyberstalking and how such research can be employed towards the policy.<br /><br /><br /><br />Become involved! VISIT CUNYSGC.COM!<div class="blogger-post-footer">www.cunysgc.com</div>Darakshanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11489966258349283316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295244452073621477.post-85102870463421468982009-11-20T02:17:00.001-05:002009-11-20T02:19:21.730-05:00Stalking, Privacy, and What we Can DoPart2:Stalking, Privacy, and What we Can Do By Rabbea Jabbar<br /><br />Instead of shutting down our face books because we fear stalkers, we can find ways to protect our privacy and keep our face book information to a bare minimum, so our private lives are not being completely revealed. Although the face book stalking trend is a new phenomenon mostly common among females, face book does allow in many ways to help you protect your privacy and control the information you share with others. This allows your privacy not to be compromised.<br /><br />Caroline Harting says, “Facebook was stalking me”. Many face book users are leaving face book due to fear of privacy. However, stalking does not start or end on face book.<br />If your stalker has been verbally warned by you and still does not leave you alone, instead of negotiating with your stalker, call the Unlawful Call Center at 1 (800) 518-5507. Familiarize yourself with a 24 hour store; never go home alone, if you are being stalked. Inform friends, family members, co workers, and neighbors about your stalker. Save any text messages, voice mails and threatening letters. If you have a restraining order against your stalker, carry a copy with you at all times. Also save a picture of your stalker, if you have any, and give it to friends and family members. You can have your name removed from any adverse directories. Avoid calling toll free 800, 866, 888, 877, and 900 numbers, or use a pay phone of you decide to call a toll free number, so that your phone number is not captured in the Automatic Number Identification. Order “Complete Blocking” or “per line” blocking so that your home phone number is not disclosed when you make phone calls from home, and keep a log of every stalking incident.<br /><br />Many victims fail to report about their stalker, and when they do decide to file a police report months later, many police officers are likely to not take the victims seriously. It's very important to not let a police officer intimidate you. Once you call 911, and you are afraid to leave your house, have a police officer come to your house. Be polite, persistent and provide the officer with as much details as possible. Although every stalking case is unique in its own way, every little piece of evidence matters. Do not let an officer leave your house without giving you a report number. If one police report does not work, you may need to file multiple police reports, and make more phone calls if necessary. Also remember that stalkers are unpredictable. They act on their impulses. They are also very likely to pretend to be the victim after being reported. 90-95% of the time they will portray to be the victim. Become involved! VISIT CUNYSGC.COM!<div class="blogger-post-footer">www.cunysgc.com</div>Darakshanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11489966258349283316noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295244452073621477.post-61486544026273704942009-11-20T02:13:00.002-05:002009-11-20T02:17:06.977-05:00How Should CUNY employ the data from researchPart3: How Should CUNY employ the data from the research<br /><br />The previous two studies that have been cited provide us as CUNY students with a piece of the framework we should think of in terms of the prevention-based sexual assault policy. (Please watch the townhall meeting for further information at CUNYSGC.COM.) As we are aware the policy incorporates pieces on stalking. As seen in the two studies, stalking is highest among ages 18-29, which definitely fits the age demographics of CUNY. Within the second study that looked at stalking among college-aged women, they found a higher rate of stalking among college-aged females. We also know there is an overlap between domestic violence, sexual assault, and incidents of stalking. We need to also think about male victims of stalking and the LGBT population, as well as our large immigrant population, which includes undocumented students. This is where we must address the issue of marginal populations and invisible populations. We have to understand that when it comes to the support network and the access to services, we as CUNY students must divert from the general model where certain populations are deemed victims and thus have access to services. What I mean by this is realistically we know that there are certain populations-males, LGBT, immigrants, undocumented, special needs population-have a more difficult time accessing services. Therefore while the prevention-based policy includes the pieces on stalking, it is a beginning not an end. This is why it is so important to make sure we have advocates that are trained on these different issues where they can assist students.<br /><br />In addition stalking just like sexual assault and intimate partner violence are not one-size fits all models. Therefore we must challenge ourselves to think beyond just categories where we separate things such as sexual assault, incidents of stalking and domestic violence, for as we have seen from the studies they are occurring simultaneously, which further complicates the situation. The fact that anyone is being stalked negatively impacts their ability to academically excel while places them in fear. This also corrodes our own sense of safety. Educational institutions are places where we want to have the social atmosphere where we feel safe and comfortable. The act of stalking violates that very personal space of safety. Therefore it is up to us as students to generate a dialogue around these issues where we think beyond the regular framework as domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking are different. While the policy is important and plays a vital role in affirming that the CUNY system will not tolerate it, it is us the CUNY student who must stand at the forefront and help our fellow students.<div class="blogger-post-footer">www.cunysgc.com</div>Darakshanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11489966258349283316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295244452073621477.post-87690231759771233732009-11-13T20:13:00.000-05:002009-11-13T20:13:45.764-05:00COMPLETE TOWN HALL VIDEO IS UP!SGC is excited to finally bring you the full video of the Queens College Town hall that took place on October 22nd.<br />
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The video is located <a href="http://www.cunysgc.com/">on our website</a>. Feel free to leave comments, it is imperative that you weigh in on the policy that will affect YOU!<br />
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Also note the featured video of our interview with Jessica Spector from the Urban Justice Center that took place after the town hall. <br />
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To Building a Greater CUNY!<br />
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SGC<br />
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Become involved! VISIT CUNYSGC.COM!<div class="blogger-post-footer">www.cunysgc.com</div>Students for a Greater CUNYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758832047520879095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295244452073621477.post-31698884104989548182009-11-05T13:42:00.000-05:002009-11-05T13:42:40.237-05:00BREAKING NEWS: TASKFORCE STALLS IN MEETING FOR NOVEMBERThe CUNY Sexual Assault Policy Taskforce was supposed to have met by now. In fact, dates were proposed well before the Queens College Townhall for the taskforce to meet at the end of October- first week in November. So why hasn't the taskforce met?<br />
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Because the policy is still being shown to other groups outside of CUNY at the expense of a third and final townhall for CUNY students!<br />
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It was understandable to forego another townhall because the Board of Trustees needed to have the policy go through one or more of its committees in November before it's full meeting on November 22nd. <b>It is not, however, acceptable to have preferential treatment for outside groups to be able to comment on the policy when CUNY students are not given yet another chance (which is actually an agreement within the original proposal and located in the minutes of the taskforce early on, published <a href="http://cunypolicy.blogspot.com/2009/03/breaking-news-great-outcome-of.html">in this SGC post</a>. )</b><br />
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<b>SGC Chair and taskforce member Elischia Fludd is currently advocating for the taskforce to uphold its promise and commit to a 3rd townhall since CUNY students, the largest stakeholders of this policy, have been disregarded to favor the opinion of outside groups. </b><br />
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To building a Greater CUNY,<br />
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SGC <br />
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Become involved! VISIT CUNYSGC.COM!<div class="blogger-post-footer">www.cunysgc.com</div>Students for a Greater CUNYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758832047520879095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295244452073621477.post-42165992981045916322009-10-28T02:33:00.002-04:002009-10-28T02:40:10.401-04:00DRUG FACILITATED SEXUAL ASSAULT<span xmlns=""> <p align="center"><br /><strong><em>"Rape drugs make it relatively easy for rapists to gain control of their victims. Perpetrators do not have to overcome any form of resistance. They do not have to use physical force. They do not have to threaten to harm the victim to get compliance. Nor do they have to be concerned about a victim's screams attracting attention. The drugs they administer immobilize and silence the victim. (National Institute of Justice Journal, 2000)" </em></strong></p><p align="center">In July 2007, the Department of Justice released the results of a national study that looked at the prevalence of drug-facilitated and incapacitated sexual assault and forcible rape. The results were astonishing and deplorable. Estimates have found that nearly 673,000 women in colleges were raped. From the 673,000, 160,000 women experienced drug-facilitated sexual assault. And more than 200,000 women were incapacitated. The major issue with drug-facilitated-sexual-assault is that many victims have no idea whether they were drugged. In order to take legal recourse, the individual must present themselves at a hospital where they can screen for drugs. However, the window period is very short for most of these drugs leave the body, and once they leave the body, evidence cannot be collected for the purpose of taking legal recourse. </p><p align="center">The problem that exists in cases of drug-facilitated sexual assault or where the victim is incapacitated is many victims may not recognize that they have been raped. Even if they know they were forced, the fact that either they were under the influence of drugs or their assailant was means for them the lines of accountability may get blurry. For example recently there was a case where a young-college aged woman stated she had went to a party and a guy asked to hook up with her. She said no to him, and then he lured her into a room by begging her to help him with an emergency. She did so and he raped her. She wasn't really clear whether it was rape or not because the assailant had been drunk. In this case the victim was not incapacitated or under the influence of drugs but the assailant was and he used that to his advantage telling her that at parties it is normal for people to have sex. While she knew that something was wrong, it was difficult for her to label it rape.<br /></p><p align="center">Such hesitancy to frame it as rape as well as to blame one-self for what happened has translated into low rates of reporting. For example for sexual assault cases for women in colleges, the reporting rate is 12%. The number is ever smaller for victims of drug-facilitated sexual assault who report. Some of the reasons why college-aged women do not take action against the perpetrator include not wanting their peers and social-support systems to know about the rape, the fear of retaliation, the uncertainty about whether a crime actually occurred, and the victim may not be sure whether the crime was serious enough to report. Again within drug-facilitated sexual assault cases, most victims know their perpetrators.<br /></p><p align="center">From the perspective of perpetrators, Abbey, Parkhhill, Clinton-Sherrod, Zawacki (2007), in their study compared men who committed sexual assaults found that on the contrary to what social views may think, perpetrators usually pick the victims and then isolate them from their friends or social circle. The perpetrators will often come off as if they are rescuing the victim by offering an incapacitated individual(drunk, high, or passed out) to what they will convey to the victim as a safe place. Perpetrators will use the fact that the victim was intoxicated to convince them their assault was consensual or normal, and that is how things are. This is even if the victim remembers. An overwhelming majority of these perpetrators are repeat offenders who have targeted multiple victims. Therefore contrary to what society may think when perpetrators who commit such assaults do it because they are incapacitated is misleading and is another place for perpetrators to have the space to commit rapes and violate others without having to worry about the consequences. It is important to mention that while the statistics in the national study focused on college-aged women, men are also victims of drug facilitated sexual assaulted. </p><p align="center">However we can stand firm and work to prevent such incidents from occurring. We can be more attentive when we are out in social gatherings, at parties, in clubs, and bars. We can educate men and women about the devestating crime the drug facilitated sexual assault is and the physical as well as psychological scars that victims will suffer from. On the most basic level we can start by changing our own attitudes towards drug-facilitated-sexual assault where we usually place the blame on the victim rather than giving them the social support, which can be instrumental in the recovery process.<br /></p><p><br /> </p><p><span style="font-family:Tahoma;font-size:8;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/kiran/Documents/Symantec/Fall%2009%20Semester/Torture/SGC%20MATERIAL/LIST%20OF%20BLOGS%20AND%20TOPICS.docx"><span style="color:#666666;"><br /></span></span> </p><p><br /> </p></span></a><br /><a href="file:///C:/Users/kiran/Documents/Symantec/Fall%2009%20Semester/Torture/SGC%20MATERIAL/LIST%20OF%20BLOGS%20AND%20TOPICS.docx"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.cunysgc.com</div>Darakshanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11489966258349283316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295244452073621477.post-11754976340417564172009-10-26T22:48:00.000-04:002009-10-26T22:48:06.420-04:00Queens College Townhall UpdateWarm Greetings! <br />
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SGC would like to extend a round of thank you's to the following people for making the town hall a success:<br />
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SGC Project Manager for the Town hall: <b>Dear Auneatitrakul</b><br />
Co-Sponsors: <b>Queen's College Democratic Student Alliance (DSA)</b><br />
Moderator: <b>Natalie Shields </b> <br />
Town hall volunteers: <b>Andrew DeMasters, Joanna Lund-Pops, Roland Regos, Samantha Shlimbaum, Diana Hidalgo, Asna Erfan and Mike Cabajal</b><br />
Queens College Student Affairs Administrator <b>Dr. Joe</b><br />
Panelists: <b>Kristen Bowes</b>, CUNY Associate General Counsel; <b>Nick Kanellopolous</b>, City College Alumnae; <b>Jessica Spector</b>, Urban Justice Institute; and <b>Jerin Alam</b>, Hunter College Alumna.<br />
<b>CUNY Central</b> for concerted efforts in advertising the event throughout CUNY news and for providing refreshments<br />
<b>Queens College Student Association</b> for extending a hand of solidarity in this effort<br />
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Last but not least and special thanks goes to the approximate <b>40 CUNY students, faculty, alumni and administration</b> that attended the town hall! CUNY members came out from all over, including Kingsborough, John Jay, Hunter and Queens College. <br />
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SGC looks forward to updating you with the video of the town hall and personal reaction interviews that took place following the event.<br />
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We have the policy open for comments on our <a href="http://www.cunysgc.com/">website</a> , as well as a poll and a petition in favor of the current policy draft.<br />
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<b>NEXT STEPS</b> include a taskforce meeting to review student input, giving the policy over to the Board of Trustee committee for review and the voting of the policy at the November Board of Trustee's meeting.<br />
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To building a Greater CUNY,<br />
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Elischia Fludd<br />
Chair<br />
Students for a Greater CUNY (SGC)<br />
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Become involved! VISIT CUNYSGC.COM!<div class="blogger-post-footer">www.cunysgc.com</div>Students for a Greater CUNYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758832047520879095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295244452073621477.post-16145722488987951172009-10-23T23:15:00.000-04:002009-10-23T23:15:36.285-04:00CUNY POLICY TRACKER RECEIVES BLOG AWARD!BREAKING NEWS<br />
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SGC is excited to share with you wonderful news!<br />
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<i>The CUNY Policy Tracker</i> has joined the ranks of thousands of blogs as an award for its content!<br />
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This award, given by substance-abuse-counselor.com comes as a direct result of our information on substance abuse related information! Substance-abuse-counselor.com operates the largest website featuring more than 30,000+ websites and blogs. Average site vistors reach 200,000+ international unique visitors! <br />
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SGC's esteemed mention can be found <a href="http://substance-abuse-counselor.com/blog_awards/index.php?id=1006%20">here</a><br />
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<b>A HUGE thank you to our Media Coordinator, Darakshan Raja, who is a regular blog contributor and coordinates volunteers that contribute to the blog! Please join us in celebrating the great work of Darakshan and her team!</b><br />
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<b>We also want to thank Substance-abuse-counselor.com for such an honor!</b><br />
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We look forward to continuing to serve you with accurate, thought provoking, professional and resourceful material!<br />
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To building a greater CUNY!<br />
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Elischia Fludd<br />
Chair<br />
Students for a Greater CUNY (SGC)<br />
<a href="http://www.cunysgc.com/">www.cunysgc.com</a><br />
cunysgc@gmail.com <br />
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Become involved! VISIT CUNYSGC.COM!<div class="blogger-post-footer">www.cunysgc.com</div>Students for a Greater CUNYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758832047520879095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295244452073621477.post-36906416931344491562009-10-14T10:55:00.000-04:002009-10-14T10:55:45.909-04:00LATEST POLICY DRAFT POSTED ON WEBBreaking News:<br />
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SGC has posted the policy on its website: www.cunysgc.com. The latest policy draft contains provisions for stalking and domestic violence education.<br />
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Check it out and comment on the policy!<br />
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SGC also has a 'TAKE ACTION' section, where you can sign in agreement with the policy's provisions. <br />
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Follow us on Twitter for immediate updates.<br />
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Working on building a greater CUNY,<br />
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SGC<br />
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Become involved! VISIT CUNYSGC.COM!<div class="blogger-post-footer">www.cunysgc.com</div>Students for a Greater CUNYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758832047520879095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295244452073621477.post-41350017566469795582009-10-05T11:07:00.000-04:002009-10-05T11:07:10.116-04:00SGC PRESENTS ITS NEW WEBSITE!!!!!!!! GREETINGS!!!<br />
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SGC is very excited to bring you news of our website launch!!!!<br />
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Please find us at www.cunysgc.com.<br />
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You will find the site chock full of information that will be updated frequently to provide the utmost service to CUNY students. Our Tracker will continue to examine sexual assault as it pertains to the policy up through the first implementation of the approved policy. We look forward to keeping you posted.<br />
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<b>News of the upcoming townhall at Queens College on October 22nd is located on our site, along with a downloadable version of the flier and our press advisory on the townhall for your convenience. </b><br />
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To building a Greater CUNY!<b> <br />
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Become involved! VISIT US AT CUNYSGC.COM!<div class="blogger-post-footer">www.cunysgc.com</div>Students for a Greater CUNYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758832047520879095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295244452073621477.post-89583011892621780882009-10-03T00:42:00.002-04:002009-10-03T00:43:53.569-04:00DFSA:Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault<span xmlns=""> <p><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><strong>Current Events: </strong></span>The case of Roman Polanski has received a lot of media press, and sadly due to his status as a famous director, he has a line of famous friends, men and women, who believe he should not be jailed for the rape of a thirteen-year old girl. Polanski had drugged and raped a thirteen year old in 1977 in Los Angeles, and had himself pled guilty to a lesser charge of having unlawful sex to with a minor and ran to Europe prior to being sentenced (<a href="http://www.thenation.com/blogs/anotherthing/479379/roman_polanski_has_a_lot_of_friends">http://www.thenation.com/blogs/anotherthing/479379/roman_polanski_has_a_lot_of_friends</a>). Not only Hollywood celebrities but prolific writers like Salman Rushdie have declared their support for Polanski. Other stars include Milan Kundera, Pedo Almodavar, Woody Allen, and Martin Scorsese have also given him their support. Bernard-Henri Levy stated Polanski has made a youthful error. Even Whoopi Goldberg stated his crime wasn't "rape rape but rape." Foremost Whoopi makes no sense, rape is rape period. There is no such thing as "rape rape." While I do not want to single out Whoopi, her comment does show us that in our society, people are not educated or aware about the issue of sexual assault. Sadly this incident was another missed opportunity to begin a national debate on sexual violence. Therefore, I would like to focus this blog on drug facilitated sexual assault since Polanski had drugged the thirteen-year-old girl to incapacitate her. In addition, this blog will also clarify the stereotype that perpetrators like Polanski who use drugs to carry out an assault should be excused because they didn't understand what they were doing. </p><p>In addition, I believe if Polanski had been a regular individual, he would have received the status of a sex offender and would have been branded, and would have been considered a threat to society. The same stars who are supporting him would have been carrying banners asking for his incarceration, because they would have thought of their own kids. Therefore, in this case, his status and access to power have showed us that there is a different level of justice for people in power.<br /><strong><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"></span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline">Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault (DFSA)</span>: </strong>The definition given by LeBeau and Mozayani (2001) on DFSA is they are offenses where the victim goes through nonconsensual sexual acts while they are under the influence of a drug or go through a sexual assault due to the unconscious effects of alcohol/ drugs, and are not able to resist or consent.<strong><br /></strong>According to NYC Alliance's definition of Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault, "sexual assault made easier by the offender's use of an anesthesia type drug that can render the victim physically incapacitated or helpless and unable to give consent to sexual activity." The New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault listed two types of drugs used in sexual assault. We should be aware that alcohol is the most commonly used drug.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>WE ALSO KNOW THAT IN 90% OF CASES OF SEXUAL ASSAULT ARE LINKED TO ALCOHOL. Another common DFSA IS ROPHYPNOL:</strong> This type of drug is used in "date rape" situations. This drug is tasteless and odorless, and can dissolve clearly into liquid, which makes its detection much more difficult. Rophyies can be taken either orally, ingested, or can be snorted. Rophies can take effect within 15-20 minutes, and the effects may last for more than 12 hours. The drug can be detected in the urine for up to 72 hours after ingestion<br />It is important to note that whether the drug is taken by the victim willingly or not, it doesn't matter, for the perpetrator has used the drug as a pretext to incapacitate the victim and to victimize them. On the contrary to what people may think that the perpetrator unknowingly sexually assaulted men, we know that perpetrators of drug facilitated sexual assault are well aware of what they are doing and are repeat offenders. The perpetrators use the following things: they groom and pick their victims, isolate the victim from their support network. For example, separating the victim from their friends at a party or a club, so they can manipulate the situation. Individuals who use drugs to carry out sexual assaults may put on a front that they are rescuing the person and will offer to take the individual somewhere safe.<br /></p><p>CHALLEGNES: A major challenge with an individual who has experienced DFSA is they may not be aware or recollect what happened. While the victim is facing the same challenges that any individual of sexual assault is feeling, it may be harder in respect to reporting, the forensic exams, and the reactions from their support systems, such as friends and family members. In addition, the perpetrator, since we know in more than 80% is known to the victim, the perpetrator will state the assault was consensual or was sex gone bad. In some cases, the victim may not recollect the events that occurred. For example, in one case, the female was gang raped after being drugged by a group of men, and woke up bleeding, sore and pain, and was having a difficult time recollecting what happened the night before, and who the perpetrators were. Therefore, a way we can help victims of DFSA is by listening to them, rather than blaming them and holding them accountable, for, every time we place the blame on a victim, we have further victimized the individual, and have given the perpetrator the opportunity to violate someone else.<br /></p><p><br /> </p><p><br /> </p><p><br /> </p><p><br /> </p><p><br /> </p></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.cunysgc.com</div>Darakshanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11489966258349283316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295244452073621477.post-45360028584212391622009-09-22T14:49:00.002-04:002009-09-22T14:59:56.466-04:00Recent CUNY news and policy updatesSGC would like to acknowledge the recent <span style="font-style: italic;">NY Post</span> article that exposes a few CUNY schools in violation of complete compliance with the Clery Act and would like to present healthy dialogue on how this finding affects the inclusive policy process we have continually advocated for.<br /><br />Under the Clery Act, mandated crimes to be reported include sex crimes that are forcible and non-forcible, such as rapes and sexual assaults. While this is a legal obligation of the school, it is only a superficial level of addressing the issue of sexual violence. Certainly, a college reporting sexual assaults on campus indicates a reasonable attempt of the college to openly acknowledge any incidences that have occurred. What is more salient, however, is that a college focus on preventing the atmosphere that allows for these crimes to happen.<br /><br />The process for obtaining a CUNY-wide sexual assault policy has been so far a year and 2 months in counting and is expected to culminate with an approved policy by the Board of Trustees of CUNY in November. Some may wonder why has it taken so long?<br /><br />The answer is not as one would probably be led to think.<br /><br />From our point of view, CUNY could have simply accepted the idea of having a sexual assault policy and produced one within a few months. After all, it is mandated for colleges to have a sexual assault policy and this provides CUNY with a way to cover all 23 campuses. However, this process has considered many perspectives on ways to address sexual violence in an effort to not only have a mandated policy, but to have one that is holistic in it's approach to reduce the atmosphere of sexual violence that happens on campuses. Make no mistake about it that is an incredible responsibility and one that SGC helps to shoulder with great resolve. It is important to get this right, to set a precendent that CUNY has the foresight and will to ensure its students are fully protected from all angles of the law, and psychosocial considerations.<br /><br />SGC will be holding a town hall meeting on October 22nd at Queens College to discuss the affect of the policy for practical implementation and to advance the dialogue surrounding sexual violence to get students to critically analyze the policy for constructive feedback. We look forward to updating you as the date approaches.<br /><br />The taskforce expects to have a meeting to review the latest policy draft (which includes provisions for stalking) in late October.<br /><br /><br />To building a greater CUNY,<br /><br />Elischia Fludd<br />Founder<br />Students for a Greater CUNY (SGC)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Become involved! Email us at cunypolicy08@gmail.com.<div class="blogger-post-footer">www.cunysgc.com</div>Students for a Greater CUNYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758832047520879095noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295244452073621477.post-4716033741722591052009-09-21T20:51:00.001-04:002009-09-21T20:56:37.552-04:00Alternate Perspectives<strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Update on Sexual Assault at Hofstra’s Campus</span></strong><br /><br />In order to blog about the updates of this case, I had to take a moment and reflect on the various responses I personally had to this case and what I was hearing from individuals. The first distinction I want to draw is the language used to frame the topic. The initial article had presented the gang rape that occurred as a sexual assault. However, in the article where the female who alleged the attacks stated the encounter was consensual, the article is titled, “Hofstra Student Recants Claim of Gang Rape.” I draw attention to these titles because language is a powerful tool on how we frame a topic. When the assumption was that the case was true, the language framed a brutal gang rape as a sexual assault, which dilutes the act for readers. However, in an article where the female stated the encounter was consensual, it took a harsher tone and actually stated what the female had alleged, which adds to the myth that females allege things like gang rape, for it is such a rare occurrence that they never really happen. In addition, the article painted the female as a criminal where the prosecutor has decided to launch a criminal investigation on her. And for the purpose of the media and press attention, the case has been closed.<br /><br />Let us look at this case through two different angles and what it means for our policy. Primarily it is a horrible incident for any individual to go through a gang rape. It is also horrible to be falsely accused of being a rapist, for in our society that comes with a lifetime stigma, if one is caught and prosecuted. This is important to point out for we know that only 6% of rapists will ever spend a single day in jail (RAINN.ORG). If one is prosecuted, and is wrongfully put in prison and jail, they are categorized as among the most sensitive populations and are in need of protective custody. If and when these individuals are released, they are placed on sex offender registry for the rest of their life. In New York, a debate is raging on whether to civilly commit sex offenders. What this means is that once sex offenders are finishing up their prison or jail sentences, because they may be deemed to be a danger to society, they can be placed in hospitals and facilities for the mentally ill for as long as the psychologists deem it necessary. Therefore, the result of someone living with the label of a sex offender while they did not commit the crime is very serious. Therefore, any policy dealing with sexual assault must include provisions and mechanisms for handling false accusations of sexual assault, and the rights of the accused. However, this is just one way of processing the Hofstra Case.<br /><br />Another way of looking at the Hofstra Case is by trying to look at this situation from the eyes of the eighteen year old who stated she had been gang raped. One is a sophomore at college, went out to a party, and is gang raped on a campus with thousands of students. One is still trying to process the events that happened in one’s safe space. And we as students do consider our schools as places where we are more comfortable than we are walking on the street, and do consider it part of our more safe areas to be in. Since Hofstra is a dorm, then one feels a sense of safety, as they may feel around their own neighborhood, or areas one is not constantly looking over their shoulder. One is a student and has been violated in their safe space, not to mention being tied up and then begging five men to let one go, and yet they still assault. The next thing one knows is the media is all over it, the police and the prosecutor are involved and arrests are being made. Police officers and the prosecutor are asking you to repeat the same traumatic story over and over again. They are asking you every single detail. Why were you here? Why did you run after him and not call security? Did you scream for help? Where are the bruises on your arm? How did the men look like? Are you honestly telling is no one was around.<br /><br />Just imagine being gang raped, and then having to prove to different people that you were actually gang raped. When we go through something very traumatic, are we systematically asked why?who?when?where? Yet, if a victim of sexual assault, whether it is gang rape, stranger rape, incest, marital rape, has to prove to police officers, detectives, and a prosecutor that she or he went through the incident. Maybe the reason she said it was consensual was because she didn’t want to go through the billions of questions. This point is important to note because in any sexual assault policy we have a victim should have the right to drop a complaint if they do not want to go through the process, even if they have initiated it, without the fear that dropping the complaint will equate to being criminally investigated for lying or being categorized as a liar and criminal; for, then we have only continued the same cycle of blaming the victim rather than empowering them.<br /><br />Become involved! Email us at cunypolicy08@gmail.com. We currently have an immediate need for:<br /><br />* A skilled technician with software to make jpeg files to post letters of support on the tracker<br />* A graphic arts designer to help our website designer<br />* Skilled media savvy persons to chronicle CUNY's progress for the students on campus blogs, radio and television.<br />* Organizations and individuals to endorse our cause (willing to sign a letter of support)<br />* Organizations and individuals to join Students for a Greater CUNY as a member<div class="blogger-post-footer">www.cunysgc.com</div>Darakshanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11489966258349283316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295244452073621477.post-35397717635470275352009-09-16T15:55:00.003-04:002009-09-16T15:58:12.697-04:00Reflections on the Gang Rape on Hofstra's Campus<strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Current Events: Gang Rape on Hofstra’s Campus</span></strong><br /><br />The Associated Press on September 15, 2009 reported they were covering a sexual assault of an eighteen year old college student. The ironic thing is AP did not recognize that the eighteen year old’s sexual assault is actually a gang rape, which shows us that either the term was too strong for the AP to include in their article, or they themselves were not aware what type of sexual assault actually occurred, The NYC Alliance against Sexual Violence definition of gang rape is “Forced or coerced sexual activities by two or more persons known or unknown to the victim (<a href="http://www.nycagainstrape.org/survivors_factsheet_113.html)">http://www.nycagainstrape.org/survivors_factsheet_113.html)</a>.”<br />The facts of the case include the following:<br />· Police stated the eighteen year old student was at a dance party at an on-campus nightclub;<br />· The female had danced with one of the suspects, and he snatched her cell-phone and ran away with it;<br />· The female ran after the assailant, while screaming she wanted her phone back;<br />· The assailant then entered the dormitory and went inside an elevator where the female followed him.<br />· Once he walked out of the elevator, the man met another acquaintance;<br />· The two men then tied the girl’s hands with a rope and took her into the men’s bathroom where they sexually assaulted her and left her;<br />· Three men later entered the men’s room, and the female pleaded with the newcomers for help, and all three men also sexually assaulted her one by one;<br />· The police have identified one of the men, Rondell Bedward, 21, from the Bronx, who was the only Hofstra student, and had signed in the other four as his guests in the dormitory.<br /><br />This case brings up many questions and presents how college campuses can serve as places where non-students can perpetrate a crime. The perpetrators had methodically planned out the gang rape, for they actually lured the victim by stealing her cell phone, and then tying her up. Such a crime shows planning. We also have to admit that this case shows the failure of campus security, and most deplorably the failure of fellow students, staff, and faculty. This occurred in a dormitory, which is inhabited by students. Where were the students who lived in these dormitories? Are students that dismissive and apathetic of their surroundings that a woman can get gang-raped, and no one even intervenes, or even hears about it? I am not blaming Hofstra or anyone for what occurred, and it must be noted this event can occur on any college campus, and sadly does occur. But what we must draw attention to is the lack of awareness on the issue of sexual assault on campuses. If students , staff, and faculty are more aware, then we are more aware of such an incident occurring, which means we can prevent sexual assaults from occurring. I am not advocating for being paranoid and monitoring everything that goes on around you, but I am advocating for the spread of awareness of crimes that occur on college campuses, and realizing that just because it is a college campus does not mean individuals who do not attend the campus cannot commit crimes on the campus.<br /><br />Become involved! Email us at cunypolicy08@gmail.com. We currently have an immediate need for:<br /><br />* A skilled technician with software to make jpeg files to post letters of support on the tracker<br />* A graphic arts designer to help our website designer<br />* Skilled media savvy persons to chronicle CUNY's progress for the students on campus blogs, radio and television.<br />* Organizations and individuals to endorse our cause (willing to sign a letter of support)<br />* Organizations and individuals to join Students for a Greater CUNY as a member<div class="blogger-post-footer">www.cunysgc.com</div>Darakshanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11489966258349283316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295244452073621477.post-61310950695218773112009-09-06T19:42:00.009-04:002009-09-06T20:08:59.200-04:00A Memory So Dark But Vivid<div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">A Memory So Dark But Vivid</span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;"></span></strong></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">Gestures on familiar faces,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">some frightened,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">some sad,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">and some judgmental.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">The memories still dwells in my mental,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">thoughts,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">of a stolen soul.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">It feels like it was just yesterday,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">one of our many visits to the race track.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">The soft country breeze on the back of my neck,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">added to the moisture in the air.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">There many ways to describe the aroma in the air,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">but not that of the almond tree,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">rather the smell of stench,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">of a gruesome injustice.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">Flies were in a frenzy,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">and maggots felt at home.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">We knew someone has done this,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">but no names written in stone.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">Her womanhood was destroyed,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">the sight of rotten flesh,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">the discoloring of her blood,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">upon her beaten chest.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">She wasnt that popular with folks of descent trends,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">the love she shared around,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">Certainly....</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">brought her life to an end.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">They ripped up her tunnel of life,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">leaving a viscous imprint,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">with a gun shot wound to her head,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">this left a deadly dent.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">Her remains dried in the sun like raisons,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">this forced me to continue thinking.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">Will i forever see this image?</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">day beak to sunrise,</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">while I sleep or when I have risen.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#66ffff;">The answer is YES!</span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#cc0000;"></span></div><div align="center"></div><p>Become involved! Email us at cunypolicy08@gmail.com. We currently have an immediate need for:<br /><br />* A skilled technician with software to make jpeg files to post letters of support on the tracker<br />* A graphic arts designer to help our website designer<br />* Skilled media savvy persons to chronicle CUNY's progress for the students on campus blogs, radio and television.<br />* Organizations and individuals to endorse our cause (willing to sign a letter of support)<br />* Organizations and individuals to join Students for a Greater CUNY as a member </p><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.cunysgc.com</div>Sonathahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11522878978014308835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295244452073621477.post-1923699823083905502009-09-04T01:45:00.002-04:002009-09-04T01:49:35.105-04:00Dating Violence and Sexual Violence:You are not AloneThis piece will focus on Dating Violence and Sexual Violence, and is part of the larger project that Students for A Greater CUNY has embarked on, which is a larger series of blogs that fall under the topic of What is Sexual Violence: Definitions, Myths, and Facts. In our first blog, we brought some definitions of sexual assault, stranger rape, and non-stranger rape. While we will be bringing different definitions of sexual assault and the contexts they occur in, it is very important to mention that defining the different forms of sexual violence and the context they occur in has its own ramifications. Primarily, definitions of various types of sexual assaults sometimes create hierarchies of the severity of sexual assault. For example, some individuals may feel rape is more serious than molestation, or being raped by a stranger is worst than being raped by a boyfriend. We are not here to create debates on what is worst, or bring you definitions that encompass everything, or categories of sexual assault, for that hurts our ultimate goal of changing the dialogue on sexual violence. For example, rape and sexual assault are defined much narrowly in the legal world than the social work field. What we want to do is to begin to look at these definitions, which differ from field to field. We may want to think why that is the case, and what are the positive aspects of this and what are the negative aspects of having such narrow definitions. And we want to challenge and critically think about whether these definitions are inclusive of victims and survivors of sexual assault. If they are inclusive, who are they inclusive of, and if they are not inclusive, then who do we leave out. These are questions that we challenge everyone to think about.<br /><br />Dating Violence and Sexual Violence : YOU ARE NOT ALONE<br /><br />Dating Violence : Includes sexual, physical, verbal, and emotional abuse in the context of an intimate relationship. (NYC ALLIANCE AGAINST SEXUAL ASSAULT)<br /><br /><strong><em>"What I know now is that if I had known I wasn’t alone, I may have been able to help him and to help myself. I usually have one message for young people who may go through something similar: You are not alone." -female teen dating violence survivor<br /><br />"Now I know how cruel people can be when they take you for granted and do sexual things to you without your okay to do it…" -17-year-old female</em><br /></strong><br />In June 2008, the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault published a report titled, "Partners and Peers: Sexual and Dating Violence Among NYC Youth," which found SEXUAL AND DATING VIOLENCE ARE EXTREMELY COMMON AMONG NYC YOUTH. The New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault, in their study focusing on dating violence among public high school students, found the following findings:<br />• 1 IN 6 STUDENTS REPORTED THEY HAD EXPERIENCED SEXUAL VIOLENCE AT SOME POINT OF THEIR LIFE<br />• DATING VIOLENCE IS OFTEN INCLUSIVE OF BOTH PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE<br />• DATING VIOLENCE DOES NOT OCCUR IN A VACUUM:PERPETRATING OTHER FORMS OF YOUTH VIOLENCE IS ASSOCIATED WITH PERPETRATING PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL DATING VIOLENCE<br />• YOUTH EXPERIENCE SEXUAL VIOLENCE FROM PEOPLE THEY KNOW<br /><br />These statistics only looked at results from a study on dating violence in NYC. Let us look at some national statistics of sexual and dating violence among teens and college age students.<br />• THE NATIONAL PERCENTAGE OF GIRLS AGES (12-17) WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME FORM OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, RAPE, OR CHILD ABUSE IS BETWEEN 7-10%<br />• DATING VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE AFFECT FEMALES 16-24 HAVE THE HIGHEST RATES OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE<br />• THE NATIONAL CRIME VICTIM SURVEY FOUND FEMALES 16-19 WERE MORE LIKELY THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION TO EXPERIENCE RAPE, ATTEMPTED RAPE, AND SEXUAL ASSAULT.<br /><br />All of these harrowing statistics just represent the tip of the iceberg in respect to prevalence of sexual violence among young individuals. We honestly do not have a clear idea of how many individuals are truly suffering from sexual violence and being in abusive relationships. In addition, these statistics do not offer a breakdown or even mention other populations, such as males, transgender, gay, and lesbians. Let us take the topic of dating violence further. How about the overwhelming majority of individuals who have grown up seeing their parents, care-takers, or siblings in violent relationships. These individuals are as much effected by being present in the abusive relationship, even if they are not the intimate partner who is the victim. Do we honestly think a child who grows up to become a teenager under a mother or a father in an abusive relationship is not going to be effected? Therefore, as mentioned before dating violence is not occurring in a vacuum. There are much more subtle and nuanced ways that we define relationships in our culture that are having an adverse effect on the way individuals are engaging in relationships. Since no one is born as an abuser or a victim, then there cultural and social aspects of the way we define relationships, which is based on power, coercion, and control, that are leading to dating violence relationships. Silencing or brushing the issue to the side is not helping, for these young individuals will grow into being adults without understanding that dating violence is not supposed to be the norm. Therefore, our culture and our society bear the responsibility for what is occurring.<br /><br /><em><strong>"It has made me a very sad and depressed person. I have trouble trusting"-17 year old female<br /></strong></em><br /><em><strong>"I feel that it is too fuckin' horrible and that if I am walking down the street and guy is sexually abusing a girl, I would kill him"-15 year old male<br /></strong></em><br /><em><strong>"It didn't affect me, I just blank it out."-17 year old female<br /></strong></em><br /><em><strong>"It has changed me and has hurt me a lot emotionally."-16 year old male<br /></strong></em><br /><br />"The New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault develops and advances strategies, policies and responses that prevent sexual violence and limit its destabilizing effects on victims, families and communities. As the only sexual violence organization in the country conducting primary research on sexual violence, we are in a unique position to raise public awareness and create sustainable change( http://www.nycagainstrape.org/research.html)."<div class="blogger-post-footer">www.cunysgc.com</div>Darakshanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11489966258349283316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295244452073621477.post-66251328459442257812009-08-29T00:55:00.003-04:002009-08-29T01:00:07.187-04:00What is Sexual Violence: Definitions, Myths, and Facts<span xmlns=""> <p><br /></p><p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 27pt"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;">The Blog will begin a new theme of exploring myths around sexual violence. It must be noted that it is such myths that have created an environment where perpetrators escape accountability and victims are re-traumatized. However, prior to exploring some of the most common myths surrounding sexual violence, it is important to define the term sexual violence, and specifically sexual assault, and certain relationships and circumstances they arise under.<br /></span></p><p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 27pt"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><ul><li><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><strong><em>Sexual Violence</em></strong><br /></span><br /></span><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;">Sexual Violence is a global health and human rights problem in the world (WHO, 2009). It is a worldwide pandemic, which not only effects women, but men and our society in general. Sexual Violence encompasses sexual assault but is not exclusive to sexual assault. It is a much broader term that stems from the need for power and control over others. In sexual violence, sex is the weapon and method in order for the perpetrator to gain power and control.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><strong><em>Sexual Assault</em></strong><br /></span><br /></span><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;">Sexual Assault comes in various forms. In order to define sexual assault, we have included the different types of sexual assault and various forms of violence that sexual assault co-occurs with. These different types of sexual assault include rape, hate crimes, incest, male sexual assault, acquaintance rape, child sexual abuse, child abuse, dating and domestic violence, drug facilitated sexual assault, partner rape, sexual exploitation by helping professionals, sexual harassment, stalking, and stranger rape (RAINN.ORG).<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;">The following definitions are from the Rape, Abuse, Incest, National Network's page on definitions.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p></li></ul><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><em>Sexual Assault</em>:</strong> The specific definitions of sexual assault, rape, and sexual abuse actually vary state by state since such terms are legal. Therefore, the following definition is taken from the Department of Justice's definition that states sexual assault is "unwanted sexual contact that stops short of rape or attempted rape. This includes touching and fondling"(</span><a href="http://rainn.org/get-information/types-of-sexual-assault/sexual-assault"><span style="font-size:130%;">http://rainn.org/get-information/types-of-sexual-assault/sexual-assault</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">).<br /></span></span></p><ul><li><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><em><strong>Rape</strong>:</em> Again rape is a legal term and the specific definition differs from state to state. However, the definition used by the Department of Justice is the following: rape is forced sexual intercourse, which includes vaginal, anal, or oral penetration that may also may be done by a body part or an object. It is important to remember in 8 out of 10 rapes, no weapon is used except physical force. In addition, almost in the majority of cases, victims feel as if they are about to die. </span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><em><strong>Stranger Rape</strong>: </em>When most individuals think of rape, they think of stranger rape, which is when someone unknown to the victim rapes them. Stranger rape actually falls into three categories. </span><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><strong>1</strong>)<strong>BLITZ SEXUAL ASSAULT: In such a case, a victim is assaulted brutally and rapidly by a perpetrator without having any prior contact with the individual. Such assaults may occur in public places or at night.</strong> </span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><strong>2)CONTACT SEXUAL ASSAULT: In such cases, the perpetrator tries to win the trust and confidence of the victim before assaulting them. Such perpetrators pick their victims in bars or create situations where the victim may be coerced into a sexual assault. </strong></span><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">3)HOME INVASION SEXUAL ASSAULT: Such assaults occur when someone breaks into the individual's home. </span></strong><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><em><strong>Acquaintance Rape</strong>:</em> Unlike stranger rape, which is thought of as the most common form of rape, actually most cases of rape are acquaintance rape. This further relates more to a college campus population than stranger rape. Such a term in used to describe an assault that involves the use of sexual activities that are coercive and occur without the individual's permission. The perpetrator might use violence, duress, force, or use fear of bodily injury against the individual. However, in such instances, the individual who is responsible for committing the assault is a friend, a date, an acquaintance, or someone who the victim knows.<br /></span><br /></span><p><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">-Most assaults usually fall into the category of acquaintance rape and it is important to keep in mind even if one has a current relationship with the perpetrator or had an intimate relationship with the perpetrator, it does not mean consent was given to the individual. </span><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">-In every instance, verbal consent has to be given in every instance of sexual intimacy, and as "the level of sexual intimacy increases (e.g., moving from kissing to petting, from petting to oral sex, from oral sex to intercourse or anal sex, etc.)"(</span><a href="http://rainn.org/get-information/types-of-sexual-assault/acquaintance-rape"><span style="font-size:130%;">http://rainn.org/get-information/types-of-sexual-assault/acquaintance-rape</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">). Like all forms of all other sexual assault, acquaintance rape is about power and control.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;">-In the overwhelming cases of acquaintance rape, the victims do not define their experience as a sexual assault, and actually blame themselves for the assault.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;">-Furthermore, since the perpetrator is known to the victim, the victim sees their perpetrator after the assault has occurred, which can cause re-traumatization as well as feeling shame and humiliation.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;">Here are also some physical and emotional reactions that victims of acquaintance rape may experience or show: <span style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><strong>Mood Swings, Nightmares, Anxiety, Fear, Helplessness, Depression, Suicidal Behavior/Ideation, self-harm, and sleeping and eating disturbances.</strong></span><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;"><strong>Our next blogs will focus on defining Dating and Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault, Stalking, Sexual Exploitation by Helping Professionals and Sexual Harassment.<br /></strong></span></p></li></ul></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">www.cunysgc.com</div>Darakshanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11489966258349283316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3295244452073621477.post-91149368785939200862009-08-17T17:27:00.003-04:002009-08-17T17:43:04.497-04:00EXPLORING RAPE CULTUREThe link embedded in the subject title of this blog entry is a good introduction into what rape culture is.<br /><br />As you watch the film, here are some questions to ponder:<br /><br />How have you experienced rape culture?<br /><br />Is there a thin line between rape culture and "normal" conceptualizations of sex and sexuality?<br /><br />What kinds of messages/encounters do you or someone you know receives daily that makes you/him/her feel uncomfortable?<br /><br />What would a world without rape culture look like?<br /><br />What does rape culture look like on college campuses?<br /><br />How can individuals effectively challenge and change rape culture?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What do you personally commit to doing to help change rape culture? </span><br /><br /><br />To building a Greater CUNY,<br /><br />SGC<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Become involved! Email us at cunypolicy08@gmail.com. We currently have an immediate need for:<br /><br /> * A skilled technician with software to make jpeg files to post letters of support on the tracker<br />* A graphic arts designer to help our website designer<br />* Skilled media savvy persons to chronicle CUNY's progress for the students on campus blogs, radio and television.<br />* Organizations and individuals to endorse our cause (willing to sign a letter of support)<br />* Organizations and individuals to join Students for a Greater CUNY as a member<div class="blogger-post-footer">www.cunysgc.com</div>Students for a Greater CUNYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758832047520879095noreply@blogger.com0