After The LA Times reported that between 1965 and 1985 The Boys Scouts of America took very little or no action about suspected child sexual abuse, it announced it would review 5,000 cases spanning the past fifty years.  The Times investigation found that Scouts’ officials did not report to police hundreds of cases of alleged sexual abuse and that as many as 1,662 male child victims were impacted. This scandal will continue to make headlines as hundreds of files are released from the BSA’s own collection of cases known as “perversion files.”

It is increasingly difficult to comprehend the enormity of the continued unfolding of inaction and unwillingness to protect children through intentional cover-up and denial. Indeed, these revelations are worse than denial, these are acts of institutional betrayal. The protection of predators and the preservation of reputations supersede a most fundamental human impulse of caring for children.  Part of me screams  ”What were they thinking?” while another part seeks to understand how and why major respected institutions like The Boy Scouts of America, Penn State University, The Catholic Church, public school districts and elite private schools (and the list goes on) could betray their own missions and reasons for existence.  Leaders seem to have no problem compromising their own integrity when faced with the issue of child sexual abuse.

As a longtime advocate for sexual assault victim/survivors, women, men and children I have thought a lot about this.  Perhaps we are not yet asking the right questions. Perhaps the cultural restraints of talking about sex and sexuality play a deeper role than we wish to acknowledge on the topic of child sexual abuse and sexual violence. It seems that there is a huge gap between being able to discuss sex frankly and in healthy ways, while at the same time the wider culture supports the early sexualization and commodification of girls and boys in media and advertising.

During this prolonged recession the one industry that is thriving is the porn industry. On the one hand sex is exploited commercially to sell every product imaginable, yet youth in high school are deprived of being taught the facts about their own biology and about healthy sexuality.  Parents continue to lack the support and guidance to discuss these still quite sensitive topics with their children. I am entertaining the notion that until we break through our personal discomforts, cultural taboos, and reluctance to talk about sex and sexuality in all of its complexity in healthy ways, we will continue to see the proliferation of sexual abuse along with inappropriate, ineffective and harmful responses to it. For an issue like child sexual abuse – where no one is for it and everyone is against it – it is curious that we do so little to prevent it.

There are questions we are not asking, conversations we are not having. The Boy Scouts of America had a rule of excluding gay men and boys from participating while at the same time collecting files on alleged abusers and doing nothing about it. I am wondering about this but have seen little reporting on this conundrum of the organizational culture. For sure, homophobia prevents honest discussions and explorations of sexuality. What are the other discussions that we are not having? Until we break through these fears and denials, I am afraid we will continue to witness and suffer betrayal from our most trusted institutions.
–By Patti Giggans

Patti Giggans is the Executive Director of Peace Over Violence. Peace Over Violence is dedicated to building healthy relationships, families and communities free from sexual, domestic and interpersonal violence. She is also the Vice-President of the Board of Directors for 1in6.

The mission of 1in6 is to help men who have had unwanted or abusive sexual experiences in childhood live healthier, happier lives.

1in6′s mission also includes serving family members, friends and partners by providing information and support resources on the web and in the community.

Joyful Heart and 1in6 invite you to visit 1in6.org for info, options and hope, and to learn more about our partnership and Engaging Men initiative at men.joyfulheartfoundation.org.

The views expressed above are not necessarily those of the Joyful Heart Foundation or 1in6.

Peace Over Violence is in the midst of holding our third annual Summer Youth Leadership Institute on Violence Prevention. Twenty-five youth are participating in a month-long training learning about the dynamics of relationship and sexual violence and about healthy relationships. These youth are prioritizing violence prevention and learning skills and tools to take with them as they become leaders in their own lives and in their communities.

These middle and high school youth, male and female are devoting their summer free time to collaborating on learning about healthy relationships and violence prevention strategies and connecting the dots to social change and social justice.

A segment of the Youth Leadership Institute this year includes three internship tracks: creating a violence prevention application for smartphones; writing, performing and recording songs about healthy relationships; and developing community and online organizing campaigns focused around healthy relationships.

Last week, these engaged and engaging young people participated in the Start Strong Virtual Conference, a national initiative supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Blue Shield of California Foundation. Eleven Start Strong sites from around the country connected virtually around the theme of what it means to be an “upstander” as opposed to a “bystander.”

Upstander is the opposite of bystander. A bystander is someone that does not speak up or act when they witness acts of intolerance, disrespect, bullying or violence taking place. They just go about their business. The attitude is, “it’s none of my business.” An upstander is someone who takes action when faced with these acts. It’s not just about an individual standing up, it’s about institutions also. The Penn State child sexual abuse tragedy is an example of an institution led by people that stood by and did nothing to protect children. One of the young men in the youth institute said, “Everybody should learn about how harmful sexual and domestic violence can be.” Another young man talked about how he had heard the phrase “be the change” a few times and really didn’t understand it until he joined the Leadership Institute.  This young football player now says “I really get it now and now I am the change. Change starts and continues with me.”

Unfortunately, we live in a world with way too many bystanders and not enough UPSTANDERS! But while observing these youth leaders in action here in Los Angeles and across the country, I have a strong and hopeful feeling that this is about to change and youth will be leading the way!

–By Patti Giggans

Patti Giggans is the Executive Director of Peace Over Violence. Peace Over Violence is dedicated to building healthy relationships, families and communities free from sexual, domestic and interpersonal violence. She is also the Vice-President of the Board of Directors for 1in6.

The mission of 1in6 is to help men who have had unwanted or abusive sexual experiences in childhood live healthier, happier lives.

1in6′s mission also includes serving family members, friends and partners by providing information and support resources on the web and in the community.

Joyful Heart and 1in6 invite you to visit 1in6.org for info, options and hope, and to learn more about our partnership and Engaging Men initiative at men.joyfulheartfoundation.org.

The views expressed above are not necessarily those of the Joyful Heart Foundation or 1in6.

I often find myself in awe, but somehow not totally surprised, that turning towards the issues sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse is often so hopeful, so joyful. Maybe you sometimes find yourself thinking the same. It’s often inexplicable, or at the very least, difficult to put into words as to why this is. And it can certainly be a strange thing to feel—and to write at this very moment—but it’s true. And last Wednesday evening was no exception.

That evening, a dreary, rainy one, the Joyful Heart Foundation staff, Board of Directors and hundreds of supporters gathered in downtown New York for the Fifth Annual Joyful Revolution Gala. And joyful it was. But this time, I knew why. This feeling of joy and of hope wasn’t inexplicable, it was right in front of us…all around us. It was in the voices of the choir full of young people whose powerful voices filled the room. It was in the stories of the young students who spoke up about how they do their part to turn towards these issues by speaking up, volunteering and rallying their classmates, teachers and school administrators to do the same. It was in stories of those who spoke of Joyful Heart’s work, like the groundbreaking One Strong ‘Ohana campaign to prevent child abuse and neglect in Hawai‘i, or NO MORE, a movement to end domestic violence and sexual assault. It was in the two pioneering honorees of the evening, Jane Randel and Grace Brown. Jane Randel recognized the importance of addressing teen dating violence and led her company, Liz Claiborne Inc., in doing something about it before I myself was even a teenager, funding prevention programs and overseeing the revolutionary Love Is Not Abuse program. Grace Brown, at just 19 years old, is turning the tables of sexual assault upside-down, helping survivors take back the power stolen from them during their abuse and showing it to the world through photography in Project Unbreakable.

At the entrance to the 2012 Joyful Revolution Gala. Grace Brown's photography was featured throughout the evening. Photography by: Michael Webber.

Here’s what I’m getting at: this joy was so palpable because the faces of those who are working so passionately for a world free from violence filled the room, personifying our hope for a safer world, a more supportive world, a better world. And that’s what and who we were celebrating at our Joyful Revolution: those who Rise Up for Children and Teens.

The front of this year's Joyful Revolution Gala program. This year's theme was RISE UP FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS.

There are so many who do that every day through their unwavering leadership and steadfast support of our work, all of which emanates from our fearless leader, Founder and President of the Joyful Heart Foundation, Mariska Hargitay. There are our incredible supporters who made our Revolution come to life: Gala Chairs Alex Cohen, Lorraine Kirke, Sukey Novogratz and Carrie Shumway; Dinner Hosts Glenn Close, Debra Messing and Hilary Swank; Dinner Chairs Lilly and Danny Pino,  George Stephanopoulos and Ali Wentworth, who brought the house down with light and laughter throughout the evening even after being “upstaged” by five fabulous and incredibly brave teens—the voices of the next generation—who commandeered most of her hosting duties. There’s the fearless revolutionaries we know better as the Joyful Heart Board of Directors: Tom Nunan, Linda Fairstein, Stanley Schneider, Michael King, Mark Alexander, Dr. Neal Baer, Andrea Buchanan, Jill Eisenstadt-Chayet, Peter Hermann, Valli Kalei Kanuha, Ph.D, Ashley McDermott, Rev. Al Miles, Heather Mnuchin, Sukey Novogratz, Chauncey Parker, Phil Shawe and Carrie Shumway. Also in attendance were Will Chase, Law & Order Special Victims Unit co-stars Dann Floreck, Kelli Giddish, Stephanie March and Ice-T with Coco, Warren Leight, Gloria Reuben, Sherman and Chris Meloni, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Wayne County District Attorney Kym Worthy and many more.

Yes, it was a truly joyful community. But we were reminded that each of us has to do our part, each of us must carry our weight in this movement. As Mariska said in her remarks:

These are heavy topics. That’s just a fact. And what we are asking you to do—to take them on, really take them on—is hard.

But I want to talk about physics. All of you got a weight when you came here tonight. Each is about a pound. Indulge me here for a moment: pick up your weight and hold in your hand. Do you know what you’re doing right now? You’re lifting five-hundred pounds. How? Together, that’s how. It’s simple physics: the greater the number of people willing to lift, the lighter the load that each individual must carry.

We carry this so that [future generations'] load will be lighter, so that this movement to change the world—that’s right, change the world—will be less of a burden. So that instead of having to start a conversation about these issues within their communities—and families and schools and places of business— they can join one that is already going on.

A guest lifts her weight during Mariska's remarks. Photography by: Michael Webber.

Following Mariska’s opening remarks, a young woman came up on stage to introduce the evening’s first Heart of Gold Award recipient, Jane Randel. Johanna began:

Jane, you and I have never met. And yet we are deeply connected, through your work, and through my gratitude for it.

When I was seventeen, everyone said my boyfriend, Juan, and I were “the ideal couple.” And we were, until he became controlling, jealous and eventually physically abusive. When I finally broke up with him, a few hours later, in the middle of the night, he snuck into my bedroom and raped me at knife point.

He was arrested. But the judge ruled that Juan didn’t pose a serious threat to the community, so he was released. Thirteen days later, while I was sitting in a car in my grandparents’ driveway, he shot me in the face with a shotgun.

Love is not abuse. A lot of young women do not know that. A lot of young men do not know that. I, myself, wish I had known it.

But Jane, you and Liz Claiborne have known it for years.

Johanna introduces the evening's first Heart of Gold Recipient, Jane Randel. Photography by: Michael Parmalee.

Jane’s pioneering leadership to address and prevent teen dating violence have had an enormous impact on Johanna and countless more teens and parents who have learned about dating abuse and sought out help through Love Is Not Abuse, a program of the former Liz Claiborne Inc., now Fifth & Pacific. Love Is Not Abuse was created 20 years ago to generate awareness about domestic violence. Liz Claiborne was the first company ever to take a stand on this issue, commissioning research, implementing pioneering domestic violence workplace policies, creating the Love Is Not Abuse and Love Is Respect programs to offer resources and a safe online community where teens can seek help and a community, and leverage the resources and passion of the thousands in their coalition to pass legislation and get the Love Is Not Abuse curriculum into schools.

Jane pointed to the sustained, thoughtful work of so many that have made this possible:

I used to think of this work in terms of “moving the needle” of awareness…I used to believe it would be the events that shake us—Rihanna, Nicole Brown Simpson, Yeardley Love, the gang rape of a 15-year-old student outside her homecoming dance in Richmond, CA. But it’s not. Unfortunately, we react in the moment, but we are swept to the next event as the news cycle continues.

In fact, it is people like you and me, deciding to be the person who raises the issue at our companies, at our schools, in our families, in our places of worship, in our daily conversations.

We then heard from some of those people, who took the stage to talk about our collective accomplishments in turning towards the issues of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. Kym Worthy spoke first. She is the fearless Wayne County District Attorney who oversees some 70,000 prosecutions each year—25,000 of them felonies and among them, thousands of rapes. She discussed the backlog of over 11,000 “recklessly abandoned” rape kits in her jurisdiction. “Last year, at this event Joyful Heart’s CEO, Maile Zambuto said, ‘Detroit, we will not forget you.’ And I am here to say that she kept her promise.”

Prosecutor Worthy was followed by Law & Order: SVU star Danny Pino, who spoke about the very first episode he filmed as a new cast member. The episode was called “Personal Fouls” and it told the story of a respected basketball coach who is accused of sexually abusing the boys on his team. It aired a month before Penn State, Syracuse and Poly Prep. I myself happened to be on the set that day, helping to film a PSA about this issue that launched our Engaging Men initiative with the cast. I remember Danny reading through the lines of the PSA that day, his jaw dropping and eyes widening as he learned that 19 million American men are survivors of childhood sexual abuse. He remembers too. “As a father of two young boys, and as a man, I’m proud to say: consider me engaged.”

Law & Order: SVU star Danny Pino discusses Joyful Heart's Engaging Men work. Also pictured (from left): Kim Worthy, teen host Ally Pereira, Valli Kalei Kanuha and Chauncey Parker. Photography by: Michael Parmalee.

Joyful Heart Board Member, Valli Kalei Kanuha, Ph.D., then spoke about the groundbreaking One Strong ‘Ohana campaign, a strengths-based campaign focused on what we can all do to prevent child abuse before it starts. She said: “Our premise is simple: rather than wait for something to go wrong, do something right, something as basic as running an errand for an overstressed caretaker or offering to watch your neighbors’ kids so they can have a little break. One Strong ‘Ohana is the first of its kind to focus on what we can do before things go wrong in our families. We’re confident that this initiative will spare thousands of our children the pain of abuse and neglect. For many, it could save their lives.”

And then Chauncey Parker, also of Joyful Heart’s Board of Directors and Executive Assistant District Attorney for the Manhattan DA’s Crime Strategies Unit, spoke about the historic all-crimes DNA law in New York, a law that Joyful Heart has advocated for during the past two legislative sessions. The new law will help countless families be spared of the pain and trauma of violence and bring healing and justice to countless more.

Chauncey introduced Maile Zambuto, Joyful Heart’s Chief Executive Officer, who took the stage to present the evening’s second Heart of Gold Award to Grace Brown. Grace is the creator of Project Unbreakable, through which she helps survivors in their paths to healing by giving them the last word with the words once used against them during their assaults. She photographs survivors with these words written on a piece of paper.

Take a look [note: this film may be triggering for some]:

As Maile said in her introduction to Grace:

My perpetrator’s words are the deepest, most insidious part of my abuse.

I wrote them down, I read them, I saw them in black and white on the paper. And I saw them reflected in the looks on the faces of people in the street that day.

For the first time, I got those words off of me and out of me. It loosened my grip on the lie—the lie that somehow all of this was my fault, that somehow, at five years old, I caused it.

I held that sign, I bore its weight and I walked away lighter.

Maile introduces Grace Brown, recipient of the evening's second Heart of Gold award. Maile's own portrait is on the screen behind her. Photography by: Michael Parmalee.

Grace’s images remind us of the profound shame and isolation that survivors carry with them. And how so often, they carry that weight alone. But by joining together as a community, by turning our attention, resources and passion to ending—yes, ending—sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse, that weight becomes lighter. The shame and the isolation can lift. Mariska said it best:

Our issues are heavy because they are very complex, because they involve pain, fear, darkness, isolation, judgment, ignorance and an entrenched lack of understanding. They are heavy because people’s lives are at stake. But together, they’re not too much to carry. I swear. That, I do know.

So as I finish putting together my thoughts into words, finish meandering through the moments of the evening that were so powerful, so joyful, so hopeful, I’ll say this: what continually inspires me most day-in and day-out are the adults and teenagers who simply have a voice, an idea, a camera, creativity, determination, a caring embrace or an attentive ear to make a difference daily to the people in their lives. We talk about changing the world, which seems like a dauntingly ambitious endeavor. But when I think of “my” world, I think about my own life path, about the places I live and work, the people I care about, those I pass on the street or see daily on my Facebook and Twitter accounts. We each have this world. And if each of us works to change just one thing about it, and then another thing, and then another, we can chip away at this seemingly overwhelming problem. The weight becomes lighter and lighter. And that’s how we do it. That’s how we change the world.

So please, consider these ways to help carry the weight:

• Download educational materials from 1in6. We made these available in print to each guest at our gala and urged them to take them home, share them with friends and family, co-workers, their community center or school. 1in6 and Joyful Heart have partnered together as part of our Engaging Men initiative to make these available in print to those that would like them. Should you wish to make an order, you can request these materials in print at no charge for orders under 25 pieces.
• Run, walk, swim, play, pole jump, ride horses or participate in your favorite activity as part of the Joyful Revolution Athletic Club. Instead of donating funds yourself, this is a great way raise money for the Joyful Heart Foundation while raising awareness among your community. Of course, it’s also a great way to achieve your own personal wellness goals.
• Say NO MORE. Join a movement that says NO MORE to domestic violence and sexual assault. You can start by posting your picture to the NO MORE photo gallery and visiting the ShopNOMORE store.
• Donate, if you have the means, to our general fund or our work to end the backlog of untested rape kits. Each and every dollar makes a difference.
• Download the Love Is Not Abuse app to your iPhone. This app provides invaluable resources to parents on teen dating violence, including a digital dating abuse simulator. I’ve tried it myself. Being in my mid-twenties, it wasn’t that long ago that I was in high school. But how the times have changed. The number of ways to exert control over another person digitally are eye-opening and, I might guess, hard for a parent to understand.

Lastly, continue to talk about the issues of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. We all have to carry our weight. Together, it makes a difference.

Dear Joyful Heart Community,

As some of you may know, Joyful Heart is part of an exciting and transformative initiative called NO MORE, a movement to unite all of us around one universal symbol and the simple message that together we can end domestic violence and sexual assault.

Like the peace sign, the yellow “support our troops” ribbon, the red AIDS ribbon or the pink breast cancer ribbon, the goal is to use this new symbol to help spark a national dialogue and move the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault higher on the public’s agenda.

I have had the privilege of serving on the Executive Committee since the inception of the project and Joyful Heart is also part of the Steering Committee, along with 16 leading organizations across the country and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Last month, NO MORE officially launched. We’re getting a glimpse into what NO MORE is going to do—what it’s already doing—to change the way we talk about, respond to and work together to end domestic violence and sexual assault. NO MORE has been years in the making. And it’s only just beginning. As the movement grows, the reach and ubiquity of the symbol will grow with it.

Our purpose is to utilize this symbol and message to raise visibility, create awareness, encourage conversation and help break the social stigma surrounding domestic violence and sexual assault. Our hope is by accomplishing those goals, we will be laying the foundation for an even broader level of change, from which we will start to see a real shift. If there are large numbers of people demonstrating their support for our issues and standing for NO MORE, bystanders will be more likely to speak up, victims will feel more empowered and perpetrators will feel more challenged. And, as more and more people align themselves with the movement—as the cause gains greater visibility—policymakers will take notice and it will help lead to stronger public policies and more funding for prevention and services.

I’m saying NO MORE to domestic violence and sexual assault by using this symbol and sharing it with everyone I know. I hope you will too.

Please visit www.nomore.org to find out more. You can take action and join the movement in any number of ways—by taking the pledge, submitting your photo to the NO MORE photo wall, purchasing a NO MORE product and wearing it, requesting a toolkit and sharing NO MORE through your social media outlets.

More to come soon.

With gratitude,

On December 8, 2011, more than 80 people will come together to talk about domestic violence and sexual assault at Liz Claiborne Inc.’s eighth annual It’s Time to Talk Day. On that day, thanks to a long-standing partnership with Talk Radio News Service, radio hosts from around the country will travel to Times Square in New York City and use their broadcast platforms to help generate awareness and educate the public about these issues.

What makes this event significant is not the number of years it has run—though this is something we are quite proud of. Rather what distinguishes this day is the breadth of people we reach with messages of prevention, of hope and of healing.

With radio as the medium, we can touch a huge range of individuals and remind them that they are not alone; that there are people out there who care if they are not safe at home…who care if they have been sexually assaulted…who care to teach them and their children what digital dating abuse looks like and how to address it. With the help of these amazing radio hosts—some of whom come back year after year to help share these messages—we can reinforce why it is so important to speak out about these issues, rather than hide them away in dark corners.

The other aspect of It’s Time to Talk Day that makes it unique is the camaraderie that is fostered among the guests who come to be interviewed. Celebrities, business people, advocates, survivors, government officials and law enforcement mingle and meet. Though we do not know the exact numbers, over the years many a partnership has been formed as people snack on chips or sip coffee waiting for their time on the air.

So what can someone do to help on December 8th? Help us bring the domestic violence and sexual assault into the light. Use that day as a catalyst to start conversations about these issues with your friends, family and co-workers. Post a message on Facebook or send a tweet. Certainly there is enough in the news these days to discuss. You don’t have to have all the answers—just opening up a dialogue is valuable. Then you can check out www.joyfulheartfoundation.org or www.loveisnotabuse.com to learn more.

Though it may not seem like it to you, this one little step can go a long way to teaching everyone across the country that one day is not enough…that it’s always time to talk about these issues—at least until there is nothing left to talk about.

Jane Randel is the Director of Liz Claiborne Inc.’s Love Is Not Abuse initiatives, which strive to address partner abuse at its root cause. The company has begun a sustained effort to focus on teen dating abuse and violence. With a teen dating abuse prevention curriculum, hand books and innovative research to help teens, teachers, parents and domestic violence organizations, Liz Claiborne Inc. provides free resources to all members of society—alerting all demographics to the domestic violence epidemic and educating them on what they can do, individually and collectively to curtail abuse. Join in the conversation by visiting www.loveisnotabuse.com.

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is due for reauthorization. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Mike Crapo (R-ID) will introduce a bipartisan bill on tomorrow, Wednesday, November 30th to reauthorize and improve VAWA.

We need your help to make sure VAWA has as much support in Congress as possible when it is introduced to the Senate tomorrow.

Over the past 17 years, VAWA has given survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking unprecedented access to improved services and ultimately, safety. VAWA has saved countless lives, protected families, given a voice to survivors and provided invaluable training to the criminal justice community. VAWA is landmark legislation in the movement to end violence against women and girls, and is both a symbol and actualization of what it means to create healing and justice for survivors and their communities.

The Joyful Heart Foundation is proud to be a member of the coalition of women and victim’s rights groups across the country who worked together with Senator Leahy’s office to draft the VAWA reauthorization bill and gather support. VAWA is so critical to the work we do to prevent and end violence against women and children.

We ask that you take a moment today to contact your Senators and encourage them to support this bill and sign on as an original co-sponsor.

We’ve listed the Senators that the VAWA coalition has identified as particularly important to gain as original co-sponsors below, as well as talking points to share during your phone call with your Senator(s).

Please share this message with your family, friends and colleagues as well and ask them to make a call to their Senator(s) today–we are hoping to get as many co-sponsors as we can before tomorrow. The time is now.

Talking points:

• We know that Senator _________ cares about ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking.
• The Violence Against Women Act is critical to our ability to address these crimes in our state.
• There is evidence showing that VAWA has saved millions of dollars and countless lives.
• We are asking for you to be an original co-sponsor of the Leahy/Crapo bill that will be introduced on Wednesday.
• Please contact Anya McMurray or Noah Bookbinder at (202) 224-7703 to sign on to the bill.

***********

Alabama

Sessions, Jeff – (202) 224-4124
Shelby, Richard – (202) 224-5744

Arkansas

Boozman, John – (202) 224-4843

Alaska

Murkowski, Lisa – (202) 224-6665

Arizona

McCain, John – (202) 224-2235
Kyl, Jon – (202) 224-4521

California

Boxer, Barbara – (202) 224-3553
Feinstein, Dianne – (202) 224-3841

Florida

Rubio, Marco – (202) 224-3041

Georgia

Chambliss, Saxby – (202) 224-3521
Isakson, Johnny – (202) 224-3643

Hawai‘i

Akaka, Daniel – (202) 224-6361
Inouye, Daniel – (202) 224-3934

Idaho

Crapo, Mike – (202) 224-6142 – (Sen. Mike Crapo is already one of the original co-sponsors. If he is your Senator, be sure to thank him for his commitment to ending violence against women.)
Risch, James – (202) 224-2752

Illinois

Kirk, Mark – (202) 224-2854

Indiana

Lugar, Richard – (202) 224-4814
Coats, Daniel – (202) 224-5623

Iowa

Grassley, Chuck – (202) 224-3744

Louisiana

Vitter, David – (202) 224-4623

Kansas

Moran, Jerry – (202) 224-6521
Roberts, Pat – (202) 224-4774

Kentucky

McConnell, Mitch – (202) 224-2541
Paul, Rand – (202) 224-4343

Maine

Collins, Susan – (202) 224-2523
Snowe, Olympia – (202) 224-5344

Massachusetts

Brown, Scott – (202) 224-4543

Mississippi

Cochran, Thad – (202) 224-5054
Wicker, Roger – (202) 224-6253

Missouri

Blunt, Roy – (202) 224-5721

Nebraska

Johanns, Mike – (202) 224-4224

Nevada

Heller, Dean – (202) 224-6244

New Hampshire

Ayotte, Kelly – (202) 224-3324

North Carolina

Burr, Richard – (202) 224-3154

New York

Gillibrand, Kirsten – (202) 224-4451
Schumer, Charles – (202) 224-6542

North Dakota

Hoeven, John – (202) 224-2551

Ohio

Portman, Rob – (202) 224-3353

Oklahoma

Coburn, Tom – (202) 224-5754
Inhofe, James – (202) 224-4721

Pennsylvania

Toomey, Patrick – (202) 224-4254

South Carolina

DeMint, Jim – (202) 224-6121
Graham, Lindsey – (202) 224-5972

South Dakota

Thune, John – (202) 224-2321

Tennessee

Alexander, Lamar – (202) 224-4944
Corker, Bob – (202) 224-3344

Texas

Cornyn, John – (202) 224-2934
Hutchison, Kay Bailey – (202) 224-5922

Utah

Hatch, Orrin – (202) 224-5251
Lee, Mike – (202) 224-5444

Wisconsin

Johnson, Ron – (202) 224-5323

Wyoming

Enzi, Michael – (202) 224-3424
Barrasso, John – (202) 224-6441

Last week, our partners at Peace Over Violence (POV) celebrated their many accomplishments and honored those of their community at the 40th Anniversary Humanitarian Awards.

For 40 years, POV has been working to end violence against women, men, youth and children, one on one, one by one. Dedicated to a building healthy relationships, families and communities free from sexual, domestic and interpersonal violence, they have provided necessary crisis and intervention services to those affected by violence and abuse, as well as prevention, education and advocacy programs in the Los Angeles community to create a community free from violence. Just some recent highlights of this work:

Denim Day promotional material.

Demin Day in the USA

POV was the leading force behind Denim Day in the USA, a movement sparked by the story of a young girl who was raped by her driving instructor in Italy while wearing tight jeans. The Italian Supreme Court reasoned the victim’s tight jeans meant that she must have consented. Denim Day was born under the leadership of POV and became a movement across the country to support survivors, debunk myths and misconceptions surrounding sexual violence and tell the painful truth about the pervasive and insidious nature of sexual violence.

Patti Giggans, Executive Director of Peace Over Violence, speaks at a news conference before the LAUSD. Photography courtesy of POV.

Landmark Legislation to Reduce and Prevent Teen Dating Violence

Just last month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Peace Over Violence stood with advocates and officials to celebrate a landmark resolution by the Los Angeles Board of Education providing for district coordination of teen dating violence intervention and prevention strategies at all Los Angeles Unified School District schools, the training of school staff, faculty and administrators, as well as prevention education for students and parents/caregivers and ongoing monitoring of teen dating violence incident reports and prevention activities. The legislation is the result of a dedicated partnership between the school district and Peace Over Violence, as well as violence prevention organizations, local schoolteachers, counselors,  administrators and youth leaders.

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck accepts the Public Service Award at POV's 40th Annual Humanitarian Awards.

Advocating to End the Rape Kit Backlog

Since the discovery of over 12,500 untested rape kits in Los Angeles City and County storage facilities, Peace Over Violence has advocated to expedite the testing of the kits and for the rights of survivors to know about the status of their cases and kits. Over the past several years, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has listened to the calls of the community, including those from Joyful Heart, and reduced the historic backlog of untested rape kits in their facilities to zero. At POV’s 40th Anniversary Humanitarian Awards, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, who has championed rape kit reform within the LAPD, was honored with the Public Service Award.

We’re proud to stand with Peace Over Violence as they celebrate 40 years  and honor those in the Los Angeles community who are working toward a better, safer world. Happy 40th birthday, POV!

Be sure to like POV on Facebook to see even more pictures from the 40th Annual Humanitarian Awards.

Patti Giggans, Executive Director of POV (right) with LAPD Chief Charlie Beck (center) and LA Deputy Mayor Wendy Greuel (left) at POV's 40th Annual Humanitarian Awards. Photography courtesy of POV.

Today marks the annual celebration of Women’s Equality Day. This year is the 91st year since the 19th Amendment was adopted in the United States, giving women the right to vote. We have so much to look back on and be proud of—so many achievements to celebrate as women and as those championing women’s equality.

Suffragists march in October 1917, displaying placards containing the signatures of over one million New York women demanding to vote.

But to be sure, we still have progress left to make.

Because today is largely a day just like any other. Today alone, 680 women will be sexually assaulted. At least 3 women will be killed by their husbands or boyfriends. Almost 5 children will die as a result of child abuse and neglect. There are likely to be over 16,000 children living in a shelter to escape family violence. It won’t stop just because today is Women’s Equality Day.

Last week, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the research arm of the federal government’s Department of Justice, released a report compiling two decades of research on violence against women in the United States. It documents hundreds of studies commissioned by the NIJ on topics ranging from law enforcement interventions, victims services programs, policies and legislation related to violence against women, the effect of domestic violence on children, the social and cultural contexts of violence against women, how violence and abuse affects the life cycle and so, so much more. I would urge anyone who has an interest in any of these areas and the movement as a whole to peruse its pages.

For me and for countless others who are in this movement to end violence against women, all the findings contained within these studies are, of course, a trove of information that have been and will continue to be used to inform our work. But looking at all these results of decades of studies compiled in this one document is looking at decades of violence against women. And all of it has happened more than half a century after women celebrated our equality with the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920.

We have so far to go. The truth is that women and girls are disproportionately victims of sexual and domestic violence. Nine out of 10 victims of rape are women and 84% of the time, victims of intimate partner violence are women.

As I think what women’s equality means for the movement to end violence against women, I am reminded of something Polly Poskin, the Executive Director of the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault, said. In an interview with Ms. Poskin, Sarah Tofte, Joyful Heart’s director of Policy & Advocacy, asked her what it would take to dramatically reduce, if not altogether end, sexual violence in our country. Her response:

We certainly need increased funding, increased resources and laws requiring accountability, but that alone does not change a culture. It may keep us fortified with the resources that we need to be safe, but ending sexual violence is really dependent on human beings regarding one another as equals. Someone I regard as my equal I do not harm. If we had the practice of equality, we would see the end of rape.

In my heart, I know there will be a day—maybe not in my lifetime, maybe not even in my children’s lifetime—that we will see an end to violence against women and girls as we know it in this country. I applaud and thank each of you for every act of respect, kindness and care that collectively brings us closer to this day.

With gratitude,

Take action to tell the FBI that rape is rape.

Currently, the FBI defines rape as “the carnal knowledge of a female against her will.” This definition is archaic and it does not reflect the reality of sexual assault in the United States today. Join over 62,000 others who have already told Robert Mueller, the Director of the FBI, and Attorney General Eric Holder to update the Uniform Crime Report’s definition of rape to include all victims by signing your name to these letters from the Feminist Majority Foundation.

Hi, everyone! My name is Ella. I am seventeen years old and I have been involved with the Joyful Heart Foundation for almost two and a half years. I first became involved when a school project of mine about change turned into an event that raised over $10,000 for Joyful Heart. Recently I have been raising awareness about the backlog of sexual assault evidence in my state by writing my legislators and talking about the backlog at Kentucky youth government assemblies (KYA).

Today, however, I am a guest blogger for JHF’s get involved blog (something you may have already figured out). I will be blogging once a month until the end of June about different ways that you may be able to get involved in raising awareness and advocating for the issues of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. In later blogs I will talk about event planning and more specifically about getting involved as a teenager, but for today I want to talk about an issue that must be tackled on a smaller scale.

Sexting is an issue that has, within the last few years, become increasingly prevalent in the news and has become a rampant problem among teenagers with camera phones. Sexting for those of you who may not know, is the sending or forwarding of nude, sexually suggestive or explicit photos (athinline.org).

Image Source: http://www.thenextgreatgeneration.com

From my own understanding of the issue, and from my experience as a high school student, sexting is so prevalent that it is often an expectation in a dating relationship. Why? Because sexting is easy. Someone can do it and delete the conversations and/or pictures without parents or friends ever having to know and sexting doesn’t run the same risks as other forms of sexual interaction. This mentality among young people is dangerous and flawed.

Sexting is boundary-less and its damage is theoretically limitless. In two seconds an angry partner can forward compromising pictures to his entire contact list. One risque picture can completely smear someone’s reputation and hold major consequences for the sender/receiver/photographer. Any picture taken of a minor who is nude or photographed in a sexually provocative way is considered child pornography. Those involved in the production or those in possession of such pictures can and in many cases will be subject to severe legal consequences, consequences which range anywhere from a misdemeanor to time in jail and a spot on the sex offender registry (depending upon the state).

Image Source: http://www.psfk.com

As a teenager I want to put forth an effort to prevent this behavior among those in my school. I know it is scary to stand up against your peers and even your friends to make the right choices or speak out against the wrong choices; however, if we don’t say anything, if I don’t do anything to try and educate my friends about the dangers of sexting, and I not partially to blame for this pandemic?

Maybe that is not the question we should be trying to answer; maybe the really question is what can we do?

Well, here are a few ideas:

• hang poster with statistics and facts in your school hallways (be sure and ask permission before hand) Check out thatsnotcool.com for sample posters

• bring the topic up/ ask your teacher to bring the topic up in your health/sex ed class) You can use the tips and sample letters on Dosomething.org to help you write a letter to get Teen Dating Abuse curriculum in your school. You can also get your parents or loved ones involved or request free curriculum from Love is Not Abuse.

• set clear and firm boundaries in your dating relationships, and don’t date someone who is unwilling to respect those boundaries… if someone truly cares for you and is worth your time, they will respect you.

• DON’T PRESSURE YOUR boyfriend or girlfriend to send you pictures.

• Turn off the cell phone at 12:00 a.m. The saying, “nothing good happens after midnight” applies to cell phones too. I promise it’s not the end of the world, my parent’s rule is 11:00 p.m., and the texts are still there in the morning.

• Have a viewing party for you and your friends where you watch athinline.org’s documentary on the consequences of sexting, then discuss the topics and information presented and talk about not only what boundaries you can set for yourself, but how you can support one another and hold one another accountable to those boundaries. Check out their PSAs too.
  

• Check out 11 Ways to Use Texting to stop dating abuse

• Last but certainly not least, if someone forwards you a sext, DELETE DON’T FORWARD, and let that person know that you are not okay with him/her forwarding you similar pictures.

athinline.org's PSA "Public Nudity"

I hope you found some ideas that work for you, or that you can share with a teenager in your life. Tell us what you are doing to stop Sexting and Teen Dating Violence in the comments below.

<3 Ella

*Editors Note: If you’re inspired by Ella’s post and have any questions or comments, please post them below or submit them through Joyful Heart’s request line at info@joyfulheartfoundation.org.

As I look at the Joyful Heart Foundation blog I am comforted by the presence of “heal, educate, empower,” three words that have found a permanent home in my every day life. My organization, h<3rt1, (“heart-one”) stands for my goal to “heal a heart, remove the 1” of the 1 in every 3 young adults involved in an emotionally and/or physically abusive relationship. I want to educate people on the dangers and prevalence of abuse. I want to empower them to take a stand and create change. What better time to focus on doing this other than February: Teen Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month.

Dating/domestic violence awareness bulletin in a freshman dorm

My name is Danielle DeZao and I am honored to be able to join efforts with the Joyful Heart Foundation. I went through 19 years of my life without ever really having a “cause” to call my own – maybe that meant I was lucky, since I was without a tragic reason to ever fight for something that has caused me grief. But then an unexpected, unwanted cause found me. I didn’t know it would introduce itself to me disguised as the boyfriend I met in college. A guy telling ME who to hang out with and what to wear? Never. Me using make-up to cover my bruises? Never. I never understood how people got involved in abusive situations – until I was one of them.

Abusive relationships do not happen overnight. They start slowly, a gradual progression towards utter chaos. It begins with perfection, laughter, and all of the exciting things that come with new love and new beginnings. But looking back, what was ever even real and what was just part of the downward spiral? What was genuine? Within a couple of months, jealousy and control issues took over. I tried to justify the seemingly pointless arguments by saying it’s still a relatively new relationship, that trust issues are normal. I wanted to believe it would change. I wanted to believe I could make it change.

It takes a while, sometimes even too long, to realize that the people who claim they are trying to “save” you from everything else in your life, are the ones hurting you the most. I felt like I was watching myself leave my body, looking back out of the corner of my eye at everything I’ve ever believed in slowly creeping away from me – a vicious cycle of bliss and pain. With time, the fights grew longer and louder, and ironically, their meaning even more pointless than the time before. Before I knew it, it was a little shove, a little push – followed by his endless promises that he didn’t mean it, that it will never happen again.

No. The first time will never be the last, it will only be the least painful, its bruise the faintest. I remember finding it a struggle to look in the mirror, a black eye staring back at me, finding it difficult to think of new ways to hide the different marks on my body from the people I love, from anyone that might notice, even from myself, as if enough makeup and the right clothes would be enough to convince myself that just maybe they have magically disappeared altogether. I went through so much of my life never even seeing or hearing the words “dating violence.” It took me experiencing it to learn about it, which is how I found out that 1 in 3 teenagers is involved in an abusive relationship. Should it really take someone going through something so terrible to realize that it could have been avoided if only it were a topic that is talked about more often?

I didn’t really sleep after the fact and my only comfort came from researching the cause, reading stories and appreciating the proof that I wasn’t alone, as much as I felt like I was. I read the signs that made so much sense that it gave me chills. Why hadn’t I known about them before? I even found out the cause’s national color is purple. Then I began to scribble. I scribbled notes for a slogan, a logo, a picture, a motto: anything that could be used to impeccably consolidate a year of feelings, tears, despair, but also hope, encouragement, and most of all, change. I came up with h<3rt1. I had never intended on founding an organization, it was nothing more than my own little world that gave me peace of mind, until I realized that if I’m going through it, so many others are too, the statistics proved it, so why not get them involved too?

For me, h<3rt1 was the breath that began to blow away the irritating fog of sadness over my life, the kind that you just want to disappear so that you can see everything around you more clearly. Every day I look down at my bracelets and feel so lucky to be making a difference, but sometimes I find myself practically laughing; 3 silly pieces of string, 2 purple and 1 black, braided together to represent the 1:3 ratio, an idea I dreamt up one of those late, lonely, sleepless nights. A simple idea that allowed me to sell them around campus for $1, to create unity and awareness for a cause invisible to most college students. A tiny little bracelet that made up over 90% of our $1,500 donation to Battered Woman’s Services. Bracelets on over 1,000 wrists somewhere in this world, hopefully carrying the h<3rt1 message along with it.

Danielle and John Quinones from ABC's "What Would You Do?"

Passing someone on campus and seeing a bracelet on their wrist, having a stranger hug me after one of my speeches and saying “you don’t know who I am but thank you for that,” seeing the organization logo that was born in the margin of my class-notes on ABC news and my story on ABC’s prime-time “What Would You Do?”, attending a round-table discussion on domestic violence at The White House as a student advocate for Liz Claiborne’s Love Is Not Abuse Campaign – surreal.

I found something that could tell people, even myself, that no one in this world is worth the sacrifice of yourself and the person who says “I love you” will never truly mean those words and hurt you at the same time. If I’ve made a different in even just one life through all of this, it’s more than enough to me. Bruised hearts don’t have to equal broken, they will heal.  www.removethe1.com

*Editors Note: If you’re inspired by Danielle’s post and have any questions or comments, please post them below or submit them through Joyful Heart’s request line at info@joyfulheartfoundation.org.