Take-Aways from MNCASA’s 2017 Symposium: Real Connections
Guest post by Ashley Sturz, MNCASA Membership and Advocacy Services Specialist
Many of our member programs are embarking on primary prevention efforts, but feel restricted by staffing, funding, and the challenge of changing community culture. At MNCASA, we are committed to supporting member programs in their mission to eradicate sexual violence. Because of this, Prevention took center stage at MNCASA’s 2017 Symposium: Real Connections. Read below to learn and/or review the key take-aways from the prevention-focused sessions at the Symposium, and click the hyperlinks to read more in-depth content about the sessions.
Lifetime Economic Burden of Rape Among U.S. Adults
Click on this link to read more about the Lifetime Economic Burden of Rape Among U.S. Adults
Cora Peterson, U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention
Take-Aways:
- Advocacy organizations can discuss the financial burden of rape can be used when requesting funding
- Information gathered positions sexual violence prevention within the Public Health/Health Equity framework
Developing Media Literacy Skills for Prevention
Click on this link to read more about Developing Media Literacy Skills for Prevention
Tyler Osterhaus and Laurie Nordahl, Cornerstone Advocacy Services
Take-Aways:
- Analyzing media is important in our work of preventing sexual violence because media is power. Through media, norms around sexual violence are portrayed, created, and influenced.
- A wide audience needs to feel connected to our messages around sexual violence prevention.
- Our audiences absorb our message if they connect with it emotionally. Yet, we need to be considerate of how certain media will make people feel, and how they will process the message.
Be Brave Not Bogus with the Sexual Violence Center’s B&B Justice Factory: New masculinities in sexual violence prevention and response
Click on this link to read more about Be Brave Not Bogus
Brett Goldberg and Brian Heilman, Sexual Violence Center
Take-Aways:
- Young men need to be given space to talk about masculinity and being a man in order to better navigate romantic relationships.
- Programs across the state should work together to provide and sustain support groups for male-identified survivors.
From Advocacy to Education, Shifting the Paradigm
Click on this link to learn more about From Advocacy to Education, Shifting the Paradigm
Kasey Baker, Safe Avenues; and Melissa Hoffman Bodin, DREAM Technical Academy
Take-Aways:
- While conducting outreach to schools, individualized relationships with school staff are needed.
- Team-building activities are a must—no matter how much time you have slated.
- When students feel safe they will learn, so work to cultivate a safe environment.
Learn More About the Sessions
Lifetime Economic Burden of Rape Among U.S. Adults
Cora Peterson, U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention
Cora Peterson (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) outlined a new report from the CDC that tabulated the financial burden of rape over the course of a lifetime. You probably already knew this, but the financial toll is astronomical—totaling $122,461 per victim/survivor.
Putting monetary value on sexual violence can feel wrong in some ways, but doing so has benefits. While most advocates do not pour their blood, sweat, and tears into sexual assault prevention so our society can simply forego a chunk of money (albeit a substantial chunk of money), information on costs and benefits is definitely currency to funders.
Throughout the conference, we heard folks strategizing about how to position sexual assault prevention in the realm of Health Equity/Public Health. Utilizing the report from the CDC can be incredibly helpful in this regard.
Developing Media Literacy Skills for Prevention
Tyler Osterhaus and Laurie Nordahl, Cornerstone Advocacy Services
Analyzing media is important in our work of preventing sexual violence because media is power. Through media, norms around sexual violence are portrayed, created, and influenced. Finding examples of healthy relationships and sexuality within the media, or equipping ourselves to talk about portrayals of unhealthy relationships and sexuality, is integral to our prevention efforts.
A wide audience needs to feel connected to our messages about sexual violence prevention. We need to be inclusive and bring more people to the movement who are experiencing sexual violence in their communities. When training new staff and volunteers, this shows them that the agency recognizes sexual violence is present in all communities and has new staff thinking about ways to work with all populations.
Our audiences absorb messages when they connect emotionally. Yet, we need to be considerate of how certain media will make people feel, and how they will process the message. A fine line exists between provoking feeling and exploiting the topic of sexual violence and the audience. Using media that will make people feel the need to prevent sexual violence is the optimal strategy when selecting material.
Be Brave Not Bogus with the Sexual Violence Center’s B&B Justice Factory: New masculinities in sexual violence prevention and response
Brett Goldberg and Brian Heilman, Sexual Violence Center
Brett and Brian (B&B) delved into a phenomenon most advocates believe to be true – young men do not often get the space to talk about masculinity of what it means to be a “man.” Through their prevention initiatives, B&B are hoping to change that, posing that exploring these topics can enable men to navigate healthy romantic relationships.
Not only do B&B engage in prevention with male-identified folks, but they facilitate support groups with male-identified survivors. As many in this field know, support groups for male identified survivors of sexual violence can be difficult to find and/or sustain. B&B encouraged programs across the state to work together whenever possible to fill this gap.
From Advocacy to Education, Shifting the Paradigm
Kasey Baker, Safe Avenues; and Melissa Hoffman Bodin, DREAM Technical Academy
Advocacy work, especially prevention-centric work, is more powerful when able to utilize relationships. Many advocates in prevention work seek to partner with schools to engage young people. Kasey and Melissa emphasized that building relationships with individuals within the schools you are connecting with is foundational to a working partnership.
When advocates are given time to present to youth—it’s often not much time—so there is temptation to spend the sparse time cutting right to the message. Kasey and Melissa emphasized the importance of incorporating team-building activities to create community. A sense of community will enhance the presentation, and orient the crowd to the message.
Engaging youth requires us to be considerate of all their lived experiences to cultivate a learning environment. We know when youth feel safe they will learn better, so we must recognize some youth will themselves be survivors, have a diagnosed mental illness, and much more. The presenters drew on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to illustrate a student’s ability to connect with prevention messages presented by advocates.