Child Abuse Awareness and Sexual Assault Awareness – April 2019
Sexual Assault Awareness & Child Abuse Awareness Month in Review
Connections, a Center for Healthy Families
We asked community members and community partners to help us plant pinwheels in the Fleet Park in honor of the children and families we served at Connections for the past couple of years and to bring awareness to Child Abuse. We also recognized our county’s police departments in their efforts to keep children safe with a Facebook campaign in which we took pictures with officers from each police station in the county with a pinwheel or pledge to keep children safe and posted them during April, Child Abuse Awareness Month. We also got a few fire departments.
Submitted by Nickie Gill, Education and Outreach Coordinator
Partners with Families and Children Children’s Advocacy Center
PARTNERS ’S AWARENESS IN APRIL
Partners with Families and Children (Partners) is both proud and excited to have been able to participate in events and activities that supported and brought awareness to both Child Abuse Prevention and Sexual Assault Awareness during the month of April.
In collaboration with Spokane’s Community Sexual Assault Program at Lutheran Community Services Northwest (LCSNW), the Pieces of Hope Campaign was organized, as an effort to bring awareness to the Spokane Community about Child Abuse and Sexual Assault. Both Partners and LCSNW reached out to Spokane area agencies and establishments, in an effort to gain their support in this campaign, by offering the opportunity for their staff and customers to write messages of hope and encouragement on a “puzzle piece” of paper, to share with victims and others in the Spokane community. The puzzle pieces were collected and displayed at both Partners and LCSNW to bring inspiration and reassurance to the people both agencies serve, who have been impacted by Child Abuse and Sexual Assault.
Submitted by Tatiana Williams, CAC Program Manager/Forensic Interviewer
In addition to the Pieces of Hope Campaign, Partners supported and recognized a day of action on April 5, 2019 for Child Abuse and Child Abuse Prevention by wearing blue. Wear Blue Day was also supported by some of our local law enforcement agencies and by LCSNW.
In support of our local Community Sexual Assault Program at LCSNW, Partners recognized a Day of Action for Sexual Assault, by wearing teal on April 2, 2019.
To demonstrate continued support for the mission of both agencies and the continued efforts to bring about community awareness regarding Child Abuse and Sexual Assault, Partners and LCSNW joined together for a group picture wearing both blue and teal.
On April 24, partners also showed support for sexual assault victims, by participating in Denim Day.
Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse
Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse held an active outreach, awareness education and prevention calendar this April for Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Awareness Month. Our activities included weekly Palouse Teen Council meetings and trauma-informed yoga classes, participation in university panel discussions about bystander intervention and comprehensive sex education, providing local cafes with SAAM coffee sleeves, hosting a book discussion of Roxane Gay’s Not that Bad, and pinwheel-making events with kiddos, foster parents and local businesses alike.
Submitted by Vanessa Corwin, Coordinator of Sexual Assault Services
King County Sexual Assault Resource Center
KCSARC’S COUNT ME IN CAMPAIGN ENGAGES REGION DURING SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH
April was an exciting opportunity for the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center and its partners, supporters, sponsors, and communities it serves to join forces for our “Count Me In” campaign. The campaign’s goal: reaching out in the communities KCSARC serves to foster better understanding that everyone is affected by sexual violence, and that we all play a role in ending it. KCSARC encouraged individuals, communities, and organizations to engage during the month-long campaign, which was announced March 5 to 1,000 attendees at our 2019 BE LOUD Breakfast.
Here’s what we accomplished:
- Developed and kicked off the month with video Outrage to Action. This video content, along with a package of graphics and sample messaging, was included in a toolkit to encourage cities, police jurisdictions and other agencies to engage in SAAM campaign.
- 35 municipalities throughout King County, including King County Council, proclaimed April Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Many drew from the toolkit to engage on social media. Ten law enforcement jurisdictions, King County Public Health, and King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office joined in sharing support/educational information about sexual violence with this toolkit.
- Hosted two live events (one of a series called POWER UP! in Renton, and a journalist panel held at MoPOP in Seattle). Attendees learned more about the issue, the work KCSARC does, and what influences our views about sexual assault.
- Media reported on the first-year results from the Report it to Stop it campaign launched last April, a partnership between King County Metro Transit, King County Sheriff’s Office, and KCSARC. Data showed a 3-fold increase in the number of reports received by Metro over the prior year – precisely the desired result to hold more offenders accountable and stop more sexual violence.
- Media also shared news during April about historic changes to Washington State laws for survivors, such as eliminating the statute of limitations for prosecuting child sexual abuse crimes, changes that KCSARC prioritized this session.
- Capping off the month was our discussion with KING-5 New Day Northwest on child sexual abuse and grooming.
- KCSARC legal advocacy staff trained the entire 500-member staff of the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office staff on its WordWatch project to foster a better understanding department-wide on how words used in crime reports are repeated in media, and can color the way survivors and their experience are viewed. Training was received well and has led to additional invitations for training.
Submitted by Laurel Redden, Marketing Communications Manager
Providence Sexual Assault Clinic and Child Maltreatment Center
How do you get information to parents with children on the move? Attach a message to a shiny pinwheel! We used the iconic Child Abuse Prevention Month pinwheel and attached a “message to parents.” We included a statistic about child sexual abuse and information about free Darkness to Light child abuse prevention trainings that are offered in our community by Providence St. Peter Hospital Sexual Assault Clinic and Child Maltreatment Center.
Lacey and Olympia Timberland region libraries were willing to have the pinwheels available during story time. We had a request for more pinwheels from the Lacey branch after the first day! We plan to expand the number of locations at which the pinwheels will be available next year, in hopes of reaching more parents.
Submitted by Tina Olson
New Hope
Sexual Assault Awareness Month was a busy one for New Hope staff as we strove to raise awareness throughout Grant and Adams County. We were ambitious and chose to organize and execute four awareness events: Red My Lips, The Clothesline Project, a showing of The Hunting Ground, and Denim Day.
We were able to partner with local businesses and professionals for the Clothesline Project by asking them to hang a micro display containing two shirts designed by sexual assault survivors showcasing their story for the entire month. For the Red My Lips Campaign, the New Hope Advocates and community members wore red lipstick to combat rape myths and victim-blaming. A showing of the movie “The Hunting Ground”, which is a film about rape culture on college campuses, was held at Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake, Wash. After the showing of The Hunting Ground audience members consisting of students and people from the community were invited to ask questions and had them answered by New Hope Advocates and College Counselors. For Denim Day a booth was set up and students were encouraged to write statements of consent on jeans that were then displayed on campus.
Submitted by Kate Hoch, Legal and Community Advocate
Dove House Advocacy Services
The Installation asks participants to understand that it was never about the clothing. The violation is not simply woven in to the fabric of the material, it is a part of the survivor’s new narrative. If only ending sexual violence was as easy as changing our clothes. Instead it requires all of us to evaluate what enabled us as individuals and as a society to ask, “What were you wearing?” in the first place. The intent is to place the work of bearing witness to this question’s answer back on the shoulders of the community and humanize the
survivor in the answer.
We are inspired by the folks at the University of Kansas to create this exhibit in Port Townsend.
Port Townsend Leader – What were you wearing exhibit comes to Port Townsend
Our website with SAAM event info
Submitted by Kelly Grace, Birth and Family Advocate
Lutheran Community Services Northwest- Spokane
LCS Northwest/SAFeT participated in the 2nd year of Start by Believing in Spokane. We hosted two events on 4/3 one at Spokane Community College and one at Sweet Frostings Blissful Bakeshop. We received much support from the community and the Spokane Police Department.
Crisis line texting went live for us on 4/1.
Advocate Kristina Poffenroth, spoke on Spokane Talks with Spokane Police Department Sgt. Glenn Bartlett regarding Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Spokane City Council Proclamation for Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Additionally, Sweet Frostings Blissful Bakeshop offered teal ribbon cookies all month long with proceeds benefiting LCS/SAFeT. We hosted a Benefit Night at Ben & Jerry’s Spokane with benefits proceeding LCS/SAFeT.
And so much more such as moving screenings/panel discussions, chalk walks, Clothesline Project display, #30DaysofSAAM NSVRC Instagram challenge; agency wide teal and denim photos, blue photo for Child Abuse Prevention, and blue/teal photo for SAAM & Child Abuse Prevention month in conjunction with our Child Advocacy Center Partners with Families and Children; participation in events hosted by local colleges/universities; etc.
Submitted by Ligeia DeVleming, Director of Victim Advocacy and Education
Providence Intervention Center for Assault and Abuse
The Providence Intervention Center for Assault and Abuse in partnership with Edmonds Community College held a Chalk Art for Heart event on April 17 in honor of SAAM. The Providence Victim Advocate who provides on-campus advocacy to survivors of sexual assault and the Edmonds Community College HEART program (Healthy Relationships team) encouraged students, staff, and faculty to chalk art and supportive messages in order to promote Sexual Assault Awareness Month. It occurred from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. on the April 17 and there were four different chalking stations around campus: 1) Between Lynnwood Hall and Mountlake Terrace; 2) Between Mukilteo and Lynnwood Hall; 3) Outside Rainier Place; and 4) In front of Mill Creek. Whether participants choose to reflect, observe, draw, or engage any experience was welcome in order to show their support for survivors!
Submitted by Melissa Mertz; Manager
