February is "Dating Violence Awareness Month"
Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell has released an official statement declaring that February 2010 is "Dating Violence Awareness Month." The proclamation highlights the fact that "dating violence is both a reality for many young people and an issue that many are unaware of" and recommends that Connecticut residents learn more about the issue.
Research has shown that approximately one in five girls report being physically or sexually abused by a dating partner (Silverman, et al 2001). Half of all reported date rapes occur among teenagers (CALCASA 2002), and 45% of teen girls know a friend or peer who has been pressured into either intercourse or oral sex (Liz Claiborne Inc. 2005). Sexual Assault Crisis Services programs throughout the state of Connecticut are available to offer counseling and support services to people of all ages who have experienced sexual violence. It is important for survivors to know that you are not alone if you experience sexual violence in your relationship: one study found that of people who report sexual violence, 64% of women and 16% of men were raped, physically assaulted, or stalked by an intimate partner.
Help is available. For more information, call 1-888-999-5545 (English) or 1-888-568-8332 (Spanish).
The Gail Burns-Smith "Dare to Dream"Scholarship/Stipend
The Gail-Burns Smith “Dare to Dream” Fund was established in 2004 upon the retirement of the former Executive Director of CONNSACS, Gail Burns-Smith, after 22 years of service dedicated to ending and preventing sexual violence in the state of Connecticut. The Fund is comprised of voluntary contributions received from supporters and donors who wish to honor Gail’s dedication to this cause. An annual scholarship or stipend will be granted to an individual whose work or study in the field of sexual violence most exemplifies Gail’s commitment to its public awareness, education, prevention and advocacy on behalf of individual sexual assault victims as well as via public policy advocacy. Monetary gifts are accepted on an ongoing basis to perpetuate the Fund.
Applications for the 2010 "Dare to Dream"
award are now available. Applications will
be accepted until March 8, 2010, and a
winner will be selected in early April. For
more information about the award, please
contact Ayana Nadira at: (860) 282 - 9881.
Sexual Violence Prevention Planning Committee Launches
Multi-Year Plan to End Sexual Violence in Connecticut
Two years ago, Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services (CONNSACS) met with representatives from the Department of Public Health and other community partners to begin an ongoing conversation about primary prevention, a new approach that applies a public health model to violence prevention. The sexual assault crisis movement has traditionally focused on responding to sexual assaults and increasing community awareness as ways to curb future violence, but primary prevention takes this work a step farther by attempting to end sexual violence before it begins. Primary prevention is an exciting opportunity to challenge violence-supportive ideas and attitudes before they manifest themselves as sexual assault.
On October 20, 2009, the Sexual Violence Prevention Planning Committee (SVPPC) launched an eight-year plan designed to support primary prevention program planning at all levels: individual, relationship, community, and societal. The launch event, which took place at the State Capitol, featured remarks by: Commissioner Dr. Robert Galvin, CT Department of Public Health; Corinne Graffunder, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Rosa Biaggi, CT Department of Public Health; Joanne Zannoni, CONNSACS; and Deb Rissisky, Southern CT State University. CONNSACS Executive Director Nancy Kushins delivered the keynote address for the event.
In addition to celebrating the Sexual Violence Prevention Plan, the SVPPC used the launch event to release a Prevention Toolkit & Resource Guide and a video, "Stop Sexual Violence in Connecticut," which features interviews with key allies and stories from two sexual assault survivors. CONNSACS is proud of the work of the Sexual Violence Prevention Planning Committee and looks forward to incorporating more primary prevention strategies into its work.
Original art by Mali Kouanchao on behalf of the Advocacy Learning Center
CONNSACS Team is Selected to Participate in Two-Year
Advocacy Learning Center
The Advocacy Learning Center is a two-year experiential course created to examine the vision, identify the principles and knowledge, and practice the skills and qualities that make advocacy a powerful force in the movement to end violence against women. CONNSACS was one of seventeen organizations chosen from throughout the United States and its territories to participate in the first Advocacy Learning Center class, and four members of CONNSACS' staff recently began their involvement in the program.
Following a series of conference calls focused on the history and purpose of advocacy, CONNSACS staff joined other Advocacy Learning Center participants for a five-day conference in Minnesota during the last week of October. The conference was an incredible opportunity to meet domestic violence and sexual assault advocates from around the country and to re-evaluate the advocacy work being done within the anti-violence movement.
CONNSACS is honored to have been selected to participate in the Advocacy Learning Center and looks forward to learning more over the course of the next two years.
CT State Police Launch Upgrades to Sex Offender Registry System
On October 28, 2009, the Connecticut State Police and Governor Jodi Rell announced a series of upgrades to the state's Sex Offender Registry. These changes are intended to facilitate communication and allow the general public to easily access relevant information about offenders in their neighborhood. A new web-based management tool is designed to help state agencies collect, update, and share information about offenders, and a community web portal allows community members to search for information about offenders in their geographic area. Residents are now able to register to receive email notification when a sex offender moves into their area and use an online mapping tool to find offenders who reside within a specified radius of a given address. In addition, the new registry website includes safety information and links to resources such as the Office of the Victim Advocate and CONNSACS.
While the Sex Offender Registry can be a valuable tool to inform the community and promote public safety, it is important to remember that only a small percentage of individuals who commit sexual violence end up on the Registry. Of all the children (under age 17) seen at Sexual Assault Crisis Services programs last year, over 90% had been assaulted by someone they knew.
While the Registry will provide you with information about convicted, registered offenders in your area, it is important to note that not all convicted offenders are ordered to register, and not all sex offenders are reported or convicted for what they have done.
For anyone who is concerned about the safety of their children and families, the Center for Sex Offender Management has an excellent list of Safety Tips for Kids and Parents on their website.
