The Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA), joined by twenty-six other state sexual assault coalitions across the nation, had filed an amicus brief in support of the law. MCASA’s Counsel and Executive Director, Lisae C. Jordan, expressed appreciation for the Supreme Court’s decision, stating  “sexual assault survivors undergo invasive and difficult exams which allow evidence to be collected from intimate places; the King decision will help ensure that this evidence is used to bring rapists to justice.”

Read the full press release here.

More than 400 representatives of local, state and national organizations today gathered for the 2nd Annual Conference on Combating Human Trafficking in Maryland. Governor Martin O’Malley opened the conference, reviewing work already done to fight human trafficking in the state, and outlining continued efforts to battle this crime.

“The most sacred duty of any government is to promote the safety of our people,” said Governor O’Malley. “Working together with all of our partners in law enforcement, we’ve assembled quite a collection of public servants and leaders in the fight against human trafficking. If we make better choices about how to use and share data, pass stronger laws to go after traffickers and continue to be proactive in our law enforcement efforts and victim outreach, we will get better results for our most vulnerable people.”

The 400 participants include law enforcement investigators, criminal justice professionals, human service providers, and human trafficking survivors. Among the topics they will be discussing in workshops throughout the day are first responder and victim interaction, gang involvement, pimp culture, law enforcement response, and advanced treatment and services.

Highlighting the importance of the state effort, the conference will be attended by six high-ranking state officials. The list includes: Sam Abed, Secretary of the Department Juvenile Services; Dr. Gayle Jordan, Randolph, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health & Mental Hygiene; Gary Maynard, Secretary of the Department of Public Safety & Correctional Services; Ted Dallas, Secretary of the Department of Human Resources; and Colonel Marcus Brown, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police. Dr. Lillian Lowery, State Superintendent of Schools and Rod Rosenstein, the U.S. Attorney for Maryland will also take part. Rosenstein will extend opening remarks.

This conference is a partnership of the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention, the Human Trafficking Task Force, TurnAround, Inc., Maryland Association of Resources for Families & Youth, Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and Araminta Freedom Initiative. All of the government and private sector partners involved in this effort have worked closely together to combat human trafficking, and in the past year have made significant accomplishments. Among them:

• There has been expanded law enforcement activities and victim outreach services. For example, using internet “escort” websites, the Maryland State Police Child Recovery Unit child trafficking operation has pro-actively identified and helped 17 child victims in the first five months of 2013. In 2012, they served 76 victims.
• 1,097 juvenile caseworkers statewide have been trained in Child Victim Identification and Risk Assessment. The Department of Juvenile Services has deployed its risk assessment tool at two female detention facilities. Full implementation of the screening tool at all Juvenile Services intake offices in the community and facilities will begin  onJune 1, 2013.
• The Maryland Department of Human Resources is ensuring that child victims are treated as  child neglect cases and that the children receive appropriate placement and care. The Department of Human Resources will integrate screening questions for trafficking within its national model screening tool beginning July 2013
• Maryland’s Mental Hygiene Administration is working to provide uninsured victims with mental health and addictions treatment. They are assisting nonprofit providers in obtaining critical vital records documents for victims at no cost.
• A Human Trafficking Intelligence Manager has been hired to develop data-driven intelligence and been assigned to the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center. The Manager collects, analyzes, and disseminate data statewide, while working to improve communications to resolve confusion or contradiction among various agencies.

All of these activities have been bolstered by an aggressive and comprehensive law enforcement effort. designed to rescue survivors and prosecute the traffickers. Law enforcement officers are targeting those sites where rampant exploitation occurs, ranging from truck stops to hotel rooms. Officers are on the streets searching for child victims. Authorities statewide are using technology such as license plate recognition from the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center to track vehicles used by traffickers, and to rescue their victims.

Sexual violence.  It happens every day.  In every jurisdiction in our State.  In the military, in homes, and elsewhere.  MCASA works throughout Maryland to help respond and prevent sexual assault.

In Anne Arundel County, the press covered multiple sexual assaults in the last year, including cases in Glen Burnie, Crownsville, Linthicum, Edgewater, and Arnold. These are only the cases that came to light — we know there are many more.

Help us respond and prevent violence. From 7:00 PM on May 15 to 7:00 PM on May, 16, 2013 MCASA will participate in an exciting and important event called the Great Give.

During that 24-hour timeframe, individuals and organizations can donate online to the non-profit of their choice.  MCASA is one of the charities you can choose.

Your donation will allow us to provide much-needed sexual assault prevention and response efforts in Anne Arundel County.  We receive 100% of each donation you make to MCASA through the Great Give website. There are cash awards we can win, too. Every time someone gives to MCASA through that site, it increases our chances of winning even more resources for our work.

Even better, you can schedule your donation ahead of time to occur during the day of giving. Simply visit http://greatgiveaac.razoo.com/mcasa and indicate your donation amount. Using the drop down menu below the donation amount area, select “On a Giving Day.” Your donation will be processed during the 24 hours of the Great Give and will count towards our Great Give fundraising total. Go ahead and schedule your donation right now.

Help us to prevent the next headline – Schedule your May 15-16 donation now.

Christi Parsons: ”The Pentagon said today that there may be as many as 70 sexual assaults a day in the military — up by 35 percent during your term in office — and also that many sexual assaults may not be reported, in fact.  Given what we know about an Air Force officer in charge of preventing sexual assault recently being charged with sexual assault, and also the recent cases of a couple of Air Force generals who’ve set aside convictions of instances of sexual assault, can you speak to the culture in the U.S. military that may be at play here and talk about your response to that and what you can do going forward to improve things?”

President Obama: ”Well, let’s start with the principle that sexual assault is an outrage; it is a crime.  That’s true for society at large.  And if it’s happening inside our military, then whoever carries it out is betraying the uniform that they’re wearing.  And they may consider themselves patriots, but when you engage in this kind of behavior that’s not patriotic — it’s a crime.  And we have to do everything we can to root this out.

“Now, this is not a new phenomenon.  One of the things that we’ve been trying to do is create a structure in which we’re starting to get accurate reporting.  And up and down the chain, we are seeing a process, a system of accountability and transparency so that we can root this out completely.

“And this is a discussion that I had with Secretary Panetta. He had begun the process of moving this forward.  But I have directly spoken to Secretary Hagel already today and indicating to him that we’re going to have to not just step up our game, we have to exponentially step up our game, to go at this thing hard.

“And for those who are in uniform who have experienced sexual assault, I want them to hear directly from their Commander-In-Chief that I’ve got their backs.  I will support them.  And we’re not going to tolerate this stuff and there will be accountability.  If people have engaged in this behavior, they should be prosecuted.

“And anybody in the military who has knowledge of this stuff should understand this is not who we are.  This is not what the U.S. military is about.  And it dishonors the vast majority of men and women in uniform who carry out their responsibilities and obligations with honor and dignity and incredible courage every single day.

“So bottom line is I have no tolerance for this.  I have communicated this to the Secretary of Defense.  We’re going to communicate this again to folks up and down the chain in areas of authority, and I expect consequences.

“So I don’t want just more speeches or awareness programs or training but, ultimately, folks look the other way.  If we find out somebody is engaging in this stuff, they’ve got to be held accountable — prosecuted, stripped of their positions, court-martialed, fired, dishonorably discharged.  Period.  It’s not acceptable.”

The director of the Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) stated:

“The revised SAFE Protocol reflects the many important improvements that can help increase the quality of the services victims receive. There is information on populations with special needs, such as victims with limited English proficiency, victims with disabilities, American Indian and Alaska Native victims, victims in the Military, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender victims. The new version also provides more information on topics such as drug and alcohol facilitated sexual assault, pregnancy, confidentiality, and alternative reporting procedures. The revised version also increases the emphasis on victim-centered care and collaboration, including offering victims an informed choice about participating in the criminal justice system. [...] The updated SAFE Protocol is a tremendous victory for victims of sexual assault and the dedicated SAFEs, SANEs, advocates, law enforcement, and prosecutors that support victims and hold offenders accountable.”

OVW and the International Association of Forensic Nurses will be hosting a webinar on Tuesday, May 21 to present additional details on the revised protocol and answer any questions about the update. You can register for the webinar here. There are two OVW facts sheets available that summarize the major updates in the revised protocol:

• Short version
• Long version

Download the full SAFE Protocol, 2d at https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ovw/241903.pdf.

Ms. Martyniuk has 20 years of experience in justice and victim services at the local, state, and national levels, specializing in the unique dynamics of sexual assault in the military. She has been involved in the development of training programs, curricula, and resources on emerging issues related to crime victimization, including Strengthening Military-Civilian Community Partnerships To Respond to Sexual Assault, a curriculum she developed for community-based sexual assault advocates that has also been used to train staff of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Safe Helpline.

Major Youngblood is a Victim Assistance Advisor for the U.S. Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, which oversees implementation of the department’s sexual assault policy and works with the United States Armed Forces and the civilian community to develop and implement innovative programs to prevent and respond to sexual assault and improve the department’s response to victims when it does occur.

For more information, visit the OVC Web Forum at http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ovcproviderforum. Go to http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ovcproviderforum/asp/participate.asp for instructions on how to participate. Please contact Emily Bauernfeind at the OVC Resource Center (443–750–3146 or emily.w.bauernfeind@lmco.com) if you have any questions about the OVC Web Forum.

This article by MCASA Program Coordinator Sarah Prager appeared in the April 2013 issue of Gay Life newspaper, a publication of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore.

The LGBTQ community is no stranger to the struggle for equality. Discrimination laws inclusion for trans folks, same-sex marriage equality, and making sure our kids are raised in an accepting education system have all been hot topics in Maryland in recent months. I want to take my space to talk to you about another area where we do not have equality.

Flip through the rest of the issue in the embedded digital issue below. This article appears on page 19.

Read other articles in the Spring 2013 issue of MCASA’s e-newsletter, Frontline.

Department of Justice Funds Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Telenursing Center

Yes, telenursing! This February a three-year $3.3 million federal grant was announced to create the Massachusetts Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Telenursing Center. Nationally, there is not always access within a reasonable distance to a FNE/SAFE/SANE program and most frontline health care providers do not have specific training in response to sexual assault. The new Telenursing Center will have a 24/7 staff of SANE experts who will consult on ongoing sexual assault cases in real-time in any state via a video conferencing system to be developed.

Dr. Lauren Smith of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health says “this program will allow us to use telemedicine to promote the most effective physical, emotional, and forensic care for sexual assault victims” and the Gina Scaramella, Executive Director of the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center, adds that “all survivors deserve the access to the expertise SANE brings together; forensic evidence collection, nursing, and advocacy.”

Grant funding will also cover assistance with the technology at pilot sites around the country. According to a press release from the Massachusetts Governor’s Office, American Doctors Online/PhoneDOCTORx will provide consultative services and telemedicine network design for the project. Lessons learned from this pilot Massachusetts center will be used to inform the development of a National Telenursing Center.

Social Media for Law Enforcement

Social media plays a larger and larger role in sexual assault cases, as we saw in Steubenville. Law enforcement can visit www.iacpsocialmedia.org for answers to their questions about how to put these websites to work for them in investigations as well as using them for crime prevention.  Here are some specific helpful links from the website:

• Social Media Is Here to Stay: Accepting New Technology (brief article for chiefs)
• Getting Started with Social Media (online center with information on strategy and policy development)
• Developing A Policy on the Use of Social Media in Intelligence and Investigative Activities: Guidance and Recommendations (PDF guide download)
• Social Media and Crime Prevention Fact Sheet (1-page PDF download)
• Case Law Example: Antoine Levar Griffin v. State of Maryland (2010) (Maryland sexual assault case involving MySpace)
• Tools & Tutorials (links to all of the pages and PDFs you need)

Don’t forget to visit MCASA on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.

Using Digital Technology as Therapy

The Animation Project (TAP) in New York City uses digital art in an innovative way that could impact both crime prevention and post-trauma healing. They state on www.theanimationproject.org: “We capitalize on youth’s natural interest in new media to engage them in group therapy sessions, cultivating self expression, improving self esteem, enhancing social and emotional coping skills, while simultaneously fostering the development of practical computer competencies that transfer to many career and education paths.”

Giving a positive outlet to youth who are at-risk to commit or become a victim of a crime like sexual assault is clearly an excellent action to take, but getting youth engaged by making that outlet related to the technology they are already interested in is a way to make that action successful. As they explain on their website: “For decades, toys, games, and other activities have been used as methods to engage youth. Digital arts technologies are seen as the evolution of these therapeutic tools. Technology is omnipresent in the lives of youth, and digital arts like computer animation offer an unlimited range of expressive and cognitive possibility. [We are] able to capitalize on our participants’ natural affinity with new media to quickly engage youth, establish trust, and to seamlessly integrate therapeutic elements into each session without the youth being explicitly aware.” Each group is co-led by an art therapist and a professional computer animator. Email info@theanimationproject.org to find out how to bring the programming to your site.

This article is a part of the Spring 2013 issue of Frontline.

We know that we can help prevent childhood sexual abuse through simply talking about it. So this Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, let’s do it!

One in six boys and one in four girls will experience sexual violence before their 18^th birthday. Those numbers are heartbreaking, but we have the power to change them. There are so many great resources out there already on how to talk to kids about sexuality to empower them to say no to abusers and to tell a non-abusing adult about what is happening. Check out these links for tips on talking about it.

• Parent Talking Points from the Enough Abuse Campaign
• Everyday Actions to Keep Kids Safe from Stop It Now!
• Talking to Children and Teens from Stop It Now!
• An Exercise for Talking to your Child from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center
• Tips for Parents and Caregivers from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center
• The Four R’s of Prevention from Stop It Now!
• Health Sexuality Childhood Development from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center
• Information for Parents and Guardians: Talking to your Child from the US Department of Justice

This article is a part of the Spring 2013 issue of Frontline.

After long and partisan delays, the US Congress finally reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act.  I was honored to represent MCASA at the White House to see President Obama sign this important legislation into law.

Maryland’s legislative session ended on Monday and MCASA has been tracking over 50 bills.  After years of advocacy, the Human Trafficking Asset Forfeiture bill passed and we will have an important new tool to fight sex trafficking.  Other successes include bills to protect privacy, legal services, and crime victims rights.  More information in our legislative wrap-up.

We are now in the midst of the national Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAM), with a flurry of events taking place around Maryland.  MCASA has prepared two SAAM resource webpages – one for the public and one for professionals.  Please read and share them widely in honor of this month when we do more than ever to achieve our mission of ending sexual violence in Maryland.

I invite you to read this issue’s articles that focus on the 2013 SAAM theme: “It’s Time to Talk About It! Talk Early. Talk Often.” With our legislative victories paving the way, now is the time to push education forward to prevent sexual violence.

Sincerely,

Lisae C. Jordan, Esq.
Executive Director & Counsel
Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault

• 2013 Final Legislative Report
• Member Spotlight: Walden Sierra
• Safety Sync
• How Professionals Can Foster Healthy Sexualities to Prevent Sexual Assault
• Another Inequality: Sexual Violence in the LGBTQ Community
• Prevention Corner

One of MCASA’s most important responsibilities is to advocate for effective state public policies in Annapolis.  MCASA supports legislation that promotes justice for survivors of sexual violence, accountability for offenders, and protection for the general public.

During the 2013 session, we helped pass long-time priority legislation to establish asset forfeiture in human trafficking cases.  Funding for sexual assault programs and for legal services was maintained.  These programs and services are vital to our mission of helping to ensure that victim/survivors of sexual violence have access to compassionate and expert care.  We also supported successful improvements in crime victim rights; privacy protections; a bill to support frontline clinicians, educators, and police who wish to report child sexual abuse; and improved background checks for those caring for children with state funds.  Download the PDF our full legislative report here.

We would not be able to improve laws for survivors of sexual violence without the dedicated support and leadership of our elected officials.  Delegate Kathleen Dumais, Vice-chair of the House Judiciary Committee, continues to be a strong advocate and leader in the field.  Her judgments about when to stay strong and when to compromise help us continue to make progress for sexual assault survivors.  First term legislator Delegate Luke Clippinger has emerged as a strong advocate for thoughtful policies that support sexual assault survivors and victims of child sexual abuse.  In the Senate, Jamie Raskin, a senator from Montgomery County, continues to push for laws that help sexual violence survivors, and Senator Chris Shank continues to be a leader in efforts to respond to the needs of child abuse victims.  Delegates Susan Lee, Kris Valderrama, and Michael Smigiel, and Senators Jennie Forehand and Nancy King each led the charge on bills to protect victims of human trafficking, children, and crime victims.  Senator Brian Frosh and Delegate Guy Guzzone joined Delegate Dumais in the efforts to protect legal services, a vital resource for survivors. Other leaders and supporters are noted in our final legislative report.  We appreciate their efforts on behalf of survivors.

There is still much to do.  The 2013 legislative session addressed a number of major issues, including gun control, repeal of the death penalty, and strict liability for pit bulls.  As a result of the time needed to address those policies, a number of bills that would respond to victim/survivors of sexual assault were delayed.  We expect these issues to return next session and have already heard from policymakers who want to help.  These include a bill to give victims of dating violence the increased safety that protective orders provide and a bill to allow rape victims to ask the courts to limit the parental rights of rapists when a child is conceived through rape.

The failure of the bill to allow rape victims to petition the courts to limit the parental rights of rapists was especially disappointing.  In the brief few days since the end of the session, MCASA has already heard from women’s groups, legislators, and survivor advocates all expressing outrage that rapists still enjoy full parental rights in Maryland.  People are appalled to learn that one legislator suggested it would be fine to publish a rape survivor’s name in the newspaper in adoption cases.  The insensitivity to the experience of women and teens who have been raped was startling.  Other legislators – including the Senate — showed a willingness to act.  We are confident that if we continue to work together we can pass a law that respects and supports rape survivors who make the difficult choice to bear a child conceived during rape.

MCASA will continue to work on public policy during the interim.  It works closely with its member programs and invites all survivors and others interested in ending sexual violence to join our efforts.  Together we can end sexual violence.

This article is a part of the Spring 2013 issue of Frontline.

The following questions were answered by Kathleen O’Brien, CEO of Walden Sierra (also known in the community as Walden or Walden Behavioral Health).  She has been with the organization since signing on as an intern in 1973.

Tell us about your program and the issues it tackles.

With a mission to provide a comprehensive array of crisis, trauma, behavioral health and recovery support services that contribute to the well-being of Southern Maryland, as you can imagine we tackle a number of issues.  With respect to our crisis and trauma work, we focus on meeting the needs of St. Mary’s County residents.  We serve victims of rape, sexual assault, relationship and domestic violence as well as victims of violent crime.  Our clients are adults, adolescents and children.  Our core services are 24 hour hotline, crisis counseling, emergency services, and trauma-related therapy.  We have been fortunate to have funding over the last several years to additionally offer transitional housing services to victims homeless as a result of fleeing abuse, thanks to funding from OVW’s Transitional Housing grant program.  We also offer a certified Abuser Intervention Program separately to court referred individuals.  Lastly, as a full-service behavioral health provider we are very aware of the high need for trauma counseling services among individuals engaged in substance misuse treatment and strive to offer trauma-informed services in those settings.

Why are you a member of MCASA?

I am one of the founding board members of MCASA and so have always valued membership.  Being a member of MCASA keeps us connected with other service providers– a very important reason for membership– as well as informed regarding technical assistance, best practices and legislative and other areas for strategic planning or concern.  Our MCASA membership takes our local coordinated community response value to the state-wide level.

Walden Sierra Executive Director Kathleen O’Brien (left) and MD Comptroller Pete Franchot

What sexual assault prevention work does your program do?

At this time, we are primarily focusing on messaging and prevention engagement with youth/young adults, particularly young men.  We are involved in Healthy Masculinities outreach and in an annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes-St. Mary’s event, to be held this year on April 7th.

Does anything make sexual assault work different in St. Mary’s County compared to the rest of Maryland?

Being on a peninsula does make us a little more isolated than perhaps other parts of Maryland.  As a result, we do have three outpatient sites in St. Mary’s County alone.  Our largest facility for crisis and trauma remains our Hope Place facility in Lexington Park.

If your program received $100,000 in new funds today, what would you do with it?    

At this time, we run our crisis and trauma programming with a gap in funding of $265 per person, between what the cost of providing needed services to victims actually is and what public dollars actually fund.  We would certainly use $100,000 to close that gap.  Additionally, renovating our crisis/walk in facility to have a more trauma-friendly set-up certainly comes to mind to make the environment in which we serve victims as welcoming and sensitive to their needs as our wonderful staff.  Lastly, we would continue to build on our existing work to provide access to trauma therapy in our substance misuse settings in recognition of the high number of individuals accessing substance misuse treatment who are sexual or relationship abuse survivors.

This article is a part of the Spring 2013 issue of Frontline.

By Amanda Cardone-Luyben, MCASA Program Supervisor

Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) is a great time for professionals who are engaged in the movement against sexual violence to focus the public’s attention on this pervasive crime which faces all of our communities. SAAM is also an excellent time to highlight and promote effective prevention efforts. Health sexuality education and dialogue, while often not done under the auspices of “sexual assault prevention,” can be an effective tool for doing just that, as it will improve individuals’ sense of respect, responsibility, and boundaries, their understandings of consent, and reduce shame.

For human service, mental health, and education professionals who focus their work on young children or adolescents, it’s important to remember that there is no age too young to have conversations about healthy, age-appropriate sexual development and safety. This resource from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) provides an informative overview of ways to encourage healthy sexual development in children. Additionally, VAWnet.org has compiled a comprehensive resource collection for those who work with children younger than the age of 13. (Working with Children Towards a Healthy & Non-Violent Future).

Healthy sexuality conversations, however, are not just for youth. The Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance recently reviewed six curricula targeting varied ages and recommended four, one of which, titled “Our Whole Lives” spans the lifespan from age 5 to adults in later life, and lists its values as “Self Worth,” “Sexual Health,” “Responsibility,” “Justice and Inclusivity.” These values are key concepts for sexually healthy individuals and a sexually healthy society.

The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States identifies the following characteristics for a “sexually healthy adult.” Take a moment and consider whether you can further foster development of these behaviors in the clients or students with whom you work, or within yourself.

For more information, check out NSVRC’s Guide on healthy sexuality for advocates, counselors, and prevention educators, or contact MCASA.

This article is a part of the Spring 2013 issue of Frontline.

The role that technology and social media played in this case may have been one of the reasons it gained national attention. See this New York Times article for details. A blogger took screenshots of one of the offender’s tweets before he deleted them, which proved to be key evidence; she gives her thoughts on the case in this post from yesterday. She will be speaking on WomanTalk Live, a Baltimore radio show hosted by Ann Quasman, a board member of MCASA, on March 30.

The media coverage of this case has also been making news itself. Many news outlets have wrongly focused on sympathy for the rapists instead of the victim. Watch this CNN clip where they express concern for how the punishment will effect the lives and futures of the offenders, barely mentioning how the victim’s life and future were effected by their actions:

Sign the petition for CNN to apologize for this coverage.

This case happened in Ohio, but it could have been Maryland. These stories are too common. Work with us to prevent sexual assault: Take the first step here.

March 13, 2013 is NO MORE Day, the public launch of the country’s first unifying awareness symbol for domestic violence and sexual assault. NO MORE is one of the most concerted and collaborative efforts to raise awareness for these issues.

WHAT IS NO MORE?

NO MORE is a groundbreaking symbol (like the pink breast cancer ribbon and the red AIDS ribbon) designed to galvanize change and radically increase the awareness of domestic violence and sexual assault in our communities.

WHAT IS NO MORE DAY?

On March 13, NO MORE Day, thousands of advocates and supporters across the country will unite to officially launch NO MORE.

WHY NO MORE?

Domestic violence and sexual assault are not easy to talk about, although they impact millions of men, women and children every year. Because of the stigma and shame, these issues often remain hidden in our society. NO MORE seeks to bring domestic violence and sexual assault into the national spotlight to generate more attention, more resources and more action to prevent them. NO MORE aims to empower bystanders of domestic violence and sexual assault in every community to break their silence around these issues and get involved.

WAYS TO TAKE ACTION:

• KNOW MORE. Learn the signs of domestic violence and listen without judgment to victims/survivors of   sexual assault. Get the facts and know the resources available.
• Say NO MORE. Break the silence. Speak out. Seek help when you see this problem or harassment of any kind in your family, your community, your workplace or school.
• Share NO MORE. Share the NO MORE symbol with everyone you know. Facebook it. Tweet it. Pin it. Instagram it. Email it. Wear it. Help to increase awareness about the extent of domestic violence and sexual assault. Visit the NO MORE Shop at nomore.org.
• Ensure NO MORE. Get involved. Volunteer in your community, or donate to a local, state or national domestic violence or sexual assault organization. (List of Maryland Rape Crisis and Recovery Centers).

THINGS TO DO ON NO MORE DAY:

• Request the NO MORE Toolkit at nomore.org to get the symbol and start using it
• Start following NO MORE on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
• Take a picture of how you’re using NO MORE in your community, or tell us why you say NO  MORE. Share photos on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook using the hashtag #NOMOREday
• Participate in the #NOMOREday Twitter Chat on March 13^th, 2013, 3 pm EST
• Help make #NOMOREday a trending topic on Twitter by participating in the Thunderclap

EVENTS taking place nationwide in celebration of NO MORE Day include:

• Washington Wizards Game (open to the public) – Come support NO MORE, get free products and see the debut of the new PSA (Purchase tickets, here. Promo code: nomore)
• Invisible War Screenings (open to the public) – Find one near you
• Congressional Briefing on Capitol Hill, Washington D.C. (Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 538 at 9 am EST. Please RSVP with your name and number of guests) – Results of the new Avon Foundation-funded NO MORE Study: Teens and Young Adults on Dating Violence and Sexual Assault, to be presented by Ashley Greene, Actress and Ambassador for Avon’s mark Brand.
• A National Press Club Luncheon Hosted by Founder and President of the Joyful Heart Foundation, Actress Mariska Hargitay in Washington D.C. (sold out)

CONNECT ON TWITTER AND THE WEB 

Hashtags: #NOMOREday & #NOMORE

Questions? Contact nomore.org.

Dr. Nikita Levy

Dr. Nikita A. Levy, a gynecologist at Johns Hopkins who was accused of secretly photographing and videotaping his patients, killed himself on Monday. When evidence of his crimes was discovered earlier this month, he was let go by Johns Hopkins. A statement from the hospital says, “Any invasion of patient privacy is intolerable. Dr. Levy’s behavior violates Johns Hopkins code of conduct and privacy policies and is against everything for which Johns Hopkins medicine stands for.”

The Baltimore City Police believe there could be a large number of victims. Levy saw around 1,000 patients since 1988.

Johns Hopkins says all of Levy’s patients should contact them to see if they were victimized. Any former patients of Dr. Levy can call 1-855-546-3785, a dedicated line for this case. Baltimore Police Department can be reached at 311 from inside the city or 443-263-2220, option 2 if outside the city. You can also contact your local rape crisis and recovery center – Locate it by city or county here.

Senator Mikulski Helped Pass Legislation in 1994 Which Has Helped Millions of Women

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) today applauded the Senate’s bipartisan action to reauthorize the bipartisan Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which helps protect women and families from domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence. As Chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Mikulski puts funds in the federal checkbook to support the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office on Violence Against Women and programs authorized through VAWA, which she helped pass into law.

“This bill meets a compelling human need. It helps families, it helps police officers and it helps our communities. We need to empower victims and help prevent domestic violence and violence against women, whether it’s a stranger who perpetrates danger and despicable acts, or in their own home,” Senator Mikulski said. “Ever since 1994, we have reauthorized this legislation, looking at new needs, new technology and new creative ways of responding to these needs for prevention, intervention and prosecution. I’m glad the Senate acted to pass this legislation that’s been refreshed and reformed, and brings new ideas and new approaches.”

As a cosponsor of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, Senator Mikulski has continued to fight against domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking, crimes of epidemic proportions that are exacting terrible costs on individual lives and our communities. Twenty-five percent of U.S. women report that they have been physically assaulted by an intimate partner during their lifetimes, 1 in 6 have been the victims of attempted or completed rape, and the cost of domestic violence exceeds $5.8 billion each year.

Senator Mikulski provided $413 million in the FY2013 CJS Appropriations bill to support programs authorized through VAWA. The bill funds multiple competitive and formula grant programs that support training for police officers and prosecutors; state domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions; rape prevention programs; national domestic violence hotlines; battered women’s shelters and transitional housing support services; help for teens and young adults caught in abusive relationships; victims of child abuse; and funding for counselors of rape victims during trials.

Senator Mikulski’s statement submitted to the Congressional Record follows:

“I come to the floor today in strong support of the Violence Against Women Act. The Violence Against Women Act is a strong, inclusive and bipartisan bill supported by the vast majority of our colleagues here.

“This bill has major, necessary improvements to programs that are vital to millions of women, children and men in every state and neighborhood in our country. The communities served by VAWA deserve to have these improvements. The issues are too important for partisan wrangling.

“I stand here today to call on the entire Senate to act on these critical issues in order to protect our families, protect public safety and protect the communities we serve.

“VAWA is crucial in all of our communities. Everyday VAWA is providing vital services to families in desperate need. I hear from my constituents far too often about the challenges they are facing, often involving significant economic struggles only to be complicated by deep emotional pain and fear.

“This is not about politics. Here are the statistics: 1 in 4 women will be victims of domestic violence; 16 million children are exposed to domestic violence every day; and over 2 million will be victims themselves of physical or sexual violence each year – 20,000 of these cases are in my own state of Maryland. Since we created the legislation in 1994, the national hotline has received millions of calls. Millions of women felt in danger and millions had the chance of being rescued.

“In my own state of Maryland, VAWA is making recovery possible for victims finding legal help to separate from their abusers.  They are also getting vital services at rape crisis centers and navigating our immigration system to ensure protection.

“I heard from one of my constituents Jean on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Jean had been married to her husband for 10 years and shared two children. She benefited from VAWA’s Legal Assistance for Victims Grant after being abused so brutally one evening. Jean called the hotline and got the legal assistance to file for a protective order, which she ultimately was awarded and is now living her life safely with her children.

“I also heard from Danielle. Danielle was sexually assaulted at the age of 19 by an associate that she knew. She was aided by VAWA’s Sexual Assault Services program when she made the connection with the rape crisis center a few days after her attack. Danielle got the support she needed at the crisis center. She received personalized safety planning and counseling and was provided a lawyer to help her get a peace order.

“I also hear from law enforcement in Maryland who say VAWA is helping them make communities safer and how the reauthorization will strengthen this. The Lethality Assessment Program, pioneered in Maryland and now a model for the nation, is strengthened in this bill. The program is used to identify high risk situations at the outset and link up local police with domestic violence professionals. Through this, we are providing wrap around services and empowerment to get victims out of harm’s way and reduce homicides. This was made possible because of VAWA which provided the federal funding to make this a reality.

“As Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the Justice Department, I fund the Violence Against Women Act programs.  These programs ensure tougher penalties for abusers, coordinated assistance with community organizations and Court advocates for abused to boost reporting and prosecution.

“In the FY2013 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) spending bill, I provide a robust $421 million for Violence Against Women grants. I am fighting for historic funding levels even within the stringent budget reality. I also provide strong investments in core VAWA programs including: $189 million for STOP formula grants, which coordinates community response to domestic violence and also trains police, prosecutors and judicial staff; $25 million for sexual assault services that direct services for victims of rape; $25 million for transitional housing grants so victims have safe and affordable housing after shelters; and $50 million for Grants to Encourage Arrests, which teaches police and prosecutors how to support victims and ensure offender accountability.

“We know that VAWA works so improving it should be a no-brainer. The Senate VAWA bill makes these improvements and not just in the ways that get attention, but in ways which will make the difference in a victim’s life.

“I fund this bill. Its improvements are measures that I fully support and I put money in the federal checkbook each year to make sure VAWA is available to those who need it. Maryland has done such a good job. I won’t let the United States Congress fail these families in need.”

This Thursday is the 15^th anniversary of the original V-Day, Eve Ensler’s project against violence against women. This year’s V-Day is bigger than ever with One Billion Rising. It is a response to the fact that one billion (yes, with a b) women worldwide experience sexual violence in their lifetimes. The movement calls on women and men to rise up around the world to demand an end now.

In Maryland, 15 events have been organized for Valentine’s Day from Baltimore to Bethesda, from Harford County to Frederick. Find the one nearest you: http://onebillionrising.org/page/event/search_simple.

For other ways to rise besides attending an event, visit http://onebillionrising.org/pages/ways-to-rise. Take a moment on Valentine’s Day to stand up against violence and be part of one of the largest movements of this century.

The motion to proceed to VAWA passed the Senate yesterday and we just heard that they will vote tomorrow, Thursday, February 7.

Please call our Senators now to urge them to vote YES on S. 47 without amendments.

• Call Senator Barbara Mikulski at (202) 224-4654.
• Call Senator Ben Cardin at (202) 224-4524.

Say: “I am a constituent from (city) in Maryland and my name is _________. I want to thank Senator {either Mikulski or Cardin} for all of their work to end sexual violence.  I’m calling to ask for her/him to vote yes on S. 47, a strong, bipartisan bill that would reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act – and to oppose any amendments that are introduced.

• The bill does not include the U-Visa increase that created procedural difficulties last year. It is hoped that this issue will be included in comprehensive immigration reform legislation later this year.
• The bill also includes the bipartisan version of the SAFER Act that passed the Senate last year and addresses the backlog of sexual assault evidence.
• The bill excludes some amendments added by the Judiciary committee after introduction last year that did not relate directly to VAWA.

Senators Leahy and Crapo will hold a press conference at 2:00 today to discuss the legislation. The House Democrats will also introduce the Senate version of the Violence Against Women Act in the next day or two.

MCASA appreciates this important progress on the first day of the 113th Congress and will continue to update members and ask for your support of VAWA.

This issue includes articles by three legislators about their proposals to help respond to sexual violence through changes in our civil laws. Delegate Kathleen Dumais writes about Human Trafficking and how to help stop it by requiring traffickers to forfeit assets. Senator Jamie Raskin is reviving past efforts to give courts the authority to terminate a rapist’s parental rights when a child is conceived as a result of rape. And Senator Chris Shank is responding to the murders of two women in his community by proposing that survivors of dating or sexual violence be allowed to obtain stronger protective orders.

One of the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault’s primary purposes is to help bring the voices of sexual assault survivors to our policy makers, and help those who work with survivors learn more about policies that are being considered. We are grateful that these three leaders have shared their proposals with us and look forward to working with them as Maryland’s legislative session gets underway.

Please help us ensure that survivors are heard. Join MCASA and contact your legislators about the issues that matter to you. Together we can help shape the policies that will end sexual violence.

Best regards,

Lisae C. Jordan, Esq.
Executive Director & Counsel

This issue’s articles:

• Ending Rapists Parental Rights When A Child Is Conceived During Rape, by Senator Raskin
• Preventing Sexual & Dating Violence by Expanding Protective Orders, by Senator Shank
• Removing Financial Incentives from Human Trafficking Crimes, by Delegate Dumais
• Member Spotlight: Cecil County DSS
• Prevention Corner: A Personal Perspective on Green Dot
• Safety Sync: New Ways to Hold Perpetrators Accountable

Distributing Mug Shots on Pinterest

Pinterest is the fastest-growing social network on the Internet, with over 10 million users. While many police departments are getting a presence on Facebook and Twitter, Pinterest is the newest frontier for law enforcement agencies using social media.

NPR ran a story last month on how the Pottstown PD is using the virtual pinboard to bring suspects into custody. Pottstown, PA is a small town 50 miles from the Maryland border, but their “Wanted by Police” Pinterest board has well over 1,000 followers.

Maryland law enforcement departments looking for ideas on how to use Pinterest can view these accounts as examples:

• Johnson County Sheriff (Kansas)
• Kansas City Police Department (Missouri)
• Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (California)
• Philadelphia Police Department (Pennsylvania)
• Riley County Police Department (Kansas)
• Washington County Sheriff’s Office (Arkansas)
• Wayne County Sheriff (Ohio)

Agencies can create a Pinterest business account here and learn Pinterest 101 here. MCASA is on Pinterest at www.pinterest.com/mcasa.org.

Recent Findings on Meeting Strangers Online

A study published on Monday in the Pediatrics journal found that teenage girls who had experienced abuse were more likely to engage in risky behavior online, such meeting strangers from the Internet in person. A researcher from the study spoke with the website LiveScience:

Jennie Noll, a psychology professor at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, had been studying abused teens when she began noticing their online profiles were markedly different.

“They would, more often than some other kids, post racy photos of themselves or sexual utterances,” Noll told LiveScience.

To test that observation, she and her colleagues studied 130 girls ages 14 to 17 who had seen Child Protective Services for sexual and physical abuse and neglect, as well as 125 demographically similar teenagers with no abuse history. The girls answered questions about online behavior. A year later, Noll asked how many of the girls had met an Internet friend offline.

Thirty percent of girls (both abused and not) reported an in-person encounter with someone they first met online. About 10 percent of the girls experienced something negative — often creepy sexual overtures or intimidation during that meet-up. Only one prosecuted rape occurred as a result of the offline meetings, Noll said.

Consistent with her anecdotal experience, abused teens were likelier than non-abused teens to have racy social media profiles or report fielding sexual advances from strangers — behaviors that were separately tied to meeting strangers offline.

The full story with additional data can be found here.

One case that has been in the headlines that exemplifies this trend come from Canada. 21-year-old Alexander Kennedy has been sentenced to 14 days in jail to be served on weekends only for having sex with a 13-year-old girl he friended on Facebook. (She was already a survivor of child sexual abuse before this incident.) The case is notable because there are records of the Facebook chats where they both state their true ages before they met in person, proving he knew she was 13. According to the Daily Dot, the prosecutor in the case “said the police didn’t properly secure computer logs or requested information from Facebook.” Part of Kennedy’s sentence is that he is no longer permitted to have any more contact with girls under age 16 through social media, though his profile has not been taken down.

Using Twitter to Defend Female Protesters in Egypt

Groups of hundreds or thousands of anti-government protesters in Tahrir Square in Cairo has become commonplace over the past year, but the space has not been safe for women. Now a group has taken it upon themselves to help change that. According to the website Gawker:

Witnesses powerless to intervene against the horde in a mob sexual assault can tweet the location to @TahrirBodyguard, which immediately dispatches several uniformed volunteers to respond. [On November 30, 2012,] over 300 men and women volunteers donned the reflective neon safety vests, helmets, and T-shirts proclaiming Tahrir a “safe square for all.” They stood at every checkpoint, atop watchtowers, and in the crowd. Members of another new group, Operation Anti-Sexual Harassment, passed out hotline numbers and instructions on handling rape trauma victims. A 22-year-old named Yasmine Abdelhamid said it was the first time since the uprising that she felt it was safe for her to protest in Tahrir Square again.

This article appeared in the Winter 2013 issue of Frontline.

Human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation is one of the most hideous acts committed against young women and children.  According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, human trafficking is tied with the illegal arms industry as the second largest criminal industry in the world today.  While I am encouraged by the attention this issue is getting on the national stage, namely President Obama’s new Advisory Council on Child Trafficking (ACCT) to focus on preventing domestic child sex trafficking and treating survivors, our efforts in 2012 to curb human trafficking are significant.  But I know more must be done in 2013.

In 2012, Governor O’Malley signed into law the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline Information – Sign Posting Requirements (House Bill 607/SB 352), requiring the State Highway Administration and a bus station and truck stop business owner to post a hotline information sign in restrooms. The bill establishes requirements for the sign and penalties for noncompliance.  Additionally, the governor signed a bill (HB 860/SB 1082) that alters the definition of “sexual abuse” in Maryland’s criminal statute to include “human trafficking” in the provisions related to the reporting of a “child in need of assistance” and in provisions of law relating to the reporting and investigation of child abuse and neglect.  Both bills received overwhelming support from Democrats and Republicans in the Maryland General Assembly.

Looking forward, I expect the current legislative session will bring many new legislative proposals on human trafficking.  On my agenda is the re-introduction of HB 391, Criminal Procedure—Seizure and Forfeiture—Property Used in Human Trafficking a bill that would remove the financial incentives from the human traffickers while providing the much-needed financial resources to help its victims and law enforcement (this bill will receive a new HB # in 2013).  First and foremost, this bill would expand the crime of human trafficking to include those who “knowingly recruit, harbor, transport, provide, or obtain a human being for labor and services, and forcefully, fraudulently, or coercively subject that person to involuntary servitude or debt bondage.”  By including labor trafficking in this definition, we are acknowledging the odious reality that human trafficking involves more than prostitution, and that its victims – mostly women and children – are modern versions of slaves or indentured servants.

Most importantly, my bill would remove the profit motive for these criminals by authorizing the seizure and forfeiture of the crime’s ill-gotten gains (a similar method is used in the seizure and forfeiture of property gained through the illegal distribution of drugs).  The bill would establish due process procedures for seizure and forfeiture, delineate what type of property is subjected to its provisions, and provide that the seized and forfeited property be sold and the proceeds from the sale be used to against human trafficking criminals.

Finally, it would establish the Anti-Human Trafficking Fund.  The property seized or forfeited from these criminals would be sold and the proceeds would be converted into revenue for this state fund.  Direct aid would then be given from the fund to the victims of human trafficking and to law enforcement, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies that target human trafficking.  The whole purpose of seizure and forfeiture would be to assure that the financial benefits of human trafficking do not accrue to the trafficker, cutting him or her off from the financial incentives to commit further crimes.  Breaking the cycle of enrichment and enabling of these criminals is important to eradicating this crime.  One way to ensure success against human traffickers is by turning their profits against them and to provide financial assistance to its victims, law enforcement officials and others.

Thirty-two states and the District of Columbia have laws authorizing the seizure and forfeiture of assets in cases of human trafficking.  Maryland no longer can watch as other states lead on this issue.  In 2013, I promise my bill, Criminal Procedure—Seizure and Forfeiture—Property Used in Human Trafficking, will be on the agenda of the House Judiciary Committee and I look forward to having the support of MCASA, law enforcement and the advocacy community to turn Maryland into the 33^rd state authorizing the seizure and forfeiture of assets in cases of human trafficking.

Delegate Kathleen M. Dumais is the Vice Chair, House Judiciary Committee of the Maryland House of Delegates.  She is the past recipient of MCASA’s Public Policy Award and the national Visionary Voice Award from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.  Delegate Dumais is widely recognized as one of Maryland’s leaders in efforts to end sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse.  In addition to the human trafficking legislation she describes, she is the House sponsor of the bills described by Senators Raskin and Shank.

This article appeared in the Winter 2013 issue of Frontline.

People are always dumbfounded to learn this fact:  under Maryland state law, men who impregnate women in the course of sexually assaulting them actually have full paternity rights in the children they conceive, including visitation, parenting time, and even custody rights.

You read that correctly.

If, heroically, a raped woman decides for whatever reason (sometimes it is religious or moral in nature) to bear a child conceived through sexual violence, her assailant will have the power to harass her with motions in court for visitation, custody and other forms of legalized family involvement.  This happens in our state, where 1 out of every 8 women has been raped (that is in the neighborhood of 260,000 women), 5% of rape victims become pregnant (contrary to what you might have heard on the 2012 campaign trail), and a lot of women impregnated by a rapist decide to continue the pregnancy and bear the child.

But rape does not make a family, and the law should not add the perverse injustice of treating rapists like fathers to the injury of the original sexual assault.

The Maryland Senate has several times unanimously passed legislation which I introduced in the Senate (cross-filed with Delegate Kathleen Dumais in the House of Delegates) to permit courts, upon a motion by the victim, to deny all paternity rights to men who conceive in the course of a sexual assault. Several social workers and victims testified that this legislation is essential for women to be able to get on with their lives and to stop their assailants from harassing them.

But the House of Delegates Judiciary Committee has raised objections about the standard of proof in the bill.

The Senate’s position has been that a court considering such a motion must find by “clear and convincing evidence” that the biological father sexually assaulted the woman and that it is in the best interest of the child for the man to be excluded as a father.  This standard of proof is higher than the normal civil standard—“by a preponderance of the evidence”—and is the standard used in all other family law contexts for the judicial termination of parental rights.

However, some of our critics, all of them well-intentioned, think that the more demanding criminal standard—of “beyond a reasonable doubt”–should be used instead.  This standard should definitely be used—in criminal court when liberty is at stake.  No one can or should be sent to prison for rape without a criminal trial under the “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard.  Indeed, the difficulty of the criminal standard and the other rigors of policing, prosecution, and trial explain why a majority of sexual assaults are simply never prosecuted.

But our proposal deals only with the family law question. It would give the power to a family court judge only to decide whether there is “clear and convincing evidence” that it is in the best interest of the child to deny a sexual assailant the rights that only real fathers should enjoy.  It has nothing to do with prison or criminal prosecution.

State family law should be on the side of women and their children who are working, against great odds, to recover their sense of security, decency, and stability after the trauma of sexual assault.

2013 is the year to make this happen.  After a tawdry campaign season in which several politicians (none in Maryland, thankfully) trivialized the meaning of sexual assault and tried to undercut women’s autonomy, let us hope that the General Assembly, in this legislative session, will stand strongly with women victims and their families as they try to rebuild their future.

Senator Jamie Raskin is the Majority Whip of the Maryland Senate, the Chairman of the Montgomery County Delegation and a Member of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee.  He introduced, along with Delegate Kathleen Dumais on the House side, legislation to give courts the power to deny paternity rights to sexual assailants who conceive as a result of the assault, legislation which passed the Senate in 2007 and 2008 but failed in the House of Delegates.

This article appeared in the Winter 2013 issue of Frontline.

Protective orders are one of our strongest tools for preventing future sexual and domestic violence.  In Maryland, our current statutes are too narrow and do not offer adequate protection for victims who have been sexually assaulted or are in a dating relationship with an abuser.  Last session, I introduced SB359.  This bill would have expanded the necessary criteria of a Protective Order to include all survivors of sexual and dating violence.

Maryland remains one of the few states that do not allow people in dating relationships to ask the courts for a Protective Order. Instead these victims may seek a Peace Order; similarly, victims of sexual assault are also limited to Peace Orders in cases where they are not in a long-standing relationship with the abuser that would qualify as domestic violence.  While the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee was generally supportive of the concept of expanding protection for victims of dating and sexual violence, the consensus was that last session’s bill needed some more work to flesh out the specifics.  So I will be re-submitting the bill based on a successful law from New York State this upcoming session.

Two incidents in Washington County acted as catalysts for this legislation. In 2011 Cheri Myers was assaulted and had her vehicle stolen by her ex-boyfriend and Heather Harris was shot and killed by her former partner. Under current law, neither Cherie Myers nor Heather Harris qualified for a Protective Order from their former partners; they were only able to obtain Peace Orders since they were “only” in dating relationships. Ms. Myers, who testified in favor of the bill, was brutally assaulted and Ms. Harris lost her life.  A Protective Order could have made a difference in both cases.

There are significant differences in the consequences and enforcement of Peace Orders and Protective Orders. In an article from the Herald Mail, Washington County’s Deputy State’s Attorney, Joseph Michael described these differences:

“Protective orders usually involve abuse within intimate relationships in which the parties are either married or divorced, or lived together,” according to previous reports in The Herald-Mail. Peace orders usually are issued in cases of less intimate relationships. In the case of a protective order, police are notified and law-enforcement agencies “have programs to monitor these cases…”

It is well known that the justice system does not regard Peace Orders with the same degree of intensity as Protective Orders. Peace Orders are shorter in duration and receive less monitoring by law enforcement.  Yet the abusers often know details about their victims’ lives and have many of the same motives as abusers who live with or are married to their victims.  Sexual abuse and violence within a dating relationship require the special attention that is given through a Protective Order. There are currently 41 states where violence within dating relationships fall under the Protective Order statute. Moving these cases under the Protective Order status would be an easier transition and would not be wasting limited funding to create a new program.

Protective Orders are much more expansive for victims like Cherie Myers and Heather Harris compared to what can be done under a Peace Order. That is why we need to pass legislation that will expand the definition of a “person eligible for relief” to include people in dating relationships and all victims of sexual violence. It is my intent that by including those in intimate relationships the option of requesting a Protective Order, we can prevent future tragedies.

Senator Christopher B. Shank has been a Member of the Maryland State Senate since January 12, 2011 representing District 2 in Washington County. He previously served in the House of Delegates.  He currently serves on the Judicial Proceedings Committee and Joint Committee on Federal Relations. Senator Shank is a long-time advocate for victims of child abuse and a recipient of the Maryland Children’s Alliance Justice for Children Award.

This article appeared in the Winter 2013 issue of Frontline.

When we see the terrible stories in the news from the 23-year-old woman in India who was murdered in a brutal attack this month to cases of human trafficking right here in Montgomery County, it is easy to feel overwhelmed with grief and disgust. Last week I attended a training that gave me hope that we do have the power to change these stories from coming up so much in the future. The training was called Green Dot and it uses bystander intervention as a violence prevention strategy. It taught me how to live as an engaged member of my community to create culture change. It made me feel that we really don’t have to do anything enormous – Little actions in our everyday lives can make a difference. I’d like to share what I learned with you here.

Take a moment to think about why you get this newsletter, why you care about sexual violence in Maryland. Maybe you are a parent, maybe you are a survivor, maybe you are a service provider. Whatever your connection, you know that moments of violence are happening around our state all the time. It’s like in those movies where red dots indicate on a map the spread of a disease. At some point it crosses over from being a few isolated cases to an epidemic. Let’s say each red dot on this map is a choice someone makes to have sex with someone without their consent. Each red dot is a Facebook message sent to a 12-year-old by a trafficker. Each red dot is the moment when someone drops a drug into a drink at a bar.

This training told us the solution to reducing this violence – to shifting this culture – must be a reflection of the problem. The solution is a green dot. A green dot is a just a single moment in time – no bigger than a dot on a map. A green dot is any choice, behavior, or words that counteract the red dots. This could be having a conversation with a friend about this issue, it might be contacting your representatives about a bill, it might be volunteering with your county’s rape crisis and recovery center, it might be speaking up when you hear a sexist joke, it might be intervening when you see someone dropping a drug into a drink at a bar.

The simple goal of this prevention strategy is to generate more green dots than red dots. Research shows that when this happens, the amount of violence in a community decreases. That is how we change our culture.

The concept is so simple that we can all bring it in to our daily lives. The next time you are in a situation that makes you feel in your gut that something is wrong, instead of walking away thinking “this is none of my business,” take a moment to check in or call 911. Keep your safety first, but think about if it was your loved one, what you would want a bystander to do.

We are proud to have launched our own prevention campaign that brings this idea to our state: The Power of One. You can download the brochure electronically in English and Spanish or order hard copies through our website. You can also buy a poster for your agency and direct others to the webpage. Make it your green dot for the day.

This article appeared in the Winter 2013 issue of Frontline.

Cecil County

Frontline features a different rape crisis and recovery center in Maryland each quarter. We ask them five questions in honor of the 1 in 5 women who are survivors of rape in their lifetime.

The following questions were answered by Anne Bean, Coordinator of Family Violence Programs in Cecil County. She provides oversight and planning for the Cecil County Domestic Violence Rape Crisis Center, the Cecil County Child Advocacy Center, and our local Family Violence Coordinating Council. She has worked with the Department of Social Services for 15 years.

Tell us about Cecil County’s Rape Crisis Program and the issues it tackles.

The Rape Crisis Program has been in existence since 1989 and is part of a dual program. The Clinical Director of the DVRCC is also the full time clinician for the rape crisis component of the center. Additionally, there are two part time clinicians and a full time Rape Crisis Outreach/ Volunteer Coordinator associated with the Rape Crisis Program. The services provided by the Rape Crisis Program include individual and group therapy, court and hospital accompaniment, education, 24-hour hotline, and advocacy. The program provides services to victims of sexual violence who are ages 14 and above. Although there are only a few staff members assigned to the Rape Crisis Program, there is a great deal of representation in the community by the program. Staff regularly attends meetings of local committees and work groups ensuring that the rights and needs of victims of sexual violence are advocated and acknowledged.

Why are you a member of MCASA?

Being a member of MCASA affords the program many opportunities for education and expertise whether through formalized training or routine Director’s meetings. It provides a forum to come together with others doing the same work in Maryland. SALI is an incredible resource for the clients served through the program as well as the staff. Being a member of MCASA also provides us a “voice” on the State level through the legislative advocacy that is tirelessly done each year. Through this work many improvements have been made for victims of sexual violence.

What sexual assault prevention work does your program do?

We embrace every opportunity to provide education! Staff routinely facilitate training in the local high and middle schools, often employing a game we invented that mirrors Jeopardy. The questions deal with sexual violence issues, healthy relationships, and warning signs of dangerous relationships. The teenagers seem to have a great time competing to earn points. Staff has also recently been presenting at the local job readiness program on a monthly basis. This provides an opportunity to reach both men and women of all age groups.

Have you had any recent events or actions that you’d like to tell us about?

Plans are currently being made for a “Family Fun Fair” to coincide with opening day of the local Little League. The hope is to attract families to participate in some fun activities while offering educational opportunities regarding the prevention of sexual violence. It is also a way to encourage other community businesses and vendors to partner in this endeavor. This is the first attempt in an event like this and the staff is very excited about it!

If your program received $100,000 in new funds today, what would you do with it?

Several thoughts come to mind when thinking about $100,00 in new funding. I would hire a children’s therapist so that the Rape Crisis Program could treat younger children. I would also address transportation needs. Cecil County is a rural County without a lot of options for public transportation. Taxi services are very expensive. This can be a barrier for some victims of sexual violence in receiving continuing services. I would also provide funding for completion of forensic nurse examiner training to local nurses. Due to some recent reductions in funding we are currently unable to do this. Lastly, I would look to obtain some services for clients from a psychiatrist. Survivors of sexual violence may contend with some complex issues that really require the attention of a specialist. Finding these services can be challenging in Cecil County.

This article appeared in the Winter 2013 issue of Frontline.

The 2003 crime went unsolved until 2009 when Alonzo Jay King, Jr. was arrested on an unrelated charge that resulted in his DNA being collected and entered into Maryland’s then-new “arrestee” DNA database, where it matched with DNA collected from the victim.  King was arrested for his sexual assault, and he was convicted of first-degree rape and sentenced to life in prison.

Maryland’s high court, the Court of Appeals, struck down the statute allowing for DNA testing of arrestees and the US Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal of that decision.

William C. Sammons, Kristin P. Herber, and Lydia S. Hu at the Baltimore law firm Tydings & Rosenberg represented the coalitions in the amicus brief supporting the State and asking that the arrestee testing law be upheld.   State sexual assault coalitions are non-profit organizations representing a state’s rape crisis centers, sexual assault survivors, and others concerned with ending sexual violence.   MCASA’s Counsel and Executive Director, Lisae C. Jordan, expressed appreciation for the firm’s work on the case noting that, “if the Court of Appeals decision is allowed to stand, this known rapist will go free and the survivor will never see justice.”

Read the brief here.

Please call these leaders and urge them to take action to move a new inclusive VAWA forward:

• Speaker John Boehner (R-OH): (202) 225-0600
• Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA): (202) 225-4000
• Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): (202) 225-0100
• Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV): (202) 224-3542
• Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY): (202) 224-3135
• Chair of the Democratic Conference Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY): (202) 224-6542
• Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL): (202) 225-7931

Please also let our Maryland Senators and your House member know that you urge them to renew their work on VAWA for 2013.

• Senator Barbara Mikulski: (202) 224-4654
• Senator Ben Cardin: (202) 224-4524
• Rep. Andy Harris – District 1: (202) 225-5311
• Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger – District 2: (202) 225-3061
• Rep. John P. Sarbanes – District 3: (202) 225-4016
• Rep. Donna F. Edwards – District 4: (202) 225-8699
• Rep. Steny H. Hoyer – District 5: (202) 225-4131
• Rep. John K. Delaney – District 6: No      phone yet, tweet @JohnDelaney2012
• Rep. Elijah Cummings – District 7: (202) 225-4741
• Rep. Chris Van Hollen – District 8: (202) 225-5341

Use can use this script when calling: “Hello! My name is ____, I live and vote in Maryland and I’m calling about the Violence Against Women Act. It’s so disappointing that Congress failed to reauthorize VAWA last session. One in five women experiences rape in her lifetime and Congress can make a difference in changing this. Please reauthorize VAWA immediately.  Will [Congress member's name] help with this?”

We know our list is long, but please work together with your friends and colleagues to contact as many leaders as possible. Too much depends on this for us to give up now. Thank you for all of your continued efforts.