Updated blog posts coming soon!

Thanks for your patience, everyone! It's been a little bit hectic getting back into the swing of things back here in Maryland but I have definitely not forgotten about updating the blog and filling you in on the other amazing sessions I attended.

Keep up the good work. I'll talk to you soon.

Things I love about Seattle

1. It's a walking and biking city 
2. Excellent Public transportation 
3. Pike Place Market
• Bouquets of flowers every day
• Fresh, farm-grown produce 
• Local artists
4. The artwork that permeates throughout the city from the buildings to the bus-stop stations
5. The Eco-consciousness of the city: There are compost bins in the hotels, there is an option for me to deny housekeeping (as a green choice) at the hotel and I was awarded a $5 voucher, plastic bags have been banned, there are water bottle filling stations at the airports and other public places, and there are tons of beautiful flowers and plants around the city 
6. The people here are truly different. From the moment I got here it feels like I've finally arrived home. People, especially in the market place, talk to you like family. 
7. People's fashion here is on point. 
8. There are tons of bakeries and coffee shops
9. A local shopping center has umbrellas outside that people can borrow and return as they need 
10. Lots of local flare and pride 

EVAWI Conference Day 1- Plenary Speaker Sessions, Lunch, and Networking

Plenary Speaker I: Intimate Partner Sexual Abuse: From Teen Dating Violence to Trafficking

Speaker: Lynn Schafran, Director, National Judicial Education Program of Legal Momentum 

The first plenary speaker's session, in which everyone in the conference attended before breaking out into the breakout sessions, was about Intimate Partner Sexual Abuse. To frame the topic, she used a quote said by the Honorable Jeffrey Kremes of Milwaukee, WI:

"If a partner is controlling, abusive, and violence in the kitchen, living room, and in public, why would he stop the abuse at the bedroom door?" 

Schafran posed an important question:  Why do are we treating intimate partner violence and sexual violence as if it were separate from domestic violence? 

What is Intimate Partner Sexual Assault/ Abuse? 

• A continuum of behavior ranging from degrading behavior to torture towards an intimate partner (note: you do not have to be married or legally bound to this person!)

What kinds of forms do we see IP SA/SA?

Reproduction Health Issue

• Birth Control Sabotage- ex. purposefully putting a hole in a condom. This is a particular issue among the teen population but of course is used among all populations. Through pregnancies and children, abuser manipulate victims in their dependence and their ties to the abuser

Technology 

• Particularly among teen population
• Examples: Use of social media to spread rumors
• Sending photos and sharing photos without consent--> Notion of revenge porn- We now have three states that have legislation against this as we have noted the immense emotional and psychological trauma it entails

Extorting Sex in Exchange for Necessities 

• Demanding sex fro money or other necessities such as clothing, housing, etc.
• Refusing to provide money for other necessities such as child support or medical transportation

Trafficking 

• Often, trafffickers establish intimate partner relationships prior to the trafficking 

Marital Rape 

• The overwhelming trauma of marital rape often can lead victims to fall into a deep denial or feeling of tremendous shame
• "How could someone I love do something like this to me?"
• Quote from a survivor: "More than the battery, the rape seemed to be an attack on my womanhood which I came to think of as disgusting." 

Immigrant Issues 

• Using immigration status and threats to keep the victim at the perpetrator's will 

Assessment & Treatments- A gap- We can't keep assuming that abuse happens in only certain contexts (such as in a marriage or from a stranger)

• **Important point**: In a Study of Men by Raquel Kennedy (Men and Intimate Partner Rape), when asked questions about their particular behaviors and actions, 53% of men answered yes to questions that legally fit under the definition of rape or sexual assault in this particular program's state. However, when put under the label of "sexual assault" or "abuse" only 8% of men answered yes. 
• *Assessments often fail to assess for intimate partner sexual assault and may not even address this issue in programs and treatments of offenders--> point taken: we must broaden the dialogue of abuse to extend and move beyond physical abuse. 

Important points from her presentation:

• Collectively, with statistics from the CDC (2010)- 40 million have been victimized under intimate partner sexual abuse/ violence and yet we have this issue in our nation that has been virtually hidden. 
• Rate of abuse among teens are under researched and under reported, however, Service providers report a high prevalence of intimate sexual abuse. 
• It wasn't until 1848 that the notion of marital rape was even considered. Legally, for a while, marital rape did not exist. 
• State laws differ everywhere in terms of marital rape.
• Food for thought/ Interesting point: Arizona has created a law that can punish those who have falsely accused another of marital rape--
• On any day, 3 women are murdered in the United States by an intimate partner
• The most dangerous course of action that could be taken--> Courts allowing joint custody
• Studies have shown that among children who live in a home laced with intimate partner violence and abuse, the actual architecture of the child's brain is altered. 

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Plenary Speaker II: The Untested Rape Kit Crisis and Cold Case Sexual Assault Prosecutions  

Speaker: Kym Worthy, JD, Wayne County Prosecutor, Detroit, MI 

The second plenary speaker's session was incredibly engaging, horrifying, fascinating, and important. Kym Worthy's session was about the 11,300 untested rape kits that were found in a Detroit Police Department's property storage facility. There are estimated 400,000 untested rape kits languishing in police property storage facilities around the country. As Worthy pointed out, it is the case that most often these kits are not backlogged due to a lack of resources but rather forgotten as a result of negligence and low prioritization. Through this session Worthy discussed on the preliminary findings of the project, discussing the challenges of locating victims on older cases, and more importantly, the importance of utilizing victim-centered approaches when notifying their case has been reopened. She concluded by discussing on the investigative process and what prosecutors need to successfully charge and convict offenders in cold case sexual assaults.

Important points from her presentation:

How and Why did this happen? -- specific to the context of Detroit PD's case (but, again, this is a problem nationwide)

• Culture of victim blaming that permitted these rape kits from being untested for decades *** (This culture of victim blaming and blame is exactly what I cover in my poster and is a central theme that has arisen in nearly all of the sessions I have attended. Remember this as I will reflect on this later!) 
• Lack of formal policy and protocol for testing 
• Reduction in law enforcement staffing 
• High turnover in law enforcement leadership 
• Lack of proficient training for law enforcement

--> Under resourced and in need of training, awareness, and education. 

How are victims of sexual assault treated in the absence of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) programs?

1. Often up to 3 hours of long waiting at a Hospital 
2. Victims are in a public place after the incident of an attack/ trauma 
3. Often treated by untrained doctors and staff who may ask insensitive or inappropriate questions

Point taken: We need training, education, cultural sensitivity, resources, and most importantly, a prioritization of such elements in an efforts toward prevention and  creating a safer community 

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"We say all rapists are serial rapists, because we certainly don't catch em' the first time." 

-Kym Worthy  

Important: The last point on this slide states that, "The culture of victim-blaming and disbelief...discouraged victims from filing police reports and resulted in cases being closed with little or no investigation" 

Kym Worthy shows us a case study of a defendant which shows his criminal track record since the rape (that was marked in the untested rape kit). This graphic showed that if the police had convicted him at the timeframe of the rape kit, possibly 5 or 6 other crimes might have been prevented.

Post sessions:

A brilliant vegetarian lunch served today! 

Hey, it's me!

I have been thrilled to hand out not only my poster handouts but also resources from UMBC including information on Green Dot and University Health Services!

Blogging and Reflecting.

What a beautiful thing it is to reflect and write about the experiences of life. There are so much beauty in the world and there is so much to be learned- we must simply be open and willing to learn.

Adventures of the Public Market- Day 2

Pork Sandwich & Clam Chowder from Rub With Love 

Coconut+Chocolate Chip Gelato from Gelatiamo

Cheers :)

Welcome.

Pike Place Fish Market

Street Performers everywhere

Yoo-Jin Explores: Reflections on Tuesday first Breakout Session

April 22nd, 2014- Session 1: Who's Lying Here? Reading People and Judging Credibility

The first breakout session that I attended today was attorney Wendy L. Patrick's presentation, "Who's lying here? Reading People and Judging Credibility"
Wendy L. Patrick is a San Diego Deputy District Attorney, named by her peers as one of the Top ten criminal attorneys in San Diego by the San Diego Daily Transcript and one of San Diego's Super Lawyers. She has completed over 150 trials ranging from hate crimes, to domestic violence, to first-degree murder (Info. from EVAWI informational booklet).

In her presentation, Patrick explained and applied the techniques and methods discussed in her book, Reading People, by outlining the "Seven Colors" one can use to learn how to read anyone on a number of different levels in order to maximize the productivity of your interaction, whether professional or personal. Patrick pointed out that even we as audience members were behaving in a particular way as we sat and listened to her presentation: we were dressed professionally, alert, and were on our best behavior. She stated that if people did not act like their full selves in a professional setting such as this, we could only imagine how a victim may feel during initial contact with a provider or advocate.

Patrick provided a personal and wildly entertaining yet alarming example of why this skill of reading people was so vital; she described a moment when she was on the elevator, getting ready to go to the courtroom where she would proceed with her case, when she noticed an attractive male who also joined her on the elevator. He was also well dressed in a suit and holding a brief case, and Patrick, under the assumption that he too was an attorney, asked which room he was headed to. He was heading to the same place as she. She had then thought to herself, "Ugh!" Now this was going to be another case where the stupid defendant had enough money to get himself some swanky attorney instead of the public defendant. However...the story has an interesting twist. The charming, handsome man that shared the elevator with Wendy Patrick was the serial rapist she was convicting. Under a completely different appearance and guise, he was unrecognizable. Patrick expressed how she had seen mugshots of him before but in this particular scene, she had not recognized him.

Thus comes the power of reading people and all of their "Seven Colors" which I will outline below. This is incredibly important in both personal and professional contexts- Patrick noted that in this particular case, one of the jurors had later admitted that she voted him as not guilty due to the particular connection she had felt with him (he had maintained over a month's worth of eye contact and a particular appearance throughout trial). Patrick emphasized the importance of reading people so that we are able to get over our "knee-jerk reactions of what we think people should look like; through this practice, we can start and maintain an intentional effort to pay attention to ourselves and others in our work and our professional lives.

"Familiarity breeds contentment"

This was an important point that Patrick brought up- she noted how in every new broadcast about a tragic incident of violence, the news broadcasters always interview neighbors who cite pointless statements such as, "He was such a nice guy" or, "He was so quiet" --Patrick points out that if "he was so quiet" then how much could you really know much about him?  Here comes in the power of stereotypes.
Patrick brought up an incredibly interesting point that she often noticed in court: sometimes the guy in the well-dressed, $1000 suit isn't the person on your side- I paraphrase Patrick below:

Honesty is sometimes almost inversely proportional to the education level of the person

She noted that physical appearance and the appearance of wealth and "put-together"ness did not and does not equate to honesty, integrity, or credibility; in fact, the guy in the shirt with the inappropriate quote (who is asked to wear his shirt inside out) and the ripped jeans may be the more credible and honest source.

Now. To the Seven Colors:

1. Personal Appearance 
2. Body Language
3. Voice
4. Communication Styles
5. Content
6. Actions
7. Environment  

Points about each:

Personal Appearance 

• Research shows that especially in social media, we base our first initial impressions and opinions based off the picture that we see. We then tend to color our other judgments and opinions about other aspects about a person based on this initial impression of this photo. 

  Body Language

  • You can't always control everything about your body language

  Voice

  • Hearing emotion in voice

  Communication Style

  • Differences in communication styles can singlehandedly accounts for why some people rub each other the wrong way. 
  • One style: Noble Communicator- The type of person that beelines to his/her desk at work. Does not engage in small talk. Purpose of communication for the noble communicator: exchange of data
  • Reflective Communicator- Goes around the peripherary of the office; Purpose of communication for the reflective communicator- build relationships 
  • N + R--> can often lead to miscommunication 
  • Noble Communicator may complain about how the reflective communicator wastes time and doesn't take anything seriously and the Reflective communicator may be hurt and state how the noble communicator is rude and terse

  Content

  • The words that are used
  • Ex. Profanity, language choice- reveals volumes about others 
  • Ex. Even a statement like, "I killed that cross examination!" vs. "I successfully implemented my cross examination in the court room"

  Action

  • Self Explanatory 

  Environment

  • Hearing emotion in voice

Concepts

The Halo Effect- Patrick described this notion of the Halo Effect. When we are faced with somebody who is really pleasing, we tend to subconsciously associate traits with them. 

Michelangelo Effect- Shows that when we treat somebody as if they have certain qualities and traits    --> the person may actually adapt and conform to the heightened image you have of them

Durability of the first impression: Within the first 3 minutes- we may decide whether we want to keep talking to a person or not (longer side: 10 minutes). We determine within the first 3 seconds whether we want to approach them romantically or not. 

--> When you've formed that first impression then you're suddenly presented with rogue pieces of information--> What do we do?--> We justify it. We dismiss the information and decide not to tell others because we know what they would say--this calls to cognitive dissonance

From Wendy L. Patrick's session "Who's Lying here? Reading People and Judging Credibility" This infographic shows a pie chart of the most trusted professions. Lawyers are at the bottom of the list at number 17 (18%), twice as high as a Car Salesman (:P)

Wendy Patrick and an image of the Seven Colors

Some amazing campaigns and organizations

This is an amazing campaign that I plan and hope to bring back to our campus and community. It's called the "Start by Believing" campaign and it tackles head on the culture of victim blaming in sexual assault and relationship violence cases. 

To the left is a really amazing coaster- it detects for date rape drugs in drinks. The idea is to put a drop of your drink from your straw on both tests and if the colors of the circles turn to a darker blue then a positive test result has occurred. Never leave a drink unattended! To the right is a free flash drive I received of a dead man- on it there are forensic protocols :p

A great infographic from PSA 

EVAWI Conference Day 1- Welcome/ Opening Remarks

An image that shows all of the different countries represented at the conference

I laughed in pure joy as the EVAWI Board of Directors climbed up on the stage and completely surprised all of us in their mini flash-mob dancing to "Celebrate" 

A look at my agenda for the first day

Hello Seattle! - Day 1

I am currently sitting at the desk of my hotel room, eating an organic pear that I bought from the Public Market hours ago. It's 1:15 a.m. here. I am so excited for today- I should probably be sleeping, but at this point my sleep schedule has already been disturbed and pretty much ruined. Plus, good ol' Usher is keeping me company. Apparently the DJ's got us falling in love again.

About to board the plane from Salt Lake City to Seattle!

I first arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah, around 9:30 a.m and grabbed some food before hopping on my flight to Seattle. The flight was fairly long- about 4 1/2 hours I would say, although, I was sleeping for most of it, anyway.

SeaTac is a really unique airport that has artwork throughout the airport- there's even an artwalk! 

Luggage Pick-up

I arrived in Sea-tac International Airport around 12 p.m. and took the Light Rail all the way to the end of the line which left me at 4th Avenue, two blocks away from the Sheraton Downtown- located in the heart of Seattle! The location is truly amazing- there are restaurants and tons of local shops within walking distance and better yet- the public market is just a 5 minute walk. After checking into my glorious hotel room I unpacked all of my luggage, took a nice hot shower, a quick nap, and was off to set up my poster on the 2nd floor of the hotel, the Grand Ballroom, the general check-in area of the conference.

The View from my Hotel Room

Yeah, I could get used to this.

Cheese.

Setting up my poster! 

Lunch at the market: Pike Place Chowder- New England Clam Chowder & Market Salad

I'm so excited for my first day of sessions tomorrow (technically today since it's nearly 3 a.m. at this point)

Cheers, everyone! 

EVAWI: Conference Poster Design

Special thanks to Alyssa Castellano, who helped bring my design come to life! 

Poster Handout & Information:
[Intimate partner Violence- Sexual Assault & Relationship Violence & University Culture in the United States]
Background:

This poster stems from my research from online resources including blogs in which survivors, mostly women, posted their stories and experiences in their universities. I have also used my own personal experience of surviving an abusive dating relationship during my first year of college as well as my background as a Relationship Violence Prevention advocate and Peer Health Educator through which I have been able to speak to a wide variety of students who have bravely chosen to share with me their stories, struggles, and triumphs.

[The quotes that are on Kathy’s side of the poster are quotes that I took from the stories of real women from various colleges.]

The Facts

• Women ages 16-24 experience the highest per capita rate of intimate partner violence and sexual assault[1].
• Nearly one third of college students report having physically assaulted a dating partner in the previous 12 months (Break the Cycle, Inc., 2005).

• As many as one quarter of female students experience sexual assault over the course of their college career (Break the Cycle, Inc., 2005).

• Approximately 90% of victims of sexual assault on college campuses know their attacker (Break the Cycle, Inc., 2005).

• The more intimate the relationship, the more likely it is for a rape to be completed rather than attempted

• Half of all student victims do not label the incident “rape.”

• This is particularly true when no weapon was used, no sign of physical injury is evident, and alcohol was involved—factors commonly associated with campus acquaintance rape.

• “Given the extent of non-stranger rape on campus, it is no surprise that the majority of victimized women do not define their experience as a rape.” [2]

“According to the 2008 National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) published by the U.S. Department of Justice, nearly 60 percent of all rapes are not reported to the police, which means there is no chance for the perpetrator to be held accountable. Women often do not want to go through the process of reliving the story through necessary work with the police. In college, social groups intertwine, friend groups change, and students reinvent their lives. And because of that, the capture and prosecution of the rapist could change the emotional and social structure of the victim’s life”-Carrie Johansen from Feminists for Life of America

---

[1] US Department of Justice, 1997

[2] December 2005 NIJ report, “Sexual Assault on Campus: What Colleges and Universities Are Doing About It.”

Poster Graphics & Symbolism:

The main graphic of this poster consists of a chaotic pile of triangles at the top of the image.  

This pile represents the chaos, confusion, and brokenness that both women feel during the initial stages of surviving their trauma. As both women move down the path of their journey, pieces of the chaotic pile are taken out and have a black icon within its triangle.

These separate icons and triangles represent the support systems or resources that were readily available and open to both Katie and Kathy. We notice that as Katie receives support through her University and her outside support networks and the once broken chaos that she initially started with is mended as she becomes healed or whole again.
Conversely, Kathy, who does not have the same triangles of support in place, is left in the same brokenness as she had started with. This represents the notion of revictimization, in which the survivor of sexual assault or relationship violence is unsupported, blamed, and “re-victimized” within the university culture and system.

Implications for University Culture and Health: How can we support survivors?

·      Comprehensive and Accessible resources available readily on and off campus, such as:

•     Support groups/ Health Services/ Counseling Services/ Sexual Assault/ Relationship Violence Response teams/ Campus Police & Security

•       Support/ Informational Websites; Brochures

·      Specific, up-to-date, and timely disciplinary procedures (Comprehensive Sexual assault response policies in accordance with Title IV, information on reporting, access to legal support and advocacy)
·      Sensitivity to people of all backgrounds and experiences from University Staff and Faculty through trainings and workshops
·      Fostering a culture that does not tolerate “rape culture” and a culture of violence
o   Education, Awareness, & Prevention-Of staff, faculty, and students on myths, reporting incidents, and sensitive support for survivors
o   Comprehensive Sexual Assault Policies and Response Measures

This poster is free to download & print! If you use it, please let me know and keep the credits remaining at the bottom of the poster 

Seattle Bound! - Day 1

I am currently sitting in Gate D29 at the Baltimore Washington International Airport, about ten minutes away from UMBC. I woke up at an ungodly hour, 4:45 a.m., and am patiently awaiting to board my flight which will take me first to Salt Lake City, Utah, then to Seattle, Washington!

I still cannot believe that I am going to the End Violence Against Women International Conference on Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Trafficking. Throughout the course of this past week, I have worked hard on my poster and my handouts, and without the guidance and support of several friends and mentors, I don't know where I would be right now.

Some background information:

I have been graciously funded to attend the 2014 EVAWI International Conference on Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Trafficking, where I will be presenting and displaying my poster entitled A Tale of Two Survivors (You can see it above!).

Gratitude: 
I have so many people I would like to thank! 

• First: Dr. Kim Leisey, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs- Dr. Leisey has been such an important mentor, role model, and friend in my life. She is the supervisor of the UMBC Relationship Violence Prevention Advocates group and I can always count on her to be level-headed, realistic, and kind hearted. Through Dr. Leisey's encouragement and covering of the conference fee, I was inspired to move forward from talking about the conference to gaining momentum into the steps of attending the conference!
• Thank you as well to the Office of Undergraduate Education- with their awarding of the travel grant, I was able to have my entire hotel costs covered for the week! Thank you Dr. Diane Lee! 
• Thank you as well to the Alpha Kappa Alpha Educational Advancement Foundation, with the scholarship they awarded me last year I was able to cover my plane fee!

• Steven McAlpine, Assistant Director of UMBC Interdisciplinary Studies, who has been my mentor since my sophomore year. He has supported me through thick and thin and without his encouragement and positive  "Let's try it, let's do it!" attitude, I am not sure I would have pursued many of the opportunities I have had today. 
• Dr. Bambi Chapin, Professor of Anthropology, who has been one of the most important and influential mentors of my career at UMBC. Through Dr. Chapin's guidance, advice, and rightfully challenging questions, I was able to effectively work through the initial stages of writing for my poster's abstract and she has additionally been incredibly brilliant, kind, and thought-provoking. 
• Jess Myers, Director of UMBC's Women's Center, who inspired me in changing the topic and theme of my poster for it to better reflect my unique passions and experiences. Thank you, Jess for all of the patient and inspiring conversations, insight, advice, and care. 
• Alyssa Castellano- The artistic genius who brought my poster idea to life. I am so grateful for her generosity and her incredible artistic abilities. Alyssa was with me designing the poster just up until the days leading up to the conference! Thank you.  

I will be posting and updating soon- we are boarding the plane now!