Violence Assignment

Sexual Violence in the United States:

Summary of the Roundtable Proceedings Sponsored in partnership by the United States Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women, the White House Council on Women and Girls, and the White House Advisor on Violence Against Women Wednesday, October 27, 2010 Eisenhower Executive Office Building Washington, DC Thursday, October 28, 2010 Center for Education on Violence Against Women Washington, DC Contents Sexual Violence in the United States:

Summary of the Roundtable Proceedings Sponsored in partnership by The United States Department of Jus tice Office on Violence Against Women, The White House Council on Women and Girls, And the White House Advisor on Violence Against Women  Executive Summary One in six women and one in 33 men will be sexually assaulted during the course of their lifetime. 1 However incidents of sexual violence rema in the most underreported crimes in the United States, and survivors who disclose their victimization—whether to law enforcement or to family and friends—often encounter more adversity than support. The effects of sexual violence on victims and communities are profound. Survivors of sexual violence are at a higher risk for a number of physical and ment al health problems and other adverse life events, including revictimization. 2 Furthermore, with so few offenders held accountable for their actions, sexual violence amounts to a serious criminal justice crisis.

Congress acknowledged the pervasiv eness of violence against women and the need to address these crimes when it enacted the Violence Agai nst Women Act (VAWA) in 1994 and reauthorized the law in 2000 and 2005. VAWA is a multifaceted effort to respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and other form s of violence against women. VAWA changed the legal landscape, creating new criminal and civil enforcement tools for holding perpetrators accountable and for offering victims access to safety and justice. 1 Tjaden, Patricia, and Nancy Thoennes. 2006. Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Rape Victimization: Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, NCJ 210346.

2 See, e.g., Chamberlin, Linda. 2006. Assessment for Lifetime Exposure to Violence as a Pathway to Prevention , National Online Resource Center on Violence Agains t Women. Accessed December 11, 2010.

http://new.vawnet.org/categor y/Main_Doc.php?docid=301.

This document is intended to reflect the conversation among roundtable participants and is not meant to reflect the opinions of the United States Department of Justice or the White House. This report is not intended as a comprehensive statement on sexual violence in the United States.

March 2011 | Page 3 of 32 In addition, VAWA recognized that, given the powerful social barriers that had kept these crimes hidden, public support for specialized outreach, services, training, and enforcement was critically important to realizing the vision of a society that no longer tolerates violence against women. To this end, VAWA established within the United St ates Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Health and Human Services (HHS) a nu mber of formula and discretionary grant programs to help communities respond to the needs of women who had been, or potentially could be, victimized by violence. Together, these grant programs were designed to increase criminal enforcement, provide necessary services, and support prevention efforts.

Although VAWA addresses both domestic violence and sexual assault, significantly more attention and resources have been devoted to do mestic violence at the national, state and local levels. As a result, sexual violence remains a costly, pervasive, and misunderstood crime. Recognizing that it is time to turn the nation’s attention to the issue of sexual violence, the United States Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) is launching an unprecedented effort to combat sexua l violence in the United States by improving the criminal justice system response, expanding services for victims, and changing attitudes. 3 This effort is a part of the Obama Administration’s larger commitment to “coordination and cooperation across the entire governme nt to protect victims of domestic and sexual violence and enable survivors to break the cycle of abuse.” 4 On October 27, 2010, OVW, the White House Council on Women and Girls, and Lynn Rosenthal, White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, convened a national roundtable discussion on sexual violen ce in the United States. 5 This symposium brought together national and local experts and leaders from many fields to examine barriers to advancing the issue of 3 White House Council on Women and Girls. 2010. Fact Sheet: Obama Administration Highlights Unprecedented Coordination Across Federal Government to Combat Violence Against Women . Accessed December 11, 2010.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_vi ewer/ReducingDomesticViolence_fact%20sheet.pdf.

4 Ibid.

5 The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges provided logistical an d staff support for the two-day roundtable discussion.

March 2011 | Page 4 of 32 sexual violence, envision a future in which surv ivors are better served and offenders are held accountable, and to identify a course of action to achieve that vision. Participants continued the discussion with OVW on October 28, 2010 at the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ)’s Center for Educ ation on Violence Against Women.

Roundtable participants included survivors of sexual violence, advocates, law enforcement officers, forensic medical examiners, prosecuto rs and judges. They represented diverse and underserved populations including tribal co mmunities, the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community, women of color, men, and others. Federal stakeholders were pres ent as observers on October 27 th and included representatives from the White House, the United States Depart ment of Health and Human Services, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Comm ission, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States Department of Defense, the United States Department of Education, and components of the United States De partment of Justice, including the Office for Victims of Crime, the National Institute of Justice, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The October 27 th discussion took place at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, and opening remarks were provi ded by Susan B. Carbon, Director of OVW; Lynn Rosenthal, White House Advisor on Violence Against Women; Thomas J. Perrelli, Associate Attorney General; and Tina Tchen, Executive Director of the White House Council on Women and Girls. The common message conve yed by these leaders was one of strong commitment within the Administ ration and across federal agencies to supporting survivors of sexual violence, holding offenders accountable , and ultimately, ending sexual violence. Over the course of the two days, participants were asked to discuss and respond to a set of questions regarding barriers to advancing the issue of sexual vi olence, strategies for improving the response to sexual violence at the local and national levels, and considerations for public awareness efforts. Participants brought a wealth of knowledge and expertise to this discussion, and the perspectives and ideas they shared will help inform OVW’s efforts moving forward. This document is intended to reflect the conversation among roundtable participants and is not meant to reflect the opinions of the United States Department of Justice or the White House. This report is not intended as a comprehensive statement on sexual violence in the United States.

March 2011 | Page 5 of 32 Roundtable participants identified numerous barriers to advancing the issue of sexual violence.

Key barriers they described included:

 The persistence of “rape myths” and misc onceptions about sexual violence, which run counter to the majority of victims’ experien ces, and make it all the more challenging for survivors to disclose their victimization to anyone, from law enforcement and healthcare professionals to family and friends;  Relentless focus on victim beha vior and characteristics—and lack of attention to offenders—which perpetuate victim-blaming attitudes and help offenders evade sanctions;  Lack of community engagement, which inhibits public disc ourse on the issue;  Failure to account for the historical and current contexts of sexual violence as a tool of subjugation and colonization, in particular as this relate s to communities of color;  The discomfort of professionals and the general public with issues of child sexual abuse and incest, which make it even more difficult for survivors to disclose, attain justice, and seek support;  Victims’ reluctance to report their assaults, given that when victims do disclose, they often face skepticism, blame, and further humiliation from professionals, families, and friends, amounting to what many survivor s consider a “second victimization”;  Lack of effective training and education on sexual violence, both for first responders and for communities at large; and  A dearth of relevant research on sexual violen ce, and the need for better research and data collection to inform the work of practitioners and policymakers. Following the discussion of barriers, participants shared their ideas on what they hoped to see accomplished over the next several years to impr ove the overall response to sexual violence. First, participants called for sweeping criminal justice reform, whereby reports of sex crimes would not be disregarded based on false notions about sexual violence. This reform would also This document is intended to reflect the conversation among roundtable participants and is not meant to reflect the opinions of the United States Department of Justice or the White House. This report is not intended as a comprehensive statement on sexual violence in the United States.

March 2011 | Page 6 of 32 involve establishing uniform language around sexual assault investigations and resolving the cross-jurisdictional barriers that stymie inves tigations and allow offenders to evade sanctions.

For instance, participants recomm ended that tribal authorities need to have jurisdiction over non- Native offenders on tribal land. Additional themes emerged from this c onversation. Participants called for:  Alternative system responses and greater acce ss to civil legal remedies for victims;  A shift in the public discourse around sexual violence—from scrutinizing victim behavior to scrutinizing offender behavior;  Responsible media coverage of the issu e and meaningful engagement of the entertainment industry;  Greater accountability across the board—at the local, state and national levels—and among all disciplines that address sexual violence;  Reduction and elimination of rape kit backlogs;  Focus on prevention and bys tander intervention;  Integration of the experien ces of underserved populations —specifically communities of color, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transge ndered survivors, immigrant women, American Indian and Alaska Native survivors, and adu lt survivors of child sexual abuse—into the national response to sexual violence; and  Greater offender accountability, along with critical consideration of sex offender laws, some of which may actually dissuade victim s from reporting, especially when the perpetrator is a family member or loved one. Finally, given that good research drives good pol icy, participants called for a coordinated, practitioner-informed research agenda to be supp orted with federal funding. Several participants framed the need for research as a social justic e issue, emphasizing that widely-cited data sources rely heavily on crime statistics—which themse lves are based on limited notions of sexual This document is intended to reflect the conversation among roundtable participants and is not meant to reflect the opinions of the United States Department of Justice or the White House. This report is not intended as a comprehensive statement on sexual violence in the United States.

March 2011 | Page 7 of 32 violence—and fail to account for victims who do not report to law enforcement.

Further suggestions offered by participants included:  Develop community-specific social me ssaging and innovative public awareness campaigns to address sexual violence;  Acknowledge secondary or vicarious trauma, meaning the ways in which working with trauma survivors and perpetrato rs affect service providers;  Place more emphasis on offender accountability;  Develop, implement, and carefully evaluate evidence-based programs in all arenas, from prevention to criminal justice response; and  Ensure parity in allocation of resources and funding for sexual violence efforts, particularly within victim servi ces and among underserved populations.

In closing, OVW thanked participants for cont ributing their ideas and expertise to this discussion. Follow-up steps were id entified, to include the development and dissemination of this report, and hosting a series of smaller, topic- and discipline-specific discussions with other stakeholders.

Overview of the Roundtable Roundtable participants included survivors of sexual violence, advocates, law enforcement officers, forensic medical examiners, prosecutors , judges and other national and local experts and leaders. They represented diverse and underserve d populations including tribal communities, the gay, lesbian, bisexual and tr ansgendered community, women of color, men, and others. Federal stakeholders were present as observers during the October 27 th discussion at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and included representatives from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (i ncluding the Centers for Disease Control and This document is intended to reflect the conversation among roundtable participants and is not meant to reflect the opinions of the United States Department of Justice or the White House. This report is not intended as a comprehensive statement on sexual violence in the United States.

March 2011 | Page 8 of 32 Prevention), the United States Equal Employme nt Opportunity Commission, the United States Department of Defense, the United States Depa rtment of Education, and several components of the United States Department of Justice, including the Office for Victims of Crime, the National Institute of Justice, and the Office of J uvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Opening remarks were provided by Susan B. Car bon, Director of the Office on Violence Against Women; Lynn Rosenthal, White House Advisor on Violence Against Women; Thomas J. Perrelli, Associate Attorney General; and Tina Tchen, Executive Director of the White House Council on Women and Girls. The common message conve yed by these leaders was one of strong commitment within the Administ ration and across federal agencies to supporting survivors of sexual violence, holding offenders accountab le, and ultimately, ending sexual violence.

Following opening remarks, OVW staff, includi ng Associate Director Darlene Johnson and Senior Program Specialist Melissa Schmisek, facilitated a discussion around why it is difficult to advance the issue of sexual violence and what ch anges the field would like to see in the future.

On October 28, 2010, a three-hour discussion was he ld at the Center for Education on Violence Against Women, in Washington, DC. This discussion included the national experts and local leaders who participated on the previous day, but federal representation was limited to OVW staff. Director Carbon welcomed the participants , highlighting that OVW’s three key priorities around sexual violence are: 1) prevention; 2) reaching out to and serving traditionally underserved victims; and 3) working to change how sexual violence is talked about and responded to in communities across the nation. She called for a “comprehensive, coordinated approach,” informed by experts in th e field, for addressing sexual violence.

Over the course of the two days, participants were asked several questions designed to explore barriers to advancing the issue of sexual violence, visions for change, and strategies for achieving those visions. This report is a summar y of the discussions on October 27 and October 28. It is not intended as, nor is it, a definitive st atement on sexual violence in the United States. This document is intended to reflect the conversation among roundtable participants and is not meant to reflect the opinions of the United States Department of Justice or the White House. This report is not intended as a comprehensive statement on sexual violence in the United States.

March 2011 | Page 9 of 32 Barriers to Advancing the Issue of Sexual Violence Participants were asked to explain why it is so challenging to advance the issue of sexual violence. Their responses pointed to a number of social, cultural, and systemic barriers, all of which impede efforts to serve victims and hold offenders accountable. Seven themes emerged from the discussion, each of which is summarized below.

Theme 1: Persistence of “Rap e Myths” and Misconceptions The perpetuation of myths about sexual violen ce—who commits it, who it is committed against, why it happens, and what it involves—reinforces widespread misunderstandings about the issue.

Despite the fact that most perp etrators are known to their victim s and most sexual assaults do not result in serious physical injury, falsehoods persist that a typical rapist is a strange man lurking in the dark and that rape is not rape unless it involves physical resi stance and a great deal of bodily harm in addition to the rape itself. These “rape myths” run counter to the majority of victims' experiences and make it all the more challenging for survivors to disc lose their victimization to anyone, from law enforcement and healthcare professionals to family and friends. Pa rticipants also cautioned, however, that stranger rape—while less common than non-stranger rape— does happen. Roughly 21 percent of female victims of sexual assault we re raped by an unknown offender. 6 The tendency to refer to “the myth of stranger rape” is inaccurate and may alienate these survivors.

Furthermore, participants pointed to a lack of understanding of child sexual abuse and incest as a major barrier to serving victims and securing ju stice. They described a general aversion among the public and professionals to discussing chil d sexual abuse and incest, which makes it even more difficult for victims to disclose. 6 Truman, Jennifer L, and Michael R. Strand. 2010. National Crime Victimization Survey, Criminal Victimization, 2009. U.S.

Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, NCJ 231327. Accessed January 24, 2011.

http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv09.pdf.

March 2011 | Page 10 of 32 Theme 2: Lack of Community Engagement Participants explained that communities are both unwilling and unsure of how to deal with sexual violence. Many people see sexual violence as “something that happens to other people,” and they do not think of it as an issue that is relevant to the whole community. They may be unaware that some of their own family members and friends are victims of sexual violence. What little public discourse exists on the issue is frequently laden with misconceptions and often casts judgment on the victim, rather than the perpetrator.

Additionally, talking about consen sual sex is still taboo in many settings, which makes it even more challenging to talk about sexual violen ce. However, as long as individuals and communities continue to recoil from these challengi ng issues, sexual violence will continue to be treated as a “private matter” for victims to endure in secret, shame and isolation.

Theme 3: Need for Contextual and Hist orical Understanding of Sexual Violence Participants stated that efforts to address se xual violence must acknowledge that these crimes have currently and historically been used as a tool of war and a means of colonizing and subjugating people. As a result, communities w ithin the United States may have different histories related to sexual viol ence. Without this contextual unde rstanding, efforts to address the problem cannot fully account for the pervasiveness and the multi-generational reality of sexual violence for communities both within and outside the United States. For example, participants mentioned the widespread use of sexual violence by European colonists against enslaved people of African descent and Native Americans. Thes e problems persist today, with some of the starkest examples being the trafficking of women and the use of ra pe as a tool of war in some parts of the world.

Theme 4: Barriers to Reporting Sexual Violence Sexual violence remains one of the most underrepor ted crimes in the United States. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that the majority of rapes and sexual assaults perpetrated against women and girls in the United States between 1992 and 2000 were not reported to the police.

March 2011 | Page 11 of 32 Specifically, 63 percent of comple ted rapes, 65 percent of attempted rapes, and 74 percent of completed and attempted sexual assaults against females were not reported to law enforcement. 7 Another study found that only 16 percent of rape victims will ever report their assault to police. 8 When victims do disclose, the responses they recei ve from professionals—as well as their family and friends— too often involve skepticism, blam e and further humiliation, amounting to what many survivors consider a “second victimization.” Several participants c ited research on victim disclosure and its impact on the healing pro cess, noting that unsupportive and even hostile reactions put victims at a higher risk for developing pos t-traumatic stress symptoms. 9 Participants noted that, depending upon victim or offender characteristics and the nature of the assault, some victims face even greater barriers to disclosing. The national and local level responses to sexual violence do not adequately acc ount for the unique needs of victims of color, immigrant victims, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered victims, and other underserved populations. As a result, victims may encounter police, healthcare professionals, advocates, and counselors who—even when well-intended—lack the awareness and skills needed to best serve these victims. While the law enforcement field has made some st rides in improving its approach to sex crimes investigations, participants reported that it is still common in some places for police to minimize crimes of sexual violence and to treat some cas es as less serious than others based on victim characteristics and fallacies about non-stranger rape. In addition, part icipants noted that there is a lack of training for law enforcement officers on how trauma can affect a victim’s behavior and her or his capacity to partic ipate in an investigation. Furthermore, participants explained that prosec utors’ decisions to charge or drop cases are inconsistent, and sanctions that am ount to a “slap on the wrist” rarely reflect the seriousness of 7 Rennison, Callie M. 2002. Rape and Sexual Assault: Reporting to Police and Medical Attention, 1992–2000, Washington, DC:

U.S. Department of Justice, Bure au of Justice Statistics, NCJ 194530.

8 Kilpatrick, Dean G., et. al. 2007. Drug-facilitated, Incapacitated, and Forcible Rape: A National Study , U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, NCJ 219181.

9 Kaukinen, Catherine, and Alfred DeMari s. 2009. “Sexual Assault and Current Mental Health: The Role of Help-Seeking and Police Responses.” Violence Against Women 15: 1331-1357.

March 2011 | Page 12 of 32 the crime committed. When victims perceive that offender sanctions are minimal, victims are further dissuaded from reporting—the added trauma of participating in the investigation and prosecution outweighs any criminal justice benefit for the victim. Participants also explained that advances in DNA evidence analysis—while presenting many advantages for victims and the legal system—are mistakenly seen as a prosecutorial magic bullet. In many rape cases the dispute revolves not around the identity of the perpetrator, but rather, if the sex act was consensual or coerced. In these cases, the utility of DNA evidence is limited, and it may not be the most critical evidence for moving a sexual assault case through successful investigation and prosecution. For instance, even if a DNA match is confirmed, it is of little use to the case when the accused relies on the “consent defense.” Another institutional challenge is the court system . Even the most flawlessly investigated and prosecuted case may not result in consequences fo r the perpetrator if the case is presented to a jury—comprised of men and women—that holds deeply-entrenched misconceptions about sexual violence.

Aware of all of these realities, many victims feel that reporting to law enforcement would only be time-consuming and retraumatizing. Finally, some participants cautioned that increas ingly severe sex offender laws can in fact dissuade victims from reporting. Particularly in cases of child sexual abuse and victimization by a loved one, a victim will want the abuse to stop but might be afraid to disclose, for fear that disclosure will irreparably damage their relations hips with family and friends, and/or that the offender’s life will be ruined.

Theme 5: Cross-juri sdictional Challenges In many under-resourced communities struggling to respond to sexual violence, there is also a need to address cross-jurisdicti onal issues both in terms of serv ing victims and holding offenders This document is intended to reflect the conversation among roundtable participants and is not meant to reflect the opinions of the United States Department of Justice or the White House. This report is not intended as a comprehensive statement on sexual violence in the United States.

March 2011 | Page 13 of 32 accountable. The conversation princi pally focused on Indian Country. 10 Participants suggested that federal agencies responsible for investigat ing and prosecuting sexual violence in Indian Country need to prioritize thes e cases and improve the transp arency of their processes.

Participants also suggested th at tribal authorities need to have jurisdiction over non-Native offenders in Indian Country. Native American women are subjected to sexual assault at a significantly higher rate than non-Native women. 11 Participants reported that the vast majority of these crimes are committed by non-Native men on Indi an lands. Cross-jurisdictional challenges often allow these offenders to evade accountability.

Several participants contended that cross-jurisdicti onal issues need not be as complicated as they are sometimes portrayed, suggesting that these matte rs can serve as needless distractions for law enforcement and prosecutors. For instance, how a pa rticular case may eventually be charged may not need to be decided for an investigation to pr oceed. Nonetheless, variations in how crimes are legally defined and how cases are handled create challenges for law enforcement and prosecutors. Theme 6: Gaps in Data and Research Due in part to the challenges discussed above—including underreporting of sexual violence and lack of community engagement—there are major gaps in data and research on sexual violence.

Current research is conducted in silos, and research is rarely disseminated to practitioners in a user-friendly and applicable way.

Additionally, several participants framed the n eed for research as a social justice issue, emphasizing that existing methods often do not reflect the needs and challenges of underserved populations, particularly commun ities of color. Participants emphasized the need for more diversity in methods of researching sexual vi olence, including qualitative and mixed-method approaches, as well as more diversity among researchers themselves. Finally, participants felt 10 According to United States law, Indian Country may include reservations, dependent Indian communities, and allotments. 11 Tjaden, Patricia, and Nancy Thoennes. 2006. Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Rape Victimization: Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, NCJ 210346.

March 2011 | Page 14 of 32 that priorities for future research should be the bystander effect and systems’ accountability for providing just results.

Theme 7: Need for Education and Training for Communities and First Responders First responders—meaning those w ho encounter victims immediately after a sexual assault, such as law enforcement officers and healthcare person nel—often do not have sufficient training on how to appropriately respond and provide meaningful referrals to victims. Participants urged that training for first responders must be practical and relevant to their day-to-day work.

In addition to training for first responders, pa rticipants emphasized the need for community education as a means of changing attitudes, pr eventing sexual violence, and sending the message that sexual violence is never acceptable and will not be tolerated. They urged th at a first step is to believe and support survivors.

Next Steps: Where Do We Need to Be in Five Years, and How Do We Get There?

Participants were asked to discu ss what they want to see accomplished in the next five years and what strategies could be used to achieve those goals. This conver sation flowed directly from the earlier discussion about barriers to advancing the issue of sexua l violence. Overall, the most significant priorities participants identified were criminal justice reform, community engagement, offender accountability, and social messaging to change attitudes and shed light on the issue of sexual violence.

Criminal Justice Reform In discussing barriers within the criminal just ice system, participants first noted that laws regarding sexual violence are not enforced adequately or consistently. Participants identified several ways in which the criminal justice system could improve its respons e to sexual violence: This document is intended to reflect the conversation among roundtable participants and is not meant to reflect the opinions of the United States Department of Justice or the White House. This report is not intended as a comprehensive statement on sexual violence in the United States.

March 2011 | Page 15 of 32  The assumption that any rape victim will immediately want to report to law enforcement is false. The criminal justice system must understand the many valid reasons why victims may not want to report before it can take m eaningful steps to engage and support victims and thus hold more perpetrators accountable fo r their crimes. Conversely, victims should be fully informed of potential consequences of delaying a report to law enforcement, since evidence is lost as time passes. While victims may understandably decide not to report immediately, if at all, they should receive objective information from advocates, healthcare personnel, and others so they can ma ke the decision that is best for them.  Biases against certain victims that lead to some cases being taken less seriously than others must be challenged. Victims’ experien ces with the criminal justice system vary drastically depending on who the perpetrator is as well as the victim’s race or ethnicity, sex, age, sexual orientation, socioeconomic st atus, relationship to the perpetrator, or occupation (e.g., sex workers).

 It was recommended that tribal authoritie s need to have jurisdiction over non-Native offenders in Indian Country. As one participan t stated, the frightening reality is that an offender can assume: “If I rape a woman on a reservation, nothing will happen to me.” They suggested that to address this problem , the field must garner non-Native support for legislation that would give tribal communities jurisdiction over non-Native perpetrators on tribal land.

 Participants urged the United States Departme nt of Justice to issue a set of standard definitions for “false,” “unfounded” and “rec anted” classifications of sexual violence cases. They cited problems with law enforcement agencies inappropriately using these terms to make decisions whethe r to investigate a crime. By and large, participants pressed the need fo r the criminal justice system to address its persistent failure to hol d offenders accountable. This document is intended to reflect the conversation among roundtable participants and is not meant to reflect the opinions of the United States Department of Justice or the White House. This report is not intended as a comprehensive statement on sexual violence in the United States.

March 2011 | Page 16 of 32 Alternative System Responses Participants suggested that refo rm must go beyond the criminal ju stice system. Ideally, a victim would be able to disclose to and receive an appr opriate response from the healthcare, civil legal and educational systems as well as her or his family, workplace, or spiritual community. A more holistic response to sexual violence would promote understa nding of survivors’ coping mechanisms, particularly those which can make survivors more vulnerable for further victimization, such as use of drugs and alcohol. Furthermore, victims are often burdened with a number of “hidden costs” of sexual violence, from lost wages to chronic medical issues and healthcare costs. 12 Participants suggested that more civil legal remedies should be available to victims who seek justice and restitution but may not be able to obtain it through the criminal jus tice system, and victims need greater access to legal representation in civil cases.

Participants emphasized that the healthcare system’s response must be strengthened and better coordinated. For instance, more physicians and other healthcare professi onals need education on forensic and patient care issues related to sexua l violence. Currently, trained forensic nurses provide much of the frontline care for patients seeking forensic examinations, but there are relatively few physicians with high-level training on this issue. The healthcare response can be enhanced—and victims can be better served—if more physicians were equi pped with the specific knowledge and skills necessary to provide good fo rensic medical care, direction, supervision, and leadership.

Finally, an alternative system response could al so include expanding advocacy to include more specialized and long term services for survivors. 12 See, e.g., Dolezal, Theresa, David McCo llum, and Michael Callahan. 2009. Hidden Costs in Health Care: The Economic Impact of Violence and Abuse , Eden Prairie, MN: Academy on Violence and Abuse.

March 2011 | Page 17 of 32 Community Engagement Participants offered several concrete ideas for engaging communities on sexual violence issues.

Their suggestions included:

 Coordinated community responses to sexual violence must focus on holding offenders accountable.

 Efforts to engage communities around sexual violence should imbue the community with a sense of shared accountab ility, wherein sexual violence is seen as a community problem, not an individual victim’s problem. Victims should not be made to feel ashamed; they should be supported by their communities. Social messaging targeted at holding communities accountable (e.g., messa ges focused on prevention and bystander intervention) can help this effort.

 Sexual violence should be framed as a public health issue.  Ensure that providers that specifically se rve communities of color and other underserved communities have fair access to federal resources to address sexual violence, so that they may develop culturally- and linguistically-s pecific interventions, prevention, community engagement, public education, and awareness efforts.  Community engagement efforts should be developed by and for individual communities, rather than foisted upon them. Leaders and an ti-violence advocates from the community should be involved in the development and implementation of community engagement and outreach. One participant explained that too often victims of sexual violence are viewed as “other,” making it easier to remain unaffected and uninvolved. People become outraged over sexual violence a nd other injustices when there is a sense of empathy and connectedness in a community.  Provide resources that suppor t capacity-building among organi zations that serve victims of sexual violence, and support ongoing dial ogue among advocates through mechanisms This document is intended to reflect the conversation among roundtable participants and is not meant to reflect the opinions of the United States Department of Justice or the White House. This report is not intended as a comprehensive statement on sexual violence in the United States.

March 2011 | Page 18 of 32 such as roundtable discussions.

 Noting that conversations about sexual vi olence are not happening in many tribal communities, participants suggested developing the capacity of tribal advocates to start these conversations. They recommended gather ing a small group of tribal advocates for an initial conversation about sexual violence who would then go back to their respective tribal communities and discuss the issue with the tribal elders. In conjunction with these conversations, a companion guide should be developed for tribal advocates that would guide them in this process.

Social messaging, public awareness campaigns, and other forms of outreach are also a key piece of engaging communities. These strategies are discussed later in this report. Public Discourse on Sexual Violence and Responsible Media Coverage Just as communities need to talk about sexual vi olence, so do local, state and national leaders in politics, media, and other public arenas. Particip ants did not reach a consensus on how to create this shift, but many agreed that it involves a fundamental change in the way we talk about sexual violence. Too often, public discourse on sexual violence is limited to jokes on television and heavy news coverage of only the most sensationa l crimes. Furthermore, public discourse fails to acknowledge victims of color and other underserved victims, and fails to account for all of the non-physical and long-term harm that sexual vi olence inflicts upon a person, including post- traumatic stress symptoms, chronic health issues , effects on spirituality, and other forms of suffering. In addition, it was mentioned multiple times during both days of discussion that women and girls are perpetually demeaned in advertising and other profit-generating venues. These degrading images of women are commonplace, and the public’s reluctance to talk about sexual violence only exacerbates the harm that misogynist ic messages do to society as a whole.

March 2011 | Page 19 of 32 Approaches to improving public discourse on sexu al violence must include social messaging and responsible engagement of the media. Princi pally, public scrutiny must shift from victim behavior to perpetrator behavior. Since the media inform the public and can reinforce or challenge social norms, coverage of sexual violence must include a be tter representation of victims and a more accurate port rayal of the issues. One participant mentioned Counter Quo (www.counterquo.org), a non-profit that seeks to challenge the way media responds to sexual violence, as an example of organi zations addressing these issues. Education and Training for Communities and Professionals There was a general consensus among participan ts that communities and professionals need education about, and training on, sexual violence. Some participants urged that education and training should be targeted specifically to la w enforcement, prosecutors, healthcare personnel, and other stakeholders who may be involved in Sexual Assault Response Teams (SARTs), as these first responders set the tone for the victim’s experience in the criminal justice, healthcare, and legal systems. Legislators would also need to be involved to ensure funding and move education and training efforts moving forward. Participants identified some issues that e ducation and training should cover, as well as suggestions for implementation. Topics recomm ended for training and education included:

background on all forms of sexual violence; how wo rking with trauma survivors can traumatize the service provider; how to work with survivors who have disabilities or language barriers; how men and women are socialized in ways that fost er sexual violence (e.g., how men are expected to be “in control of the situation”); comba ting homophobia; cultural competency; primary prevention; and sex offender dynamics. Participants also emphasized that curricula and pedagogy must account for the fact that each audience will include primary and se condary survivors who already have personal expe rience with the issue.

Two strategies to ensure broad access to e ducation and training on sexual violence were:

 Sexual violence education and continui ng education for all professionals, This document is intended to reflect the conversation among roundtable participants and is not meant to reflect the opinions of the United States Department of Justice or the White House. This report is not intended as a comprehensive statement on sexual violence in the United States.

March 2011 | Page 20 of 32 paraprofessionals, and emerging professionals in healthcare and mental health fields, as well as for federal and state agency decision- makers, grant managers, and legislators; and  Implementation of developmentally-appropriate curricula on sexual violence in all public elementary, middle, and high schools, as part of an overall violence prevention effort. Lastly, it was noted that community outreach is al so a way to educate potential jury pools about sexual violence. Parity and Adequacy of Resources There was a strong sentiment among participants that there needs to be parity in resource allocation between sexual violence and domestic violence issues. More funding and resources are needed specifically for underserved communitie s because many rape crisis centers are not reaching everyone who needs their resources. More over, if the sexual violence field embarks on a public awareness campaign, adequa te resources need to be in place to address the inevitable influx of people who will require community-based services.

Another consequence of rape cris is centers being under-resourced is that these agencies are not able to serve the scores of survivors of child sexual abuse who seek their services. Research has documented the far-reaching impact of child sexual abuse 13 on all aspects of an adult survivor’s life. However, given that rape cr isis centers are typically resourced to serve only adult survivors in the immediate aftermath of an assault, adult survivors of child sexual abuse have very limited access to the help they need. Funding specifically to serve adult survivors of child sexual abuse could ensure that these survivors are not turned away by service providers. Accountability Participants emphasized that efforts to combat sexual violence must focus on holding offenders, systems, and communities accountable. Currently, a gr eat deal of scrutiny and blame is directed at victims of sexual violence rather than the offenders who perpetrate the violence and the 13 Dube, S. R., Anda, R.F., Whitfield, C.L., et al. 2005. "Long-term consequences of childhood sexual abuse by gender of victim," American Journal of Pr eventive Medicine, 28 (5): 430–8.

March 2011 | Page 21 of 32 systems responsible for responding to it. As one participant stated: “The field cannot end sexual violence by only focusing on the victims.” In discussing the need for greater offender accountability, participants also explained that offender treatment should be based on research and provided in a culturally-specific manner to improve its effectiveness. Furthermore, policym akers must take a more critical look at sex offender management and examine well-intende d laws that may actually serve to dissuade victims from reporting or increase the likelihood of offender recidivism. Rape Kit Backlog Reduction Reduction and elimination of the backlog of rape kits in local and state crime laboratories was identified as a priority. When victims consent to the grueling process of a forensic medical exam, they expect that something will be done with the evidence collected. However, physical evidence from sexual assault cases can sit untested for months , years, and even decades. This crisis allows offenders to evade sanctions, denies justice and sa fety to victims, and erodes public trust in the criminal justice system.

Coordinated Research Agenda Given that good research drives good policy, pa rticipants called for a coordinated, practitioner- informed research agenda to be supported with federal funding. They urged that more research and better data are necessary to build public awareness about sexual violence and to develop informed strategies for combating it. Research should then be disseminated to practitioners and the public in accessible, user-friendly formats.

Acknowledgment of Secondary and Vicarious Trauma Throughout the roundtable discussi on, participants urged that sexual violence be understood as an issue that has ripple effects beyond the primary victim. Sexual violence affects families, communities, and those who work with survivors a nd perpetrators. There is a stigma associated with recognizing vicarious trauma in one’s life, and first responders can face burnout, This document is intended to reflect the conversation among roundtable participants and is not meant to reflect the opinions of the United States Department of Justice or the White House. This report is not intended as a comprehensive statement on sexual violence in the United States.

March 2011 | Page 22 of 32 compassion fatigue, and frustration with a la ck of results, depending on how success is measured. They may feel incapable of continuing the work of supporting survivors, investigating crimes, treating sex offenders, and so forth. Prof essionals and volunteers who work directly and daily with the issue of sexual violence may b ecome traumatized themselves, and systems must build in mechanisms to support these workers and keep them well. Public Awareness Campaigns and Social Messaging In developing a public awareness campaign, the field should consider what it intends to accomplish, and how the campaign will affect sexual violence prevention efforts and services. If the sexual violence field embarks on a public awareness campaign, th ere will be an increase in people needing community-based services, whic h will require expanding the capacity of the current infrastructure to ha ndle an influx of requests. Four public awareness campaign themes were recommended and discussed: Overall, participants embraced the idea of a public awareness campaign, as it would serve as a symbolic event that the sexual violence field coul d build upon in the future. However, concerns were expressed about the short timeline to conv ene such an important event, and there was no general consensus about what the National Da y of Discussion should look like or accomplish.

Given that social messaging around an awareness campaign would have to be developed with a tremendous amount of caution and thoughtfulness, so me participants thought it would be better to plan for the Day of Discussion in April 2012.

Participants also discussed wh ether the National Day of Discu ssion would be implemented using a “top down” or “bottom up” approach, and what the roles of the federal government and local and national stakeholders would be in its executi on. They asked that the vision for the event be clearly articulated and tied to other Sexual Assault Awareness M onth efforts. It was suggested that OVW, in conjunction with the roundtable par ticipants and others in the sexual violence field, develop the key messages for the National Day of Discussion, take-aways from the roundtable discussion, and next steps.

Having expressed their concerns, participants provided ideas about what a National Day of Discussion could look like and how to convene such an event. Their ideas included:

 Discussions in professional sectors . These discussions could be structured, high-level conversations among various professional gr oups, including the media, healthcare providers, educators, and law enforcement. Th ese smaller discussions would build up to a National Day of Discussion.

 On-line discussions. These discussions could be enc ouraged through targeted messages, developed by the sexual violence field and promoted through Twitter and Facebook. A day of on-line discussion would culminate, at the end of the day, in a live web-cast or similar event to address and debrief on the themes of the discussion. A central website could be developed specifically for this day of online discussion. In conjunction with the on-line discussions, T-shirts coul d be developed with the central website’s address, as a This document is intended to reflect the conversation among roundtable participants and is not meant to reflect the opinions of the United States Department of Justice or the White House. This report is not intended as a comprehensive statement on sexual violence in the United States.

March 2011 | Page 25 of 32 way of getting the word out about the day of discussion. However, it should be noted that some tribal and rural communities do not have Internet access or capabilities.

 Dinner conversations. These conversations could be held over dinners at specific locations, including the White House, churches, bars, or Alcoholic Anonymous groups. The sexual violence field could choose selected dinners for media coverage in magazines, morning news shows, etc. These dinner c onversations would “normalize” talking about sexual violence and would reflect that public figures care about the issue. Local communities could be encouraged to host similar conversations.

 “Sexual violence affects everyone.” This phrase was a suggested theme for the National Day of Discussion. To illustrate this theme, the effort could involve high-level people across party lines and in corporate America, to show they are all united against sexual violence. Closing and Follow-up OVW identified several next step s it would take following the roundtable discussion: 1) prepare a report of the discussion; 2) host a series of topic- and discipline-specific roundtable discussions; and 3) designate a point person for this project. Participants were asked to identi fy topics for future roundtable discussions, identify potential participants for those discussions , and indicate how they themselves would like to be involved in future efforts, if at all. There are multiple goals associated with the series of roundtable discussions, including encourag ing discourse on sexual violence in the United States and expanding our capacity as individuals and as a nation to respond appropriately and compassionately to victims of sexual violence and to hold offenders accountable. Suggested groups identified for future roundtable discussions included: law enforcement, forensic scientists, prosecutors, judges, advocates, su rvivors, men, healthcare personnel, legislators, the elderly, faith-based communities, the sports world, th e military, immigrant communities, offender treatment providers, corrections personnel, paro le and probation personnel, mental health and This document is intended to reflect the conversation among roundtable participants and is not meant to reflect the opinions of the United States Department of Justice or the White House. This report is not intended as a comprehensive statement on sexual violence in the United States.

March 2011 | Page 26 of 32 trauma experts, the media and entertainment indus tries, researchers, primary prevention experts, communities of color, youth, and victims from American Indian and Alaska Native communities as well as victims from the gay, lesb ian, bisexual and transgendered community.

Ms. Kim Lopez, OVW Program Specialist, was desi gnated as the point person for this project. She can be reached, via email, at [email protected].

March 2011 | Page 27 of 32 Appendix A: Participants FACILITATORS Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) Susan B. Carbon, Director Darlene Johnson, Associate Director Melissa Schmisek, Senior Program Specialist PARTICIPANTS Joanne Archambault, Executive Director, End Vi olence Against Women International, Addy, WA Elizabeth Barnhill, Executive Director, Iowa Co alition Against Sexual Assault, Des Moines, IA Claudia Bayliff, JD, Project Attorney, National Judicial Education Program, Falls Church, VA Connie Burk, Executive Director, The Northwest Network of Bisexual, Trans, Lesbian & Gay Survivors of Abuse, Seattle, WA Roxanne Chinook, STOP Violence Education Coordi nator, Tulalip Tribes Legacy of Healing Program, Tulalip, WA Michelle Corrao, Director of Community Relations, Prevail, Noblesville, IN Mark Crawford, State Director, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), Ebenel, NJ Kim Day, SAFE Technical Assistance Coordinator, International Association of Forensic Nurses, Arnold, MD Hon. Mel Flanagan, Deputy Chief Judge, Milwau kee County Circuit Court, Milwaukee, WI Cat Fribley, Resource Sharing Pr oject Coordinator, Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Des Moines, IA Mira Frosolono, Assistant Director , National Center for Rural Law Enforcement Criminal Justice Institute, Little Rock, AR Rachel Gandell, Public Policy Manager, Ra pe, Abuse & Incest Network (RAINN), Washington, DC William Green, MD, Medical Director, California C linical Forensic Medical Training Center, Shingle Springs, CA Lynn Hecht Schafran, JD, Director, National Judicial Education Program, New York, NY This document is intended to reflect the conversation among roundtable participants and is not meant to reflect the opinions of the United States Department of Justice or the White House. This report is not intended as a comprehensive statement on sexual violence in the United States.

March 2011 | Page 28 of 32 Susan Howley, Director of Public Policy, Nationa l Center for Victims of Crime, Washington, DC Neil Irvin, Executive Director, Me n Can Stop Rape, Washington, DC Monika Johnson Hostler, Executive Director, Nort h Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Raleigh, NC Maneesha Kelkar, Executive Director , Manavi, Inc., New Brunswick, NJ Kristina Korobov, JD, Senior Atto rney, National Center for the Prosecution of Violence Against Women, National District Attorney s Association, Alexandria, VA Christine Kryzwonski, JD, Nati onal Center for the Prosecution of Violence Against Women, National District Attorneys Association, Alexandria, VA Aviva Kurash, Program Manager, In ternational Association of Chiefs of Police, Alexandria, VA Jennifer Long, JD, Director, AEquitas: The Pros ecutors’ Resource on Violence Against Women, Washington, DC James Markey, Sergeant, Phoenix Police Department, Phoenix, AZ Luz Marquez-Benbow, Associate Director, Nationa l Organization of Sisters of Color Ending Sexual Assault, Canton, CT Nicole Matthews, Executive Director, Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition, St. Paul, MN Kathy Prudden, LCSW, Adjunct Professor, Ge orge Mason University, Alexandria, VA Holly Ramsey-Klawsnik, PhD, Sociologist & Me ntal Health Clinician, Klawsnik & Klawsnik Associates, Canton, MA Delilah Rumburg, Chief Executive Officer, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, Enola, PA Sarah Tofte, Director of Advocacy and Strate gic Partnerships, Joyful Heart Foundation, New York, NY Michael Weaver, MD, Medical Director, Forensic Care Program, St. Luke’s Health System, Kansas City, MO Kym Worthy, JD, Prosecutor, Wayne Count y Prosecutor’s Office, Detroit, MI Victoria Ybanez, Executive Director, Red Wi nd Consulting, Inc., Colorado Springs, CO Maile Zambuto, Executive Director, Joyf ul Heart Foundation, New York, NY FEDERAL PARTICIPANTS* Mala Adiga, Counsel to the Associate Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC Frances Ashe-Goins, Acting Direct or, Office on Women’s Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC This document is intended to reflect the conversation among roundtable participants and is not meant to reflect the opinions of the United States Department of Justice or the White House. This report is not intended as a comprehensive statement on sexual violence in the United States.

March 2011 | Page 29 of 32 Constance Barker, Commissioner, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Washington, DC Kathleen Basile, Lead Behavioral Scientist, Cent ers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA Joye Frost, Acting Director, Office for Victim s of Crime, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC Suzanne Holroyd, Communications and Policy Manager, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, U.S. Department of Defense, Arlington, VA Marylouise Kelley, Director, Family Violence Pr evention & Services Program, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC Karen Lang, Public Health Advisor, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA Karol Mason, Deputy Associate Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington DC Emily Miles, Confidential Assistant, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC Thomas J. Perrelli, Associate A ttorney General, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC Catherine Pierce, Senior Advisor to the Ad ministrator, Office on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Departme nt of Justice, Washington, DC Kristina Rose, Deputy Director, National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC Lynn Rosenthal, White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, Washington, DC Tina Tchen, Director, White House Counc il on Women and Girls, Washington, DC Kaye Whitley, Director, Sexual Assault Preventi on and Response Office, U.S. Department of Defense, Washington, DC OVW STAFF Ginger Baran, Program Specialist Michelle Brickley, Associate Director Debbie Bright, Program Specialist Virginia Davis, Deputy Director for Policy Development Lorraine Edmo, Deputy Director for Tribal Affairs Bess Evans, Confidential Assistant to the Director Tia Farmer, Public Affairs Specialist Anne Hamilton, Program Specialist Kim Lopez, Program Specialist This document is intended to reflect the conversation among roundtable participants and is not meant to reflect the opinions of the United States Department of Justice or the White House. This report is not intended as a comprehensive statement on sexual violence in the United States.

March 2011 | Page 30 of 32 Anna Martinez, Senior Policy Advisor Christina Murray, Management and Program Analyst Nadine Neufville, Associate Director Marnie Shiels, Attorney Advisor Susan Williams, Associate Director NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JUVENILE A ND FAMILY COURT JUDGES STAFF Erin Hammer, Administrative Manager, Fa mily Violence Department, Washington, DC Amy Pincolini-Ford, Senior Attorney, Family Violence Department, Reno, NV Michele Robinson, Project Coordinator, Family Violence Department, Reno, NV Maureen Sheeran, Director, Family Violence Department, Reno, NV * All federal participants apart from OVW staff par ticipated in the October 27, 2010 discussion only . This document is intended to reflect the conversation among roundtable participants and is not meant to reflect the opinions of the United States Department of Justice or the White House. This report is not intended as a comprehensive statement on sexual violence in the United States.

March 2011 | Page 31 of 32 Appendix B: Agendas Roundtable on Sexual Violence in America Eisenhower Executive Office Building Washington, DC AGENDA October 27, 2010 12:00PM Registration 12:30PM Welcome and Overview Susan B. Carbon, Director, Office on Violence Against Women Lynn Rosenthal, White House Advi sor on Violence Against Women Tom Perrelli, Associate Attorney General, Department of Justice 12:45PM Facilitator Introduction Darlene Johnson, Associate Director, Office on Violence Against Women Melissa Schmisek, Senior Program Special ist, Office on Violence Against Women 12:50PM Participant Introductions Name, Title, and Organization for each participant 1:10PM Goals for the Meeting and Summary of Participant Responses Melissa Schmisek Darlene Johnson 1:25PM Questions for Discussion 2:25PM Closing Remarks Susan B. Carbon Tina Tchen, Executive Director, Whit e House Council on Women and Girls 2:30PM Meeting Concludes Roundtable on Sexual Violence in America AGENDA October 28, 2010 9:00AM - 12:00PM 8:30AM Continental Breakfast and Check-In 9:00AM Welcome and Framing for the Day Susan B. Carbon, Director, Office on Violence Against Women Darlene Johnson, Associate Director, Office on Violence Against Women Melissa Schmisek, Program Specialist, Office on Violence Against Women 9:20AM Question #4: Strategies to arrive at 5 year vision 10:00AM Public Awareness Efforts 10:30AM Break 10:45AM Introduction of “National Day of Discussion” Susan B. Carbon 10:50AM Discussion of “National Day of Discussion” 11:15AM Moving Forward 11:55AM Wrap Up Susan B. Carbon 12:00PM Meeting Concludes