Newsletter -- Volume 2, Issue 4

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July 7, 2010
New Beginnings
Volume 2, Issue 4
STAFF Genevieve N. Waller, Esq. Executive Director Pamela Osman Office Manager Harriet Williams, LMFT (IN) Director of Crisis Services Sherry Lewis, MA, LPC Director of Therapy and Outreach Katie Reid, MSW Community Education Program Director Mary Dell Hayes Volunteer Services Coordinator Melanie Griffin, LMSW Sexual Assault Services Coordinator Meredith Peters, LPA (NC) Advocate Counselor Jennifer Gantt, LMSW Group Services Coordinator Anna Walton Bilingual Victim Advocate
A Bystander Approach to Sexual Violence Prevention
— Katie Reid, MSW, Community Education Director
In October 2009 local and national media outlets reported a brutal gang rape and beating of a 15 year-old girl outside of a school dance in Richmond, California. What made this assault even more disturbing, the news reported, was the fact that 10 or more men raped the young woman while onlookers watched, participated or did nothing. Following the attack, while the victim was recovering from the sexual and physical assaults she suffered, people began asking questions about how anyone could have known this was happening and done nothing to stop it. Why did no one jump in to save this girl? Why did no one go to a school official or to the police to report the incident? Those of us in the field of prevention and education know these questions all too well. For years, we have been working to address the issues of appropriate versus inappropriate bystander prevention and intervention in order to have a holistic, community-based solution to sexual violence. Sexual violence (just like all crime) does not happen in a vacuum. There are cultural norms in our society that perpetuate violence, especially violence against women. Negative cultural norms also often inhibit victims of sexual assault and abuse from seeking and receiving appropriate intervention and assistance. If we are striving to achieve total elimination of sexual violence we must understand that a community problem requires a community solution. However, for decades sexual violence prevention educators and others have had an all-too narrow focus for violence prevention. We have focused our attention on strategies that primarily target women and girls with a goal of boosting their ability to “avoid dangerous situations” and “protect themselves when in harm.” These strategies have included lessons such as self defense, how to cover and watch your drink, and using the buddy system. Although these lessons have their time and place, they tend to place women in a position of constant victimization where women are taught to always look over their shoulder for the next potential attack. Additionally, these lessons put most, if not all, of the responsibility of safety on the potential victim (i.e. women) instead of looking at the root causes for the violence and stopping it before it starts. In the Richmond, CA case it is obvious that the 15 year-old victim would have had little ability to defend herself against her attackers. However, if the spectators would have stepped up and spoken out appropriately, perhaps she would have escaped. Over the past several years Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands has incorporated bystander intervention approaches into our violence prevention programming. We are assessing cultural norms that allow sexual violence to continue and attempting to institute strategies that promote community responsibility. As part of this endeavor, STSM will send their Community Education Director and a male volunteer to attend Jackson Katz’s Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) training hosted by SCCADVASA and DHEC in July. This training utilizes bystander intervention practices to encourage men and women in taking leadership roles in their schools and communities as they work toward eliminating sexual violence. We hope that this training will allow us to further our mission of eliminating sexual violence in our community. Page 1
3700 Forest Drive, Suite 350 Columbia, SC 29204 (803) 790-8208 www.stsm.org
STSM supports survivors in recovery from the trauma associated with sexual assault and abuse and educates the community to identify and prevent sexual violence.
Board Member of the Quarter — Peggy Copulsky, LISW
and Education. She taught for two years at Saluda Elementary School before switching careers to social work, which she has now been practicing for 34 years. Peggy received her MSW in 1985 from USC and lived in Charlotte for almost 20 years. Peggy returned to South Carolina in 2006. She has worked mostly in medical settings--hospitals and hospice home care. Peggy is energetic and enthusiastic about serving on STSM’s Board “because [she has] made a conscious choice to become more involved in [her] community since moving back to Newberry.” She is also the President of the Board of the Manna House (Newberry food bank) and on the Board of Visitors for Piedmont Technical College. She has been the Director of Behavioral Health Services at Newberry County Memorial Hospital for the past year. Little know fact about Peggy: She camped in the Australian Outback and spent her 47th birthday snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef.
In the Fourth Quarter, STSM staff and volunteers accompanied 74 primary survivors of sexual assault and abuse at the hospital.
Peggy Copulsky is one of STSM’s newest board members. Peggy was selected as Board Member of the Quarter for her engaged attendance at Sexual Assault Awareness Month events and tremendous efforts in increasing STSM’s presence in the Newberry community, including assisting with the planning of a press conference for the signing of the first Newberry Sexual Assault Response Team Memorandum of Agreement. Peggy grew up in Newberry and graduated from Newberry College with a degree in English
“Peggy has proven to be a valuable link to our Newberry partners as well as a catalyst and supporter for new programs serving the county. We are very fortunate that someone with Peggy's credentials and engagement in Meet community activism chose STSM as a beneficiary of her talent and dedication.” — Cheryl Bullard Board President
Meet STSM’s newest team members!
Long-time volunteer and SCVAN 2010 Volunteer of the Year, Anna Walton has joined STSM as the new Bilingual Victim Advocate. Our new Office Manager, Pam Osman, is married with four children. She has worked as an office manager in the private sector for more than 15 years.
continued on page 3
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STSM supports survivors in recovery from the trauma associated with sexual assault and abuse and educates the community to identify and prevent sexual violence.
Volunteer of the Quarter — Kazumi Soto
chemistry and biology and is applying to get into medical school. Kazumi also has an adorable four year old son and somehow still manages to find time to volunteer at Lexington Medical Center and work at her family’s restaurant – Inakaya. Kazumi is fluent in Japanese and speaks Spanish. She is i n c r e d i b l y compassionate and always eager to learn more about helping survivors recover from the trauma of sexual abuse.
Volume 2, Issue 4
―It is always refreshing to work with Kazumi. Her positive attitude and willingness to go the extra mile are inspiring. She is truly committed to STSM – providing not only passionate advocacy, but having Inakaya donate delicious food for STSM volunteer training.‖ — Mary Dell Hayes Volunteer Coordinator
Kazumi Sato has covered on call for every Sunday day shift since she completed Volunteer Advocate training in May of 2009. She graduated from USC with a degree in
STSM’s newest team members continued . . .
Meredith Peters, Advocate Counselor, is a graduate of North Carolina State University with a BA in Psychology and UNC Wilmington with a Masters in Psychology. She received her NC license in 2009. She began her career in counseling at the Rape Crisis Center of Coastal Horizons Center, Inc. in Wilmington, NC.
Harriet Williams joins us as the new Director of Crisis Services. She has an MEd from Boston University and is licensed in Marriage and Family Therapy in Indiana. With a wealth of supervision experience, Harriet has served as the Clinical Director for an in-patient drug and alcohol treatment facility and the Treatment Director for DAODAS Juvenile Justice In-patient drug and alcohol treatment facility.
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STSM supports survivors in recovery from the trauma associated with sexual assault and abuse and educates the community to identify and prevent sexual violence.
THANK YOU TO OUR FOURTH QUARTER SUPPORTERS!
Keisha Anderson Joan Amado Donna Amdt Andrew Arnold Sandra Bachelder J. Bailey Pam Baker David Bateman John Beard Mr. and Mrs. Shannon Begley Sheena Benson Kelly Berry Nishtha Bhatti George Bitterwolf Dr. & Mrs. Morris Blachman Nancy Blakey Candy Bolton Susan Boone Christi Bost Guy Bradley Jason Bradley Michelle Brantley Philip Bresnahan Chappelle Broome Fredricka Brown Mary Brown Shermel Brown Yashica Brown Angela Bruccoli Cheryl Bullard Dr. Ponce Bullard Shannon Burriss John Burton Natalie Butler LaNae' Briggs Patricia Cardinale Tawana Carter Jesse Carwell Jeanne Cavanaugh Central Carolina Community Foundation Christian Chamberlain Gotham Bagel Cafe Children's Trust Fund of Christopher Grier SC Melanie Griffin Sharon Cloud Amy Griffith Jennifer Clyburn Larry Guy Columbia Sertoma Club Georgina Hance COMSYS Pamela Hall Cynthia Cooper Marlena Harris Mr. and Mrs. Harry Cymyera Hart Cotton Temple Hart Mr. and Mrs. Charles Robin Haselden Craft Michael Heaton Mark Creel Josie Heilman Joshua Dailey Janet Heuer Annetrinette Dale Mr. and Mrs. John Tameka Davis Hiers Brittany Dease Aundra Hill Lina Delacruz Deshondria Holmes Ryan Dennis Matthew Horne M. Doolittle Stephen Howell Vaughan Dozier Joan Hughes Kimberly Humphries Jamie Early Mr. and Mrs. Hal Eastman Chemical Hutchens Company Chris Ingram Deborah Edens Patoshia James EMC Corporation Carmel Jenkins Stephen Endres Mr. and Mrs. Mark EstesRyan Jenkins Angela Johnson Thomas Faulds Mr. and Mrs. Daryl Amanda Felder Johnson Georgette Fennell Shirley Johnson Monica Ferrante Connie Jones Vickie Fetner Mary Jones Orlando Finkley Robin Jones The Five Points Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Association Jones John Flannagan Christopher Jordan Chris Ford Roxana Kahn Tracey Forehand Diane Kendall Judith Francis Scott Kesling Cynthia Garcia Pamela Kitchens Gervais & Vine Mr. and Mrs. Scott William Gillespy Kesling Sharon Goff Kohl's Stephanie Duty Dorothy Ann Lawson Jane Lawther R. Gayle Leslie Lexington County Recreation Lipscomb Family Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Steven Loewenthal Mr. and Mrs. H. Longshore Debra Lundberg Monique Mack Robert Mahon Lauren Margrave Belinda Marin Renee Martin Jennifer Mastry Mary Mccaskill Kimberly Mccurdy Neosia Mcdaniels Kimberly Mcghee Margaret McKechnie Mikaela Mckennie Jim McLeod Agency, Inc Tyajuana Mealing Laurie Melton Paul Merz Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative Syreeta Miller MODIS Angie Murto Beverly Myers Stephen Narewski Marcia Nelson Newberry County Fatimah Niles Mr. and Mrs. Mondo Normille Cardell Oneal Lisa O'Neill Steven Osborn Michael Owens Continued on page 5
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STSM supports survivors in recovery from the trauma associated with sexual assault and abuse and educates the community to identify and prevent sexual violence.
UPCOMING EVENTS
July 13, 2010 Child Safety Training 1-4:30 pm, Cayce-West Columbia Library July 24, 2010 Child Safety Training 12-3:30 pm, Newberry county Library August 3, 2010 Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Training 5:30pm-9pm, Newberry College August 21, 2010 Volunteer Speaker’s Bureau Training
Volume 2, Issue 4
2009-2010 STSM Board of Directors
President: Cheryl Bullard, DHEC Vice President: Heidi Scott, RCSD Secretary/Treasurer: Guy Bradley, SCANA Ex-Officio: Kaye Jones, Colonial Life At Large: Judy Powers, NBSC
W E’RE ON THE WEB!
WWW. STSM. ORG Donors Continued . . .
Syreeta Owens Amari Paulovic Mary Jane Peck Kimberly Pierce Tracy Pitt Meredith Plyler Curtis Polson Susan Poole Dennis Pruitt Melvin Powell Chaunda PringleGraham Rebecca Rabern John Raffery Emily Rawlings Annie K. Reid Richland County Jennifer Riddle Marline Robinson Catherine Ross Daniel Rossman Susan Rusher Edna Sumter Terrence Sabol David Swartz Shirley Samuels Rhonda Sweatt Diane Savage Kelly Temple SCANA Joel Thomas D Schwartz and R SchwartzUniversity of South Carolina Cindy Scott-Durham Verizon Wireless Tina Selfridge Walmart Randal Senn Wachovia Bank Vivian Simons Mr. and Mrs. Edward Waller Tiffany Singleton Alisha Smith Judith Smith Thomas Snipes William Spivey Spring Valley Rotary Club St. Peter's Catholic Church Tranna Stames Sonya Stephenson Sandra Stocker Deborah Sturgess Mr. and Mrs. John Sullivan Carol Walter Websense Meg Wempe Shemeka White Jean Whitley Carol Willard Lakoskski Williams M. Winesett Lindsay Wolfe Women in Law Adrienne Woods Amanda Zentz
At Large: Jason Bradley, BCBS Pam Baker, McNair Law Firm Walter Caudle, The MMTG Group Peggy Copulsky, NCMH Monique Mack, RCSD Susan Maupin, Mid-Carolina Cooperative Dee Moise, Davis Moise CPA Mary Jane Peck, Colonial Life Preston Winkler, Greater Columbia Community Relations Council
A special thank you to Kaye Jones and Preston Winkler for their years of service to STSM and survivors of sexual assault in the Midlands.
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