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WCASA is Wisconsin's only state-wide coalition dedicated to ending sexual violence.

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        SUPPORT

        Donate directly to WCASA

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        Support our work by: donating through  Community Shares of WI

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        Or visit the WCASA Online Store where you can purchase a scarf to support WCASA's mission.

        Our Mission

        The Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault creates the social change necessary to end sexual violence. 


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        Considerations of Identity

        Race & Ethnicity

        prejudice

        the act of judging someone or some thing before the facts are known.  Assuming that someone of a specific ethnic group or "race" will act in a particular way is an example of pre-judging them.  When people from different groups have little or no contact with each other, they are likely to hold prejudicial views about each other and to act upon them.  If the prejudicial views are inaccurate, they can be obstacles to productive dialog and understanding.  See stereotype and discrimination.
        – Dr. Dennis O’Neil
        Behavioral Sciences Department, Palomar College, San Marcos, California
        The Nature of Ethnicity - course materials: http://anthro.palomar.edu/ethnicity/ethnic_2.htm

         

        Perhaps the most complex, problematic, and politically charged aspect of our identity is assignment of race or ethnicity.

        Race is primarily a cultural creation; it is not born of biological reality. The sub-division of the human species came about because of the dynamics of power and control and distribution of resources which privileged some and marginalized others. 

        In America, people born with white skin enjoy the privilege of being considered the “default” race: people of other races are usually asked to identify themselves in relation to this presumed dominant identity. Part of privilege is not having to think about race, skin color, or the myriad ways in which we are empowered by default. Dominant systems remain in place by virtue of going unexamined.

        Therefore, racial identity presents increased barriers to victims/survivors receiving services; it can also play a role in the perpetuation of myths about the identity of perpetrators.

         

        Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story – TED: Technology Education Design; ideas worth spreading

         

        Read NSVRC’s (National Sexual Violence Resource Center) statement on Multilingual Access PDF: portable document format

         

        Bilingual SAAM Resources + Calling Spanish-speaking Advocates

        Arte Sana is gearing up to publish an updated version of their Bilingual SAAM e-toolkit in 2012, to help bilingual advocates engage Spanish-speaking communities in Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) activities. The “Caja de Herramientas SAAM” will include information and presentations in Spanish, the Corazán Lastimado: Healing the Wounded Heart survivor art exhibit packet, original art in a jpeg format that can be used in presentations and handouts, as well as tested playlists of canciones that are effective for outreach work. 

        In addition to the products, they will include a national list of trainers with experience addressing sexual assault issues in Spanish. Please forward this message to anyone who may be interested in completing a speaker application form. 

        Only a limited number of CDs will be prepared. If you are interested in receiving Caja de herramientas SAAM CD order information please contact  ayuda_latina@yahoo.com.

         

        Ethnic Identity Specific Information:

         

        Additional Resources:

        Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) Report on Immigrant Women [links to SPLC's publications page where the report can be downloaded] link to external webpage

        SARCC (Sexual Assault Resource and Counseling Center, Lebanon, PA): Reaching Latino Victims of Sexual Violence Marketing Toolkit PDF: portable document format

        Justice Cancelled for Immigrant Women: The folks at the Women’s Justice Center in California have released a resource to help communities understand the impact of immigration policies on victims: What Advocates and Communities Should Know About the New Law Enforcement Immigration Policies and their Effects on Victims of Violence Against Women and Children; you can download the resource here PDF: portable document format in English - or here en español PDF: portable document format.

        Further Reading:

        Q&A: Beyond black and white in Madison’s schools Capital Tlmes logo | Feb. 2012

        WCASA responds to Anti-Immigration Legislation proposed by Representative Don Pridemore (R-Hartford) [read more] • 2011

        Upcoming Events

        Read the

        June Newsletter

         

        Currently Open

        6/20: Paths to Healing (conference on child sexual abuse survival), Madison

         7/17-18: Northern Training, Lac du Flambeau

        7/31: Prevention Education Webinar Series:
        Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE)

         

        Save the Date

        11/5-6: Transform the Conversation: Explore, Expand & Create (WCADV, WCASA, AIAA), Wisconsin Dells

             (see Save the Date)
         

        2013 Training & Events Calendar PDF: portable document format

         

        Regional Technical Assistance Calendar

         


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        WCASA Blog

        National Internet Safety Month: Caveat Lapsus (“surfer beware”)

        National Internet Safety Month, June 2013 Caveat Lapsus (“surfer beware”) by Stephen Montagna June is National Internet Safety Month (http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/june-isnational-internet-safety-month-national-cyber-security-alliance-calls-for-online-users-to-stopthink-connect-when-accessing-the-web-158416875.html), and with more and more of our lives moving online there is no time like the present to assess your use of the internet. Safety may seem like a weird term to apply to virtual [...]

        Of NOte:

        2013-02: Governor and Attorney General Seek to Fund Sexual Assault Services with General Purpose Revenue for First Time Ever.

        2013-01: Sexual Assault Law Enforcement Trainer Ray Maida on EVAWI Website:

        Ray Maida on EVAWI Website

        New Research:
        Strengths and Silences: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Students in Rural and Small Town Schools (report by GLSEN; link to press release on their site; study can be downloaded as PDF from linked page)


        Resource highlights – some items that have been updated:

        For more, see our Resources pages.