Category: Sexual Assault

If you missed Julie Valentine’s webinar last month on DNA in groping cases, you’re in luck–aside from listening to the archived version of *that* presentation, Dr. Valentine is presenting a SANE-specific talk for SAFEta. The webinar will be held April 11th at 2pm ET. From the registration page:

Improving the overall response to sexual assault includes understanding how touch DNA evidence impacts groping sexual assault cases. This webinar will illustrate the importance of these cases and highlight proposed guidelines for evidence collection

Register here.

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Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

Last week, Latino USA (in conjunction with Rewire. News) reported on this story of sexual abuse in US immigration detention centers. It is powerful and raw, and much of what you’ll hear is sadly familiar:

“There’s a long and extensive pattern of sexual abuse and harassment in immigration detention facilities, even though the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) was introduced in DHS facilities in 2014. Over a ten-month period, Latino USA partnered with Rewire.Newsand dug into one specific case: that of Laura Monterrosa’s sexual abuse allegations at the T. Don Hutto Detention Center. What we learned after reviewing documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request raised questions about the efficacy of internal investigations at immigration facilities across the country and the safety of thousands of people detained there.”

It’s an important news story, and incredibly well reported. Take the time to listen if you are able.

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Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

Futures Without Violence has a webinar coming up–Addressing Alcohol’s Role in Campus Sexual Assault. The session will be held March 25th at 3pm ET. IT will be recorded and archived. From the website:

Alcohol use plays a role in 50 to 70% of campus sexual assaults, which has generated heightened consideration of the intersections of sexual assault and alcohol use on campus. This webinar will focus on evidence-based strategies for prevention and response, both in the campus health center and the wider campus community. Current NIAAA research on the intersection of violence and disabilities, and trauma-informed clinical interventions that address both alcohol use and sexual violence will be presented.  The new resource Addressing Alcohol’s Role in Campus Sexual Assault: A Toolkit by and for Prevention Specialists will also be reviewed, with special attention to how to operationalize key prevention strategies.

As a result of attending this webinar, participants will be better able to:

• Describe student with disabilities’ experiences of campus sexual violence and alcohol prevention programming
• Implement an evidence-based clinical intervention to prevent and respond to sexual violence in their campus health center
• Identify at least two prevention strategies to address alcohol’s role in sexual assault
• Identify next steps for their prevention work on their campus

Register for the session here.

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Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

EVAWI’s Kris Rose and Kim Day from IAFN will be hosting a webinar, Thinking Outside the Kit: Transportation Options for Improving Access to Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Exams. The session will be held March 7th at 1pm ET. From the announcement:

Survivors of sexual assault face numerous hurdles in the aftermath of the crime, not the least of which is ensuring they can access a medical-forensic exam conducted by a trained medical professional. These trained professionals, often referred to as Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE), Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners (SAFE), or Forensic Nurses (FN) ensure that victims’ injuries are treated, prophylaxis against infection and pregnancy are administered, and forensic evidence is expertly collected. Using a trauma-informed approach, SANEs treat victims with respect and dignity, while honoring their choices throughout the process. Research indicates that when victims receive services from a SANE, they are more likely to seek help (e.g., counseling, therapy) and participate in the criminal justice process.

But what happens if the victim doesn’t have transportation to the post assault healthcare services they need? What if the crime occurs in a rural area and the only clinic with trained SANEs is located hours away from where the assault occurred? What if the only transportation available is the bus or taxi, but the victim can’t afford to pay the fares? What if the victim lives in a rural community where there are no buses or taxis? Affordable, safe, discrete, and reliable transportation is key to ensuring that victims of sexual assault have access to medical-forensic exams

Register here.

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Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

Here’s a topic rarely discussed in webinars: DNA Evidence in Groping Sexual Assault Cases. The always excellent Dr. Julie Valentine will be presenting the session on February 27th at 2pm ET. From the announcement:

Improving the overall response to sexual assault includes understanding how touch DNA evidence impacts groping sexual assault cases. This webinar will illustrate the importance of these cases and highlight proposed guidelines for evidence collection.

Detailed Learning Objectives:

1. Describe background information on touch DNA in sexual assault cases and factors that influence epithelial cell deposition.

2. Explain evidence collection practice implications from groper case study and research findings.

3. Identify possible suggestions and opportunities to expand evidence collection in groping sexual assault cases in their jurisdictions.

Register for the webinar here.

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Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.

For our final post of the week, a webinar from the SAKI TA project— Understanding Case Connectivity: How Testing Sexual Assault Kits Can Link Criminal Cases. The webinar (which will be archived, so don’t sweat the short notice) will be held on November 28th at 2pm ET. From the website:

This webinar will explain the potential utility of case connectivity and discuss how case connectivity can be established through Sexual Assault Kit DNA testing. The webinar will also provide step-by-step guidance on how to organize and analyze the data needed to establish case connectivity. Participants will have ample time after the webinar to ask questions of the presenters.

Presenters:

Dr. Rebecca Campbell is a Professor of Psychology at Michigan State University. She holds a Ph.D. in community psychology with a concentration in statistics, also from Michigan State University. For the past 25 years, she has been conducting community-based research on violence against women and children, with an emphasis on sexual assault.

Rachael Goodman-Williams holds a master’s degree in community psychology and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in community psychology from Michigan State University. Her work broadly focuses on violence against women, with a specialization in quantitative methods and evaluation science.

Register for the session here.

Have you checked out the FHO store lately? You can find our newest research brief, Aging Bruises Based On Color, plus our original guide, Injury Following Consensual Sex. Both available now for electronic download.