Instead of prisons: a handbook for abolitionists
Repeating the cycle of violence
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- Bu səhifədəki naviqasiya:
- Empowering the victims of Rape
- Eliminating rape in a sexist society
- Grass roots organizing professionalism
- How to start a rape crisis center
- Set short and long range goals
- An empowerment model: BAWAR
- Other rape crisis centers
- Women Organized Against Rape (WOAR)
- Innovative action projects
- New responses to the sexually violent
| Repeating the cycle of violence
Sexual assault of prisoners by guards and other prisoners has long been shrouded in secrecy and misinformation, but the jailing of political activists in the 1960's and the plight of women, like Joanne Little, who speak out, have now unlocked the door on what was once an "unmentionable" subject. Bob Martin was raped 60 times during one weekend in a Washington, D.C. jail. Ralph Gans was assaulted by 17 men during an inmates "political" riot. He was hospitalized for months. Tico Gonzalez was raped by three guards in a city jail on Christmas Eve. Harvey Masters was seven when he was sent to a home for unwanted boys and was jumped by four kids twice his age. Over a dozen inmates sexually abused a hated prison guard during a well publicized prison uprising... Prison rape becomes the ultimate shame. It destroys the spirit and symbolically serves as the demasculinization of the victim. David Rothenberg, "Group Rip Off: The Prison Rape!" The Advocate, May 5, 1976 Public recognition of the epidemic proportions of sexual assault in prison, however, has not altered the situation and there are few statistics or studies on prison rape. The acting out of power roles in an authoritarian environment continues to thrive in keeping with punitive societal attitudes toward prisoners. [40] Sexual violence rampant in U.S. prisons and jails is inevitable. Sexual violence and abuse are the results of a violent and abusive system. Empowering the victims of Rape Rape is an assault on the victim's self determination, sexuality, and psyche. Following a rape, victims experience:[41]
Until recently, victims of sexual assault had no place to go to receive sympathetic understanding, to find help in dealing with medical and legal institutions or to be educated on the issue of sexual assault and how to work toward its prevention. Hospitals, police and the courts for the most part exhibit sexist and racist biases, often further traumatizing the sexual assault victim. Nor are relatives and friends always supportive; they frequently react with horror and disapproval of the victim, blaming her for the attack. Indeed, it often appears that that the victim herself is placed on trial. Until recently, the rape victim suffered her indignities and injuries alone. Rape crisis centers This situation has changed dramatically as a result of the blossoming of the feminist movement. [42] During the early 70's the establishment and maintenance of rape crisis centers was undertaken solely by concerned women, usually under the auspices of feminist groups or women's centers. Most of the early anti rape workers were political activists, advocates or community organizers, and many were rape victims themselves. Today more than 200 rape crisis intervention programs are functioning primarily in urban and suburban areas. The centers provide supportive services to victims of sexual assault while acting as buffers between victims and institutional sexist practices. Program activities include:
Eliminating rape in a sexist society The long range goal of anti rape work is to eliminate rape from our society. Ultimately, this can only be accomplished thru the eradication of patriarchy and its bastion, sexism. Fundamental changes must take place in values, customs, mores and political, economic and social institutions, if women are to be free from sexual violation and exploitation. Massive re educational campaigns are necessary to raise public consciousness. The first step in changing public consciousness ties in the recognition of rape as a crime of violence. Rape prevention strategies must be related to changing social conditions which foster violence. The responsibility for changing violent attitudes and behavior should be acknowledged by all institutions which affect attitudes, knowledge and behavior--the home, schools and universities, media, social services, the legal system and governmental agencies. Secondly, re education campaigns should be directed at potential rapists males socialized in a sexist culture and potential victims females socialized in sexist culture. Programs should be designed to reach discovered and undiscovered rapists, child sexual abusers, including fathers who sexually assault their children, voyeurs and exhibitionists. Concerted campaigns would focus on victims--reported and unreported children, adolescents and adults, and their families. Grass roots organizing & professionalism Rape prevention centers take a variety of forms and work from differing philosophies. Some are self supporting, grass roots feminist centers whose political beliefs and autonomy are essential to the services they provide. Other centers are organized and run by professionals within police departments, prosecutors' offices, hospitals, churches, mental health clinics and other established organizations. [43] The struggle, at any level, against sexual violence, is scattered and inadequate. Anti rape groups, feminist or professional, barely scratch the surface in their attempts to bring aid to victims, change inhumane institutions and challenge and eradicate rape promoting sexism in education, media and elsewhere. While all efforts are vitally needed, abolitionists particularly encourage rape crisis and prevention programs initiated and directed by the affected people. In the long range, programs designed by "professionals" tend to serve the interests of the criminal (in)justice systems rather than the interests of victims and potential victims. Such programs do not empower a movement which can become the vehicle for the massive re educational campaigns so urgently needed. How to start a rape crisis center The first step in organizing a rape crisis service [44] is to gather concerned women who are willing to donate time and energy to build this victim service. Determine the needs of women in your community.
Set short and long range goals for the rape crisis center and be realistic about them. The hot line is the life line. Almost all centers provide one very basic and crucial service a telephone counseling hot line staffed by volunteers who provide empathy and information for callers. Information is given on post rape emotional, medical and legal needs of victims. Hot lines are generally staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week where possible. In some communities without the facilities for a crisis center or treatment program, the hot line service may be the only resource available to victims. Full service crisis centers might include: Telephone crisis counseling. Peer group counseling for victims. Family counseling. Legal services for victims. Temporary shelter for victims who live alone. Personal counselors to go to victim's home. An empowerment model: BAWAR
Other rape crisis centers Washington, D.C. Rape Crisis Center emphasizes community education and rape prevention above individual crisis counseling, hoping to reach potential victims before they are raped. Women speak to community groups, junior high, high school and college students and women at their workplace, stressing rape and woman's position in society, rape prevention, self defense and how to deal with institutions if you are raped. Upon request from the D.C. School System, the center prepared a seventh grade curriculum unit which is used by the public schools for health and safety classes. The center does not advise a woman whether or not to report her rape. Rather, counselors attempt to offer realistic information on police and court treatment of rape victims in their area and to encourage the victim to make her own decision. Women Organized Against Rape (WOAR) has been serving Philadelphia women since May 1973.[48] This unique volunteer crisis program has its headquarters in Philadelphia General Hospital (PGH). Noting that most hot lines and crisis centers reach mostly middle class and movement women, WOAR determined to make services available to poor and Third World women. In Philadelphia all rape victims who report the crime are taken to PGH. When a victim is brought to the hospital, WOAR is immediately notified and a counselor (available 24 hours) joins her to give whatever help is needed. The WOAR women are thus in the unprecedented position of being able to reach all women in Philadelphia who report their rapes. In the event (rare, as elsewhere) that the rapist is caught, charged and brought to trial, WOAR women provide emotional support and factual information to the victim in preparation for the court proceedings and accompany her to the trial. The presence of a large body of women in the courtroom serves notice on the predominantly male lawyers, judges and jurors that the rape victim is not alone and not afraid. Rape Relief in Seattle offers the victim the opportunity to anonymously report the violence against her. A flyer circulated by the Rape Reduction Project states: "Rape Relief ... can take information about the circumstance of the rape by phone or in person. We give the information to the police department, so that they may learn more about trends, locations and methods of rape information that we believe will ultimately lead to a reduction in rape. The victim need not even tell us her name, so there will be no way she can become involved with the police or court unless she wants to. Third party reporting is one way to turn an ugly situation into something that can help other women." A number of Superior Court judges have demanded that convicted rapists make contributions to Rape Relief along with their prison sentences. Judge Donald Horowitz says he regularly sentences individuals to make contributions rather than fining them and letting the money go to the "anonymous state." In the rape cases, he felt the crimes were "political acts against women and a product of institutionalized sexism." He suggested that the contributions would serve to "raise the rapists' consciousness." [4 9] Innovative action projects
They perform street theatre exposing myths about rape and rapists and portraying violence against women in the street, home and courtroom. They picket movies which portray rape as "entertainment," a "joke," a "turn on" for men or women. Men against rape As a result of this newly emerging consciousness, a small but growing number of men's anti rape groups have been formed.[56] These men believe that rape is not a "women's problem" but a community problem and one for which men must take responsibility. Many of the activities of these groups have been undertaken jointly with women's anti rape groups. New responses to the sexually violent As abolitionists, we are confronted with the struggle between two conflicting forces for change. We are in total agreement with feminist anti rape workers and other social changers that every effort should be made to apprehend and confront the sexually violent. We share the feelings of outrage experienced by rape victims; we believe that repetitive rapists must be restrained from committing further acts of violence. On the other hand, we do not support the response of imprisonment. We challenge the basic assumptions that punishment, harsh sentences and retributive attitudes will serve to lessen victims' pain, re educate rapists or genuinely protect society. As rape is given more publicity, more money and energy is spent prosecuting and convicting rapists. How is this after the fact action helping us as women? The rape rate appears to be increasing. In fact, if all men who had ever raped were incarcerated tomorrow, rape would continue outside as well as inside prisons. Incarceration does not change the societal attitudes which promote rape. In a society that deals with symptoms rather than causes of problems, prisons make perfect sense. Confronting the causes of rape would threaten the basic structure of society.... ... prison is vindictive--it is not concerned with change but with punishment. And its real social function is similar to that of rape it acts as a buffer, as an oppressive institution where a few scapegoats pay for the ills of society. Jackie MacMillan and Freada Klein, editorial, Feminist Alliance Against Rape Newsletter, September/October 1974
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