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I just ran across this article in the Intelligence Report, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, that tells the story of children rejecting the hate that their parents espouse. As we think about our primary prevention efforts across the state, we can be encouraged by the bravery and sense of justice these children choose to portray in spite of their parents, and we can learn an important lesson about the need for comprehensive efforts that work to change attitudes across entire communities, not just within individuals.

“Overall, there’s not a lot of evidence that, at least in the long term, kids get their prejudice from their parents,” said Charles Stangor, who runs the Laboratory for the Study of Social Stereotyping and Prejudice at the University of Maryland. “I would call it more of a community effect than a parental effect. The community fosters tolerance or prejudice.”

We must remember that working with parents is only a part of the answer, but alone will not make the kind of lasting change we all hope for to end sexual violence. It really does take a village to raise a child, and it takes a village based on equity and justice, where violence of any kind is not a solution, but rather is condemned, to raise a child who can reject hate and prejudice taught at home to become leaders for positive social change.

What can we do, you and I, to build communities that raise peaceful, kind and courageous children?

I often mention gender role socialization (and strict gender roles) as a risk factor in conversations I have with people about the primary prevention of sexual violence. Many people nod their heads, but I suspect that they don’t really know exactly what I mean by that phrase – but leave it to children to provide an example…

My oldest daughter (she’s 4), told me a couple of days ago that she doesn’t like pink anymore and that she only likes “boy colors” – which in my daughter’s world include red, blue and green, but definitely not purple or pink. When asked why she didn’t like those colors, or more importantly, why she thought of those colors as “boy” and “girl” colors, she told me that her cousin (who is a 6-year-old female) told her, and that her cousin only likes “boy colors.”

AHHH! So there it is. Our society clings to the binary, dividing everything into two categories (male – female, white – nonwhite) and then forcing everyone into one or the other, or to pick one or the other. My daughter is succumbing to peer pressure at 4 to drop her favorite color;, pink, which is likely at least partially her favorite color because of the pressure to like “girl colors.” Peer pressure is coming from her older cousin who has accepted her socialization and divided colors into two gender-based color categories – “boy colors” and “girl colors.” To complicate things even more, my niece has resisted the messages she’s received and chosen “boy colors” as her favorite, despite being a girl (resist sister, resist). If you’re head is spinning, imagine mine as I try to navigate the parenting maze to find a way to get my 4-year-old to stand up for her own beliefs and be true to herself, while examining the messages she receives and how she internalizes them. (Is pink really your favorite or is it just because the Disney princesses love pink?)

Do you have a story to share about witnessing gender role socialization firsthand, or do you have any advice for a struggling (haven’t given up yet) parent trying to pass on the skills to navigate such a complex world?

Oh, and by the way, my daughter is now back to loving pink. Yay???

AUSTIN, Texas – Gov. Rick Perry has appointed five members to the Task Force to Reduce Child Abuse and Neglect for terms to expire at the pleasure of the governor:

• Annette Burrhus-Clay (Lockhart) – Executive Director, Texas Association Against Sexual Assault.
• James Castro (Bergheim) – Executive Director, St. Peter-St. Joseph Children’s Home.
• Nancy Harper (Corpus Christi) – Medical Director, CARE Team at Driscoll Children’s Hospital.
• Pamela Russell (Powderly) – Author/President and Co-owner, Paris Counseling Center.
• Yuri Solomon (Houston) – Senior Pastor, New Life Baptist Church and Teacher, South Side Ministers Alliance.

Pursuant to House Bill 1041 and Senate Bill 2080 of the 81st Legislative session, the task force establishes strategy for reducing child abuse and neglect and for improving child welfare in this state.

Annette Burrhus-Clay has over 25 years experience working in the sexual assault and domestic violence fields as a service provider, trainer and administrator in Texas and California. She has been a speaker and consultant in the areas of sexual violence, workplace violence/sexual harassment, working with special populations and reaching out to closed communities. Her areas of expertise and interest include working with elderly, teen and male sexual assault victims as well as collaboration with and outreach to the military, universities, churches and other traditionally self-contained institutions.

“I appreciate the opportunity to serve the state in this capacity,” said Burrhus-Clay.  “Protecting children from abuse will take the collective commitment and efforts of all adults.”

In addition to leading the helm at TAASA, Burrhus-Clay also serves as a board member of the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, the National Foundation to End Sexual Violence and the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network Advisory Board. She is also a board member of G.R.A.C.E., an organization that sends farm equipment to third-world countries, primarily Uganda, so AIDS orphanages can become self-sustaining. Burrhus-Clay received a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in political science from Sul Ross State University.

The Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA) is the statewide organization committed to ending sexual violence in Texas. A nonprofit educational and advocacy organization based in Austin, TAASA member agencies comprise a statewide network of more than 80 crisis centers that serve rural as well as metropolitan areas. Founded in 1982, the agency has a strong record of success in community education, youth outreach, criminal justice training, legislative advocacy, legal services, and curricula and materials development. Additional information about TAASA can be found at www.taasa.org.

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Guest blog by Diversity Task Force member Rebecca Sills Lamm.

I joined the diversity task force a little more than a year ago and have been passionately involved ever since.

My fondest, most memorable experience as a member of the diversity task force occurred at the 2009 TAASA conference.  Part of the duties of the task force include whittling down a large number of scholarship applications into only a few who are awarded the opportunity to attend the conference,  hone their skills and acquire new knowledge. This was a difficult task as so many applicants passionately serve their communities, often with little resources, compensation or gratitude.

I remember sitting with a scholarship recipient at a luncheon during the conference and talking with her about her work and suddenly realizing what an important but unrecognized role she plays in her community and our world. It was then I recognized the profound impact of the diversity task force scholarship program.

Diversity isn’t about race or ethnicity or meeting some status quo.  It’s about people, meeting them exactly where they are in their own communities. And that’s exactly what the diversity task force is all about.  Meeting people  where they are and educating everyone else.

That’s why we ask you to join us for a benefit night on Tuesday, Dec. 8, at Ten Thousand Villages on South Congress in Austin honoring these hard-working individuals. From 5-9 p.m., Ten Thousand Villages will provide a percentage of their profits to our scholarship fund.  With beautiful items, jewelry and crafts, Ten Thousand Villages is committed to working with artisans who would otherwise be unemployed or underemployed.  This income helps pay for food, education, health care and housing.  So really you’re supporting TWO causes!

Please say you’ll be there for homemade cookies, cider and more!  View our Facebook event for more information.

Any questions about joining the Diversity Task Force or about the Benefit Night can be directed to chairperson Rose Luna at 512-474-7190 ext. 13 or rluna@taasa.org. For more information or to apply for our diversity task force scholarship, visit our website.

We’ve talked about various DNA evidence issues before here on Speaking Out, but what about other types of forensic techniques? Grits for Breakfast highlights a story from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that discusses in detail a National Academy of Sciences report on the problems with various forensic evidence techniques, including fingerprint, firearm, hair and footprint analysis.

From the Star-Telegram:

“In a nutshell, these people aren’t scientists,” said Jay A. Siegel, a member of the academy, which was established by President Abraham Lincoln to advise the nation on far-reaching questions of science and technology. “They don’t know what validation is. They don’t know what it means to validate a test.”

In other words, the study isn’t necessarily saying that these practices aren’t valid, but that they lack the necessary scientific testing to prove that they are reliable.

Scott Henson predicts, “Over the next five to 10 years we’re going to see an historic, first-of-its-kind evaluation of so-called forensic ‘science’ disciplines that are really subjective, untested and in some cases inherently unscientific.” So, what does this mean for sexual assault victim advocates?

If many forensic identification techniques that are currently used are discredited, some may fear that already low conviction rates will decrease. Though to the lay person the techniques employed by many (most?) law enforcement agencies may seem sound, it’s necessary to defer to science. Historically, there have been too many cases where things were taken for granted as fact, but it later turned out an innocent person was convicted of something they didn’t do. If we’re going to call something “forensic science,” it certainly needs to meet scientific standards and be proven through rigorous testing. Because if we’re convicting the wrong people, everybody loses.

Make sure you read the whole story.