Another Tragedy Spurring Conversation & Action

By: Danielle Schmersal
NASW Ohio Chapter Membership Associate

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. After Steubenville, this is a particularly important year for Ohio to recognize this observance. What happened in Steubenville was a tragedy. But, much like Newtown, many times it unfortunately takes tragedy for society to start having the needed difficult conversations and to start taking necessary action.

We have had this difficult conversation about sexual assault before. In the 1990s, 13 sexual assaults occurred every minute in the U.S. THIRTEEN.  Efforts increased to create safer streets, to establish more programs to prevent sexual assault and to provide services for survivors. Reports of rape have decreased by 60 percent since 1993. So, now, only one rape occurs every two minutes. But, that’s still one rape every two minutes.

An estimated 1 in 5 women become a victim of sexual assault at some point in her life. I have heard this statistic since I was in high school—almost ten years ago. And, this is still the number? As a woman myself and as someone with many women in my life I know and love, I am not satisfied with 1 in 5. As a social worker and as an American, I am not satisfied with 1 in 5. What about children? 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will experience sexual assault before they reach age 18. Are we satisfied with those numbers? For men, it’s 1 in 33. With sexual assault and all the self-blame, humiliation, fear and shame that come with it, the real numbers are always higher. An estimated 63 percent of survivors never report the crime. We have to do better. We must do better.

A bright spot in the Steubenville tragedy is that—at least in Ohio—we have finally continued the sexual assault conversation. Representatives Nan Baker (R-Westlake) and Kirk Schuring (R-Canton) held a press conference on March 20, 2013 with Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine to announce the introduction of H.B. 108 as part of an innovative 5-year plan to establish and support rape crisis centers in all 88 Ohio counties (right now, only 27 programs provide services to 37 counties).

H.B. 108 sets aside $2 million for a trust fund to support rape-crisis programs. The bill also requires each person who registers as a convicted sex offender on the Sex Offender Registration and Notification database to pay a $100 fee, which is then deposited into the Rape Crisis Center Trust Fund administered by the Ohio Attorney General. Finally, the bill adds a representative of rape crisis centers as a member of the Safe Victims Assistance Advisory Committee.

The bill is not perfect. Further efforts to raise additional funding for rape crisis services are still needed. This legislation’s fee only raises $200,000 initially to be split by 27 programs. But, H.B. 108 represents an essential first step in helping both service providers and survivors get the resources they need. Let’s hope the conversation doesn’t stop there. Let’s not let the conversation stop there.

I will be collecting signatures in support of this legislation all month. If you would like to distribute the petition at work, on campus, and/or in your community, please email me at dschmers@gmail.com.

Intervention Toolbox: Bibliotherapy

Amanda Limberty, MSSA, LISW-S

(reprinted from the Ohio School Social Work Association’s newsletter)

Greetings fellow school social workers! As a member of the Ohio School Social Work Association board, I want to share some interventions that you may find helpful in your own work.

Biobliotherapy has been very beneficial and effective in my work with children. When a child is struggling with a specific emotional/behavioral issue, school social workers can utilize various books to provide information about the issue, engage the child in conversation, create awareness that other children have similar problems, and provide realistic solutions to the problem. Books can be used to assist children who struggle to express their emotions and provides a “safety net” for children who are defensive or facing an emotionally intense issue, as books allow for a “safe” distance away from the child. Here are some of my favorite books to use with the kids, ENJOY!

ADHD

Eagle Eyes

By: Jeanne Gehret

ANGER MANAGEMENT

When Sophie Gets Angry, Really Really Angry

By: Molly Bang

BULLYING

Bully

By: Judith Caseley

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Enemy Pie

By: Derek Munson

DIVORCE

Dinosaurs Divorce

By: Marc Brown

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

When They Fight

By: Kathryn White

FEELINGS

The Way I Feel

By: Janan Cain

FRIENDSHIP

How To Be a Friend

By: Marc Brown

GRIEF AND LOSS

Sad Isn’t Bad: A Good-Grief Guidebook for Kids Dealing with Loss

By: Michaelene Mundy

INCARCERATED PARENTS

When a Parent Goes to Jail

By: Rebecca M. Yaffe and Lonnie F. Hoade

LISTENING

Listen Buddy

By: Helen Lester

SCHOOL BEHAVIOR

Listen and Learn

By: Cheri J. Meiners

SELF ESTEEM

Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon

By: Patty Lovell

SEPERATION ANXIETY

The Kissing Hand

By: Audrey Penn

SHARING

Rainbow Fish

By: Marcus Pfister

WORRY/ANXIETY

Is A Worry Worrying You

By: Ferida Wolff and Harriet May Savitz

Super Bowl 2013: More Than Just Football

Lauren Nutter
BSW Intern, NASW Ohio Chapter

The Super Bowl is a fun time for most everyone in the United States. In fact – Super Bowl Sunday has almost become an American holiday for many fans. More than 111.3 million people watched the Super Bowl in 2012. All the hype and excitement of athleticism, competition, loyalty and camaraderie lead up to one important Sunday for all sports enthusiasts: Super Bowl Sunday, a time when the season comes to a close. This year’s Super Bowl takes place in New Orleans; the city will be flushed with fans, media and athletes. In the mix of the crowd, in the shadows of the celebrations, there is a population no one will notice or talk about – victims of human trafficking and their pimps.

Super Bowl, like other events, brings an increased amount of human trafficking into our cities.  It has been called the single largest human trafficking incident in the United States. Due to the increase in travelers, supply and demand raises for sexual favors. Not only are victims brought to the city, but women and children are taken from the game and pulled into the sex trafficking ring. Most people who are buying services (also known as ‘Johns’) think that they are buying services from prostitutes who are of age and are choosing to be in that position. Sadly, most Johns do not understand that their purchase of services is only adding to an international growing social justice problem and human rights issue known as human trafficking.

As the city of New Orleans prepares for the largest sporting event in the country it is sad that no thoughts of ways to combat human trafficking will ever cross the minds of most people attending and enjoying the Super Bowl festivities.

Theresa Flores, a survivor of human trafficking, started an organization called S.O.A.P which stands for: Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution. S.O.A.P uses actual bars of soap as an outreach promotion. These bars of soap are covered in a wrapping with the human trafficking hotline (for help) as well as pictures of missing women and children who are in the human trafficking ring. S.O.A.P visits the city where the Super Bowl occurs and distributes bars of soap to hotels, motels and other places where ‘acts of service’ might take place. S.O.A.P also distributes flyers and other promotional materials that week and weekend to raise awareness of suspicious activity. The effect that S.O.A.P has already had is monumental.

If you are one of many people attending the Super Bowl this year, take time to be aware of your surroundings, realizing that Super Bowl weekend is about more than just football. For more information about S.O.A.P and for ways to get involved please visit the S.O.A.P website.

Still haunted by the ‘Stepford Wives’

By: Danielle Schmersal, BSW
MSW Intern, NASW Ohio Chapter

Halloween is this week, which offers the perfect excuse to take a break from politics with a scary movie and some popcorn.  Or, at least you can try. One movie I watched this year was the original 1975 The Stepford Wives.  For those not familiar with the story, a young New Yorker moves to the suburbs with her family only to discover that the perfection of the women in the community is not by choice and she’s next in line for a transformation into a submissive hausfrau. A feminist horror movie, really. So, of course, not really a break from politics at all—especially when the original got me thinking about the not-so-feminist remake from 2004 and all of the recent activity in women’s rights. After nearly two years of continuous roll-backs on abortion rights and attacks on contraception and fair pay; after a presidential contest that has alternatively pandered to women and completely ignored them; after needing to introduce the 88-year-old Equal Rights Amendment yet again, The Stepford Wives serves as a reminder of how new, incomplete and fragile gender equality really is in the United States. 

A record number of abortion-related legislative bills were introduced across the country in 2011. Some states’ laws have gotten so severe that these women are turning to unregulated, sometimes dangerous, Mexican drug alternatives. A Wisconsin law that made it easier for victims of wage discrimination to have their day in court was repealed this spring. Of course, any accusations of a “War on Women”—like accusations of Stepford newcomers—are met with immediate denials, references to wives, mothers and daughters, and strange analogies.

Sadly, there are many in this country who believe that because a few women have run for U.S. President and because 12 CEOs for Fortune 500 companies are women (down from 15), everyone is equal, nothing like Stepford will ever happen, and we can all laugh at silly sexism. Just look at the Stepford Wives remake. In this horror-made-comedy, the Stepford wives’ transformations are being orchestrated not by the community’s Men’s Association as in the original, but by one of the suburb’s matriarchs. The women in the community all had remarkable careers—a judge, a successful television executive, a surgeon, a famous writer. The main character, Joanna, is rescued by her husband—who apparently undergoes a last-minute change of heart. The effects can also be reversed in the remake. In addition, one of the targets for transformation is a gay man—thus, taking gender completely out of the equation.  

Now, unfortunately, the remake is right in that women frequently play a large role in rolling back their own rights and place in society.  As an extreme example, this article notes the multiple women who have argued against American women having the right to vote. In Ohio, female legislators have sponsored and voted alongside their male counterparts for bills that restrict access to abortion and family planning.   Consider how women jumped on Hilary Rosen when she said that Ann Romney has “never worked a day in her life” because she was a stay-at-home mother.  Clearly, the intention was to point out that Ann Romney has never held a paying job and she is, therefore, maybe not the most reliable source on the needs of working women —not to imply that parenting is not hard work. But, of course, it is easier, cheaper and more entertaining to keep women fighting about the trivial than to actually have frank discussions about things like fair pay, equal consideration in promotions, reproductive choice and access to affordable care for children and elderly parents.  

Still, as many contributions as women have made to the fight against equality, it is still men who run the show.  A male legislator introduced the controversial Heartbeat bill in Ohio. Highlights of this election cycle have included Todd Aiken’s misunderstanding of female biology and Mitt Romney’s collection of binders full of women. Perhaps one of the most frustrating Stepford-like transformations we have seen during the last few years is the transformation of abortion and contraception from women’s issues into issues for religious men. Just look at how the issue of abortion was framed at the vice-presidential debate. What struck me in the final presidential debate were the many references to promoting gender equality in the Middle East as if we lived in the United States that appears in the remake of The Stepford Wives where women are just so successful all we really have to worry about is a crazy doctor lady turning us all into robots.

Challenging Attitudes & Changing Perspectives: Decreasing Sexual Assaults

By: Heidi Bishop
NASW Ohio Chapter Intern

On October 14 USA Today ran an article about a flyer found in Miami University’s co-ed bathroom: “College Flier lists ‘top ten ways to get away with rape.’” The flyer includes horrific suggestions like “practice makes perfect; the more you rape, the better you get,” climbing through windows to rape their victims to teach them not to leave the window unlocked, and if the rapist is identified the list suggested slicing her throat.

Rape has been an increasing issue in our society.  The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network reports 720 people are sexually assaulted every day in the United States and only three percent of rapists will serve time for their crime.  The USA Today article reports 27 sexual assault cases since 2009 at Miami University.  Many factors contribute to these social injustices, but lets face it we live in a sexualized world.  Porn can be easily viewed with one click on a computer and sex scenes can be watched in common new releases.  These forms of entertainment produce an idealization of the bodies that degrade human beings to a mere object.  I understand that men can view pornography and not commit violence against women. My focus is to discuss the contributing factors that lead to some men violating women.

The FBI reports an interesting correlation between pornography and violent sex crimes.  They estimate pornography is discovered in 80 percent of the locations of the violent sex crime or in the perpetrators homes.  The University of New Hampshire conducted a study on states with the highest readership of pornographic magazines such as Playboy and Penthouse and found a parallel relationship between the top porn reader states and states with the highest rates of rape.

In addition to the issues of porn, men are being taught, at an early age, to pursue sexual experiences to increase bragging rights, respect, and display their manhood. The underlying result from this mentality is that sex is demoralized and the act is about self-gratification compared to mutual enjoyment and respect.  As young men mature, the numbers are not enough to brag about and the focus turns to domination.  Their views of women change from being a number, to a mere animal that deserves or can be dominated.

How do we avoid this progression?  We do this by focusing on parents, especially the influence of the father.  The Ohio Domestic Violence Network has created a program called Engaging Men and Boys.  It is a safe place for previous offenders to talk with other men about these issues.  The program hopes to utilize a learning environment that creates a change of thinking.  If we can challenge the attitudes that have existed for so long, then hopefully we can foster a change of perspective and therefore a change in action.  The program is looking for men to partner with previous offenders in hopes of transforming their mindset.  Please consider supporting this new program and helping us teach men and boys how to deflect society’s heightened sexual messages and prevent the progression towards perpetration.

NASW Ohio Chapter Endorses Issue 51 (Hamilton County)

The National Association of Social Workers Ohio Chapter is proud to announce our endorsement of the Hamilton County Mental Health Levy.

In Hamilton County, 1 in 5 residents (or 160,000 people) are affected by mental illness each year. More than 42,000 individuals benefited from services funded by the Hamilton County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board in 2011. A yes vote on Issue 51 means children and adults with severe mental and emotional disabilities can continue to receive counseling, treatment, housing and job training, allowing them to remain valued, productive members of society.

Social workers work every day to help individuals lead more self-sufficient, productive lives. We literally meet people where they are–whether that is in residential treatment, outpatient counseling or anywhere in between–to ensure they have the resources they need to live safely in our community. Renewing the Mental Health Levy means social workers and other care providers can continue to give Hamilton County children and adults access to a wide range of quality mental health services.

A yes vote on Issue 51 is a sound investment in our county’s future; by renewing this levy, you ensure Hamilton County residents have continued access to cost-effective, community-based mental health services. Without these services, many individuals may turn to costly emergency room visits to manage chronic mental health issues. They may also enter other costly systems, particularly the criminal justice system. The more we invest in mental health, the stronger our community. And yet, your vote for Issue 51 will not raise your taxes; it is simply a renewal at the current millage.

It is crucial that we break down barriers and eliminate stigma surrounding mental health services. Social workers stand in support of this levy renewal because we know mental health works.

Leah Taylor & Kaitlyn Wessels
Region 6 (Cincinnati) Regional Directors
National Association of Social Workers Ohio Chapter

10 Ways to Ease Stress

By: Adrienne Gavula, MSW, LSW
Relationship Manager, NASW Ohio Chapter

I recently visited students at Cleveland State University to talk about the benefits of NASW membership, and while there, a professor gave me a handout for students about ways to ease stress. I found the list insightful, so I’d like to share it with you. The list was taken from Cleveland Clinic.

Eat and drink sensibly. Alcohol and food abuse may seem to reduce stress, but it actually adds to it.

Assert yourself. You do not have to meet others’ expectations or demands. It’s okay to say “No.” Remember, being assertive allows you to stand up for your rights and beliefs while respecting those of others.

Stop smoking or other bad habits. Aside from the obvious health risks of cigarettes, nicotine acts as a stimulant and brings on more stress symptoms. Give yourself the gift of dropping unhealthy habits.

Exercise regularly. Choose non-competitive exercise and set reasonable goals. Aerobic exercise has been shown to release endorphins (natural substances that help you feel better and maintain a positive attitude).

Study and practice relaxation techniques. Relax every day. Choose from a variety of different techniques. Combine opposites; a time for deep relaxation and a time for aerobic exercise is a sure way to protect your body from the effects of stress.

Take responsibility. Control what you can and leave behind what you cannot control.

Reduce stressors (cause of stress). Many people find that life is filled with too many demands and too little time. For the most part, these demands are ones we have chosen. Effective time-management skills involve asking for help when appropriate, setting priorities, pacing yourself, and taking time out for yourself.

Examine your values and live by them. The more your actions reflect your beliefs, the better you will feel, no matter how busy your life is. Use your values when choosing your activities.

Set realistic goals and expectations. It’s okay, and healthy, to realize you cannot be 100% successful at everything at once.

Sell yourself to yourself. When you are feeling overwhelmed, remind yourself of what you do well. Have a healthy sense of self-esteem.