The recent news that Lt. Col. Jeffrey Krusinski, the head of the Air Force’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program, was arrested for…sexual assault…leaves us speechless. Add that to troubling new numbers in a Pentagon report that estimates up to 26,000 military members may have been sexually assaulted last year, and it’s understandable that President Barack Obama is taking an aggressive stand:
“For those who are in uniform who have experienced sexual assault, I want them to hear directly from their Commander-In-Chief that I've got their backs,” he said earlier this week. “I will support them. And we're not going to tolerate this stuff and there will be accountability. If people have engaged in this behavior, they should be prosecuted."
Thanks to public outcry resulting from the 2012 release of the award-winning documentary The Invisible War as well as the Lackland Air Force Base scandal, former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta introduced new initiatives in the spring of 2012 (although many survivors and activists have cast them as unsatisfactory). Secretary Chuck Hagel has picked up where Panetta left off, but it’s obvious that this problem is severe when it touches the Air Force leader who should be enforcing its prevention and response.
Congress has passed policies to tackle the issue in the past but the problem persists. As the Government Accountability Office has found, the Department of Defense has failed to implement laws passed by Congress such as a mandate to retain uniform, comprehensive records of cases for 50 years. Still, some believe that change is slow but taking shape.
Coaching Boys into Men a Proven Strategy to Prevent Violence
With all the disturbing news surrounding the prevalence of rape culture in the United States, we are pleased to see some good news about a proven strategy to help young people build healthy, respectful, and non-violent relationships. A study published online yesterday in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that our program Coaching Boys into Men (CBIM) is proven effective to reduce abusive behaviors among male athletes who have participated in the program.
“The key to this program is respect—teaching players to be aware of how they treat women and how to deal with all people in general,” said Mike Alberghini, head football coach at Grant Union High School in Sacramento, CA, a participating school in the study. “The experience has brought us together as a stronger, more responsible group.”
[more...]
Macy's Thank-a-Mom Challenge a Success!
You helped us raise thousands of dollars sending thousands of Mother’s Day e-cards, and for that we say THANK YOU! We set a goal of sending 50,000 Mother’s Day e-cards to the special women in our lives, and because of your contributions, we not only reached, but exceeded it! We thanked our moms, sisters, aunts and grandmothers – and all for a great cause!
For each e-card you sent, Macy’s donated $2 to FUTURES. Money raised through the Macy’s Thank-a-Mom challenge will support our violence prevention and education programs focused on critical issues—from bullying and digital abuse to domestic violence and sexual assault.
This year was an even bigger success than last, and it’s all because of your efforts! Even though the fundraising campaign is over, you can keep sending the outstanding women in your lives Mother’s Day e-cards. All you have to do is visit the Macy’s Thank-a-Mom Facebook app and choose Futures Without Violence as the charity recipient. Then, celebrate all of the Moms in your life! Send up to 15 e-cards via Facebook, and 10 cards via email per day.
[more...]
