Catcalling: An Intervention Story

The scene: the sidewalk outside a gym, which has a huge window/glass wall so that exercisers can see out, and pedestrians can see in. A couple of women are working out on the cardio machines. A man stands on the sidewalk, catcalling the women.

I walk up, take in the scene, and say, "That's pretty offensive, sir.

"What?" He says.

"That's pretty offensive."

"I'm lookin' at women!" He exclaims -- the implication being that he is doing nothing wrong.

"Well, they may not want to be looked at!" I say.

He walks away grumbling. One of the women mouths "thank you" through the glass. He of course catcalls me (from a safe distance) as I leave.

Amy Jones, LSW, Violence Prevention Program Manager, Thousand Waves Martial Arts and Self-Defense Center, Chicago.

New IMPACT Office Coordinator: Kathleen Grant

Welcome to Kathleen Grant, the new Office Coordinator for IMPACT Chicago. In this part-time role, Kathleen coordinates both office and virtual office work and brings a wealth of experience and skills to IMPACT. She joins other Administrative Team Members: Lisa Amoroso and Martha Thompson (Volunteer Personnel Committee Members), Tara Brinkman (Registration and Workshop Coordinator), and Laura M. Dini (Outreach Coordinator).

Kathleen is a third generation Girl Scout and has been a member for 30 years. She comes from a home that has always focused on empowering girls and women. A graduate of the School of the Art Institute, Kathleen is also a professional photographer and has already used her professional skills for IMPACT programs (e.g. see February 2015 Core Program photos on Facebook.com/impactchicago).

Kathleen says about her first three months with IMPACT: “My first experience with an IMPACT class was taking photos for the February 2015 Core Program. After the third woman defended herself, I realized I was having trouble focusing my camera because of the tears in my eyes. I was overwhelmed with the desire to volunteer for this organization doing such powerful and amazing work and then I said to myself—‘wait a minute, I’m working for this organization—how great is that!’”

Thank you to IMPACT Chicago 2014 Volunteers

April 12-18, 2015 is National Volunteer Week. IMPACT Chicago is primarily a volunteer-run organization and all volunteer time counts. With the exception of office management, registration and workshop coordination, organizational outreach, and instructional class time, volunteers do all other work. Thank you to all the volunteers who keep IMPACT going!

There are lots of ways to support IMPACT and we invite you to consider volunteering in 2015! 

Lisa Amoroso
Rob Babcock
Tara Brinkman
Ann Botz
Bruce Brio
Courtney Childs
Kaitlin Decero
Maureen Dunn
Debborah Harp
Sheila Hickey
Jesse Holzman
Katie Kramer
Naomi Love
Jim Lucas
Rachel Marro
Katy Mattingly
Terry McDonough
Deb Mier
Mark Nessel
Molly Norris
Chemely Pomales
Ashley Ruiz
Ben Ruiz
Arden Schuman
Janette Scott
Tania Shusler
Katie Skibbe
Robyn Stellman
Tammi, WGS, Northeastern
Martha Thompson
Nate Tracy-Amoroso
Carrie Villa
Margaret Vimont
Laura Weiss
Nat Wilson
Amy Winston
Steve Wright




Please e-mail us if we have inadvertently left your name off the list!

Supporting Survivors in Community Settings

Supporting Survivors in Community Settings

This resource is based on Sarah Ullman’s (2010) research regarding social reactions to survivors who disclose sexual assault.  Ullman determined that negative social reactions have a harmful impact on survivors who disclose sexual violence (pp.74-76), and that commonly-held attitudes, such as rape myths and stereotypes, constitute “social phenomenon that maintain a rape-supportive environment” (p. 14).  Further, she concluded that anticipation of “receiving negative reactions,” such as victim-blaming, harms survivors considering disclosure (p. 19).

            Sexual violence is so epidemic that the presence of survivors can be assumed in every gathering. To support survivors in community settings, negative social reactions should be avoided proactively in every discussion of sexual violence.

ESD instructors have utilized these communication skills for many years to support survivors in our classes and to model speech that disrupts “rape-supportive” culture.  The recommended behaviors are consistent with trauma-aware and survivor-centered practices endorsed by experts such as the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA), UN Women and Know Your IX (http://knowyourix.org/).  These practice behaviors are appropriate to many public settings and may have particular relevance for educators, religious congregations, policy-makers and journalists.

	Behaviors[i]
Negative social reactions[ii]:	Recommended	Avoid
Victim blaming: Suggests that assault result from a survivor’s behavior or character.	Incorporate a philosophical statement in written and spoken communication repudiating victim-blaming.  For example: “Women do not ask for, cause, invite, or deserve to be assaulted.”[iii]	Avoid questioning any survivor’s choices, even in the abstract. Avoid “why” questions, which “can sound accusatory and might bring out defensive and/or self-blaming responses.”[iv]

Egocentric response: Prioritizes concern about the effect of the victim’s assault upon the listener.	Utilize clinical interviewing skills, such as open-ended questions and active- and passive- listening.	Avoid asking too many questions or imposing your values. Be sensitive to the possibility of triggering, the experience by which trauma symptoms are evoked by experiences reminiscent of the original injury.  Do not unnecessarily introduce lurid or potentially challenging topics.
Stigmatizing response: Treat survivors of sexual violence as different than others/different than they were before the assault.	Anticipate the likelihood that survivors are present in every setting. Utilize the principle of “pre-emptive radical inclusion,” which assumes representatives of any population we might discuss are present in the conversation.[v]	Avoid assuming that survivors are not present. Avoid speaking about survivors as somehow different from those who are present, or from people who have not experienced sexual violence.
Distraction: Discouraging discussion of the details of assault.	Model empathic responses. If facilitating a group within which a disclosure is made, skillfully moderate the survivor’s needs, the group’s needs, and your own emotional response.	Avoid rapid change of subject. Avoid off-topic inquiries. Avoid extremes of either sensationalizing or dismissing the details of an assault.
Controlling response: Trying to control the victim or the situation.	Validate survivors’ choices and support their decisions. Be prepared to share information about resources to support survivors of sexual violence.	Avoid suggesting what a survivor “should” do/have done.
Rape myths: Repeat rape-promoting social attitudes.	In written and verbal communication, explicitly reject correlation of dress, behavior, location or character with deserving or inviting assault.	Avoid questions or statements that “imply that women invite rape, enjoy it, and are responsible for rape because of their dress or behavior.”[vi]
Trust violation: Betrayal of trust.	Arrange for privacy in meetings and interviews. Maintain confidentiality. Establish norms for confidentiality in groups.	Avoid compromising privacy or confidentiality.
Minimizing response: Minimize the trauma of rape and/or pathologize survivors’ coping reactions.	In written and verbal communication, acknowledge sexual violence as significantly injurious. Reflect understanding that survivors recover from sexual violence along individual trajectories and that the negative impact of sexual violence can be longstanding and idiosyncratic.	Avoid comparing one type of violation or injury to another. Never apologize for or defend the act of perpetration.
Disbelief/denial: Indicate that the listener does not believe the survivor.	In written and verbal communication, express belief in survivors’ lived experience.	Avoid expressions of surprise or disbelief.

---

[i] Specific practice behaviors derived from the feminist practice wisdom of ESD instructors and adopted from/informed by these published sources: CALCASA. (1999). Support for survivors, p. 139-145. Retrieved from http://www.calcasa.org/wp-content/uploads/files/CALCASA-1999_Support-for-Survivors.pdf; UN Women. (2012). Survivor-centred approach.  Retrieved from http://www.endvawnow.org/en/articles/652-survivor-centred-approach.html; Wanamaker, L.M. & Safe Passage. (2013). Say something superhero field guide:  A manual for eliminating interpersonal violence, p. 54.  Retrieved from http://www.saysomethingnow.org/uploads/2/0/7/0/20705914/saysomethingfieldguide10.12.2014-1.pdf

[ii]  Identified and defined by Ullman, S. (2010).  Talking about sexual assault: Society’s response to survivors.  (1^st ed.)  [Electronic edition].  Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, p. 59-82.  Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy.bc.psychbooks/publications/466417.  

[iii] National Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Ad Hoc Committee on Self Defense, Cited by CALCASA, 1999, p. 401.

[iv] CALCASA, 1999, p. 141.

[v] Cindy Beal, Justice and Peace Consulting, justiceandpeaceconsulting@gmail.com

[vi] Ullman, 2010, p. 73.

I Trust Myself to Respond Appropriately to Low-Level Threats

I went to the bank today to exchange foreign currency. Not my regular credit union but near where I live and super culturally diverse. In line with me, and among tellers, there were folks who were Somali, Ethiopian, Latino, lots of different languages being spoken in one place. When I was up at the teller window I was in that hyper focused bubble like you get when dealing with money or engaged in personal conversation or something.

Out if nowhere, a guy taps me on the shoulder and hands me a small bottle of water. No context, just a bump and a small water bottle handed to me. Happened too fast to really have a chance to give consent. Kind of triggered a low level shock response, a bit freezey, then a low-level fight response that sometimes happens when you get bumped or cut off or something. Subtle, low level and I am able to just notice.

So, I watch this guy go down the rest of the line, interrupting people at the window to give them water, which is not an aggressive gesture, kind if care-takey in a way, but oddly out of context. Then, he headed back in my direction. All this took like 30 seconds.

I said, "Hey can I check in with you for a second? When you came by and handed me water, it was a bit if a surprise. At a bank window, it is usually a private thing so I was really surprised to have someone come up and tap me unexpectedly. Like, I wasn't at all expecting that to happen. I teach self-defense and it helps to notice when you do something in a way that might startle people. I worked at the Center for Victims of Torture as an interpreter for a long time and this could be unsettling for people with PTSD."

He says "Thank you. You teach self-defense? Cool. Can I like, take your classes.?" I say, "Well, I usually teach women and kids, but I would be glad to offer a workshop for your staff here about personal safety. He says "I have to go to a meeting" and asks this teller to give me his card. My teller says - "You teach self-defense? I think personal safety is important. Do you have a card."

So, I went to the bank to get some money and ended up getting much more. The fact that I was able to be honest in the moment (without being defended) may have actually gotten me a job and certainly made for an unexpectedly enjoyable time at the bank.

I wanted to share this because it is like after the first time I used self-defense when harassed after my first 6-week SD class 24 years ago. My body knew what to do. Now, my higher brain and my heart do, too. I can find the words to describe my experience in the moment to better respond to really low level threats and do so in a way that helps other people be more conscious of how what they do might affect others (without the charge that makes people feel like they have to be defended). I am trusting myself more and trusting that most people want to act in loving, intentional ways, especially when they have the tools and appropriate support.

Diane Long, founder of Minneapolis-based Kaleidoscope Healing Arts

Self-defense is NOT victim-blaming

Is Self-Defense Victim-Blaming?

Self-defense is not victim blaming. Empowerment-based self-defense classes explicitly attribute responsibility for assault to perpetrators, not victims. Just because a woman is capable of defending herself does not mean that she is responsible for doing so.

Although self-defense training is frequently lumped in with other kinds of risk reduction advice (e.g. staying out of public spaces, traveling with a buddy, wearing modest clothing, or avoiding alcohol), it differs in important ways. Staying home, relying on others for protection all constrain women’s lives. Self-defense training, in contrast, expands women’s range of action, empowering them to make their own choices about where they go and what they do.

Some people have worried that women who learn self-defense may blame themselves if they are later unable to prevent an attack. However, research has found that women with self-defense training who experience a subsequent assault blame themselves no more or even less than women without self-defense training. Moreover, women who are raped but physically resist are actually less likely than other women to blame themselves for their assault.

From Jocelyn A. Hollander, Ph.D. University of Oregon,Women’s Self-Defense Frequently Asked Questions.  September 15, 2014.


Further Resources

Bart, Pauline B.,and Patricia H. O’Brien. 1985. Stopping Rape: Successful Survival Strategies. Elmsford, NY: Pergamon.

Cermele,J.A. 2004.“TeachingResistance to Teach Resistance: The Use of Self--‐Defense in Teaching Undergraduates about GenderViolence.” Feminist Teacher 15(1):1–15.

Gidycz, Christine A et al. n.d. “Concurrent administration of sexual assault prevention and risk reduction programming: Outcomes for women.” Violence Against Women. In press.

Orchowski, Lindsay M., Christine A Gidycz, and Holly Raffle. 2008. “Evaluation of a Sexual Assault Risk Reduction and Self--‐Defense Program: A Prospective Analysis of a Revised Protocol.” Psychology of Women Quarterly 32:204–218.

Rozee,Patricia D, and Mary P Koss. 2001.“Rape: A Century of Resistance.” Psychology of Women Quarterly 25(4):295–311.

IMPACT for Girls

In IMPACT, we often hear adult women say "I wish I had taken IMPACT when I was a girl." While we can't go back in time, girls do have a chance to take IMPACT now.

Girls benefit from taking IMPACT 

Jill says: “I’m more aware now and, although I still feel scared, I feel more in control. Taking IMPACT made me feel safer, in case someone decides to grab me…not just because I learned it (in my head), but because I actually got to practice and experience it”

Sarah says: I feel confident and IMPACT classes are always FUN!!!”

Parents benefit from their daughters taking IMPACT 
Lisa says: “I have always known that I have wanted my girls to learn to defend themselves.  I wasn't sure how I was going to teach them, as none of the self-defense workshops and classes I took as a young adult seemed sufficient enough for me to feel fully empowered and confident. IMPACT changed my life. Knowing my girls are equipped, not only with knowledge but with experience, to defend themselves helps me sleep a little better at night. I know violence against girls and women is an issue that must also be dealt with at a societal level, but it is also deeply personal.”

Lili says: “I couldn’t wait for my daughter to be old enough to take the IMPACT course. I counted the days until she turned 16. Before her 16th birthday, she was already signed up and she was excited to take it.”

IMPACT Programs for Girls
The Core Program is for women and teens 16 years and older. It is IMPACT Chicago's most intensive program, allowing women and girls to gain the most self-defense training in the shortest amount of time (22 hours). Training progresses from verbal boundary-setting to responses to a physical assault, culminating in simulated attack scenarios where women and girls begin in both upright and prone positions. In these simulated attacks, defenders are coached by one instructor while another instructor wears heavily padded armor and portrays the role of an aggressor, allowing women and girls to deliver their strikes and kicks with full force, just as they would need to in an actual attack. By the end of the course, women and girls have used their skills to assess danger, set boundaries, and respond effectively to a variety of verbal and physical attacks.

IMPACT for Girls program is for girls12-15 years old. In this 8-hour program, participants learn how to handle situations that girls are most likely to face and then have an opportunity to practice in simulated scenarios. In IMPACT for Girls, young teens and pre-teens learn crucial skills for dealing with everyday life situations and potentially unsafe situations. 

For more information or to register

A sliding scale and payment plans are available for both these programs. To register or for more information, 312-971-7119,  www.impactchicago.org or info@impactchicago.org