WEBVTT 00:00.240 --> 00:03.510 as a sark . Um I'm a program manager 00:03.510 --> 00:07.440 for the sapper office . Um So I provide 00:07.450 --> 00:11.200 oversight over um case management 00:11.210 --> 00:14.870 of victims of sexual assault um As well 00:14.870 --> 00:17.780 as I can be an advocate for those who 00:17.780 --> 00:19.947 have been through a sexual assault and 00:19.947 --> 00:23.310 providing there um services from that 00:23.310 --> 00:25.366 continuity of care from that initial 00:25.366 --> 00:27.477 response all the way to wherever they 00:27.477 --> 00:31.240 go . Um as far as legal or mental 00:31.240 --> 00:33.930 health services etcetera . Uh We're on 00:33.930 --> 00:37.910 call on a daily basis 24 73 65 00:38.590 --> 00:40.820 with a victim advocate holding the 00:40.820 --> 00:43.220 phone . Um and if we get a call , they 00:43.220 --> 00:45.442 can respond in different ways , so they 00:45.442 --> 00:48.130 go to the emergency room if they wanted 00:48.130 --> 00:51.480 to get a forensic exam done , or they 00:51.480 --> 00:53.702 could come into the office just to make 00:53.702 --> 00:55.924 a report or just to hear out the victim 00:55.924 --> 00:58.091 in the first place . The cyber program 00:58.091 --> 01:00.313 was put in place just because we needed 01:00.313 --> 01:04.240 a like central point of contact for 01:04.240 --> 01:06.462 sexual assault victims , so it wouldn't 01:06.462 --> 01:10.080 be swept under the rug . Um And so that 01:10.090 --> 01:13.080 investigations could be well taken care 01:13.080 --> 01:15.191 of , they take care of it on the os I 01:15.191 --> 01:18.490 end , but um as far as reporting um 01:18.500 --> 01:20.900 they had trends before the sapper 01:20.900 --> 01:23.440 office came into place where maybe 01:23.440 --> 01:26.240 leadership wouldn't report it as they 01:26.240 --> 01:28.129 were supposed to . So we put some 01:28.129 --> 01:31.390 policies into place um and um so we can 01:31.390 --> 01:33.770 get the help that victims really need 01:33.770 --> 01:36.760 because um not only it could it be 01:36.840 --> 01:39.520 affecting their own personal lives , 01:39.560 --> 01:41.560 could be affecting the lives around 01:41.560 --> 01:45.110 them to . Um So but really there 01:45.120 --> 01:47.910 um this program is put in place so that 01:47.910 --> 01:51.130 we can have the resources available and 01:51.130 --> 01:55.010 provide a culture um starting point to 01:55.010 --> 01:58.920 a culture of like consent , healthy 01:58.920 --> 02:02.300 environment , et cetera . So if there 02:02.300 --> 02:04.522 has been an airman that's been sexually 02:04.522 --> 02:06.744 assaulted um and they come into contact 02:06.744 --> 02:09.590 with us first and foremost , um we 02:09.590 --> 02:12.950 believe them , um and we listened to 02:12.950 --> 02:14.940 them , that's our first step . And 02:14.940 --> 02:16.829 that's the first step in recovery 02:16.829 --> 02:19.050 process to get that out in the open . 02:20.040 --> 02:22.151 And then from there it's their choice 02:22.151 --> 02:24.318 to do whatever they want with what has 02:24.318 --> 02:26.040 happened to them . Everybody's 02:26.040 --> 02:27.818 different . Um everybody reacts 02:27.818 --> 02:30.850 different to um this potentially 02:30.850 --> 02:34.850 traumatic event . And so 02:35.340 --> 02:38.250 whatever we provide them is up to them 02:38.260 --> 02:40.390 on what they want to use . So we'll 02:40.400 --> 02:43.350 offer resources such as um mental 02:43.350 --> 02:47.030 health , um or uh will offer 02:47.030 --> 02:49.197 resources like special victims counsel 02:49.197 --> 02:51.363 to provide that legal advice . Because 02:51.363 --> 02:53.641 we're not advice givers on legal stuff . 02:53.641 --> 02:55.586 Our advice givers at all were that 02:55.586 --> 02:58.610 listening here . Um or we can provide 02:58.610 --> 03:00.777 them the reporting options and you can 03:00.777 --> 03:02.888 go restricted and just keep it within 03:02.888 --> 03:05.120 the sapper office . Nobody has to know 03:05.120 --> 03:08.090 about it or go unrestricted , um and 03:08.090 --> 03:10.110 start an investigation to hold the 03:10.110 --> 03:12.620 subject accountable . You by no means 03:12.630 --> 03:15.530 have to do one way or the other or do a 03:15.530 --> 03:19.020 report . Um , It's your body , your 03:19.020 --> 03:21.131 choice and it's your choice to make . 03:21.131 --> 03:23.353 Um , the decision I want to do with the 03:23.353 --> 03:25.464 case she was talking about . Hey , if 03:25.464 --> 03:27.631 someone comes forward , what should we 03:27.631 --> 03:29.798 do ? And absolutely we need to believe 03:29.798 --> 03:31.964 them . Um , but I think it's important 03:31.964 --> 03:34.187 to note mandatory reporters can kind of 03:34.187 --> 03:36.242 be a gray area for some people and I 03:36.242 --> 03:38.242 think a lot of people will treat it 03:38.242 --> 03:40.464 black and white . But at the end of the 03:40.464 --> 03:42.687 day , like my rule of thumb when I tell 03:42.687 --> 03:44.631 people that I work with and try to 03:44.631 --> 03:46.742 educate is , hey , if you're in doubt 03:46.742 --> 03:48.964 and not sure what to do , just call the 03:48.964 --> 03:51.020 saARC and ask , You don't need to go 03:51.020 --> 03:53.870 straight to your commander or OS I or 03:53.870 --> 03:55.759 the shirt . If you think you're a 03:55.759 --> 03:57.870 mandatory reporter , like if you have 03:57.870 --> 03:59.981 some doubts , just call the saARC and 03:59.981 --> 04:02.203 have a hypothetical conversation . So I 04:02.203 --> 04:04.314 think that's really important to note 04:04.314 --> 04:07.930 as well for the continuum of harm . Um , 04:07.940 --> 04:10.290 if you can picture , like on the left 04:10.290 --> 04:13.610 side , you have a green environment so 04:13.610 --> 04:16.170 everyone treats everyone with dignity 04:16.170 --> 04:18.114 and respect . Um , and then on the 04:18.114 --> 04:21.010 other side of the continuum , you have 04:21.020 --> 04:23.970 sexual assault , um , really violent 04:23.970 --> 04:26.081 sexual assault , like rape . And then 04:26.081 --> 04:28.250 in the middle you have like sexual 04:28.250 --> 04:31.410 harassment . Um , people making 04:31.410 --> 04:34.460 jokes , that sort of 04:34.840 --> 04:36.850 environment . So 04:38.140 --> 04:41.360 to stay in the left in that green 04:41.360 --> 04:43.960 healthy environment , we need to keep 04:43.970 --> 04:46.192 that climate and culture of dignity and 04:46.192 --> 04:50.020 respect and then to kind of explain 04:50.020 --> 04:53.480 this a little more in depth . Um , I 04:53.480 --> 04:55.460 think the majority of people don't 04:55.470 --> 04:58.650 agree with sexist behavior , but it's 04:59.340 --> 05:01.930 really hard to kind of call people out . 05:01.940 --> 05:05.940 Sometimes you have to be very 05:05.940 --> 05:09.620 comfortable with yourself and able 05:09.620 --> 05:13.040 to speak up in front of people in male 05:13.040 --> 05:15.440 dominated workplaces or , you know , 05:15.440 --> 05:17.560 kind of group situations and kind of 05:17.560 --> 05:20.100 risk social ostracism or kind of these 05:20.110 --> 05:22.277 awkward situations like calling people 05:22.277 --> 05:24.443 out saying , hey , I'm not comfortable 05:24.443 --> 05:27.050 with that . Like I , you need to stop 05:27.640 --> 05:29.751 saying these sexist comments , making 05:29.751 --> 05:31.973 these sexist jokes because it only adds 05:31.973 --> 05:34.860 to an unhealthy climate and environment . 05:35.340 --> 05:37.540 And I think a lot of people don't 05:37.540 --> 05:40.600 correlate sexual harassment and you 05:40.600 --> 05:43.750 know , sexist jokes with , you know , 05:43.760 --> 05:47.490 sexual assault , like rape because a 05:47.490 --> 05:49.712 lot of people see it as hey , these two 05:49.712 --> 05:52.410 things are not related at all , but 05:52.410 --> 05:55.000 they all have to do with creating a 05:55.010 --> 05:57.600 really healthy environment . And so I 05:57.600 --> 06:00.480 think a great way in a simple way to 06:00.480 --> 06:02.490 kind of change the culture and the 06:02.490 --> 06:06.280 climate that we're in right now is to 06:06.290 --> 06:08.346 say , hey , this isn't okay and like 06:08.346 --> 06:10.190 put a foot down and risk social 06:10.190 --> 06:12.680 ostracism sometimes in group situations 06:12.680 --> 06:14.680 and say , hey , I'm not comfortable 06:14.680 --> 06:16.902 with this , this isn't how we should be 06:16.902 --> 06:19.069 acting or behaving okay . So I want to 06:19.069 --> 06:21.180 talk about victim blaming and just to 06:21.180 --> 06:23.236 define victim blaming . It's kind of 06:23.236 --> 06:25.920 the attitude that suggests the victim 06:25.920 --> 06:28.870 rather than the perpetrator is um bears 06:28.870 --> 06:31.870 responsibility for that assault . And 06:31.870 --> 06:34.280 so come the behaviors of blaming the 06:34.280 --> 06:36.430 victim um for what they wore or how 06:36.430 --> 06:38.652 much they drink , you know , asking the 06:38.652 --> 06:40.930 victim , why didn't you do this or why 06:40.930 --> 06:43.560 didn't you do that ? And really putting 06:43.740 --> 06:45.890 all the blame on the victim and not 06:45.900 --> 06:48.060 even remotely looking at the 06:48.070 --> 06:50.520 perpetrators , hey , it's the victim's 06:50.520 --> 06:52.810 fault for what happened to them . Um , 06:52.810 --> 06:56.030 and we can see that a lot in society 06:56.040 --> 06:58.990 right now on social media , um even if 06:58.990 --> 07:01.101 you go to the comments section on any 07:01.101 --> 07:04.030 like high visibility case , you can 07:04.030 --> 07:06.197 just see that victim blaming is pretty 07:06.197 --> 07:08.950 rampant . Um and then 07:10.140 --> 07:13.920 why is victim blaming so common is 07:13.930 --> 07:17.610 deeply rooted in our culture , so moral 07:17.610 --> 07:20.660 values and then even media influence , 07:20.670 --> 07:22.940 however , it also can be kind of a 07:22.950 --> 07:26.390 psychological reaction to crime . Um it 07:26.390 --> 07:28.501 can be , you know , the minds defense 07:28.501 --> 07:30.520 mechanism , it lets people kind of 07:30.520 --> 07:34.020 avoid the introspection , they would be 07:34.020 --> 07:36.650 forced into if they acknowledged that 07:37.140 --> 07:39.307 you know , people they like or look up 07:39.307 --> 07:42.760 to are also capable of cruel acts of 07:42.760 --> 07:44.990 crime . It's easier for them to digest 07:44.990 --> 07:48.270 that hey , this victim or survivor is 07:48.270 --> 07:51.760 just lying or making stuff up for 07:52.240 --> 07:54.460 uh like it's easier to believe that 07:54.460 --> 07:57.180 than to believe like hey , my friend or 07:57.180 --> 07:59.200 this athlete that I look up to is 07:59.200 --> 08:01.830 capable of this crime . Um so I think 08:01.830 --> 08:05.000 it's important to explain kind of why 08:05.010 --> 08:07.177 victim blaming is so common because it 08:07.177 --> 08:09.830 is quite common in this society and and 08:09.830 --> 08:12.070 hopefully knowing victim blaming is 08:12.070 --> 08:14.770 common and trying to combat that when 08:14.770 --> 08:17.130 you hear a survivor come up with their 08:17.130 --> 08:19.500 story , just believing them is the 08:19.500 --> 08:19.640 first .