Thursday, November 21, 2013

The Rapex – The Anti-Rape Condom




Believe it or not a South African inventor has created a condom to help prevent rape. Yes you read that correctly, a condom.
"Nothing has ever been done to help a woman so that she does not get raped and I thought it was high time," Sonette Ehlers.
The “Rapex” is a device worn like a tampon, but made of latex like a real condom. When the rapist tries to enter the woman’s vagina he is held firmly in place by shafts of sharp barbs that latch onto the perpetrators penis and can only be removed from the man through surgery.
"He will obviously be too preoccupied at this stage…I promise you he is going to be too sore. He will go straight to hospital.” 
The condom is made of latex and this allows time for the victim to escape and help identify the perpetrators. It also reduces the chances of a woman falling pregnant or contracting AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases from the attacker.

Elhers goal is to cut down one of the highest rates of sexual assault in the world.
“Police statistics show more than 50,000 rapes are reported every year, while experts say the real figure could be four times that as they say most rapes of acquaintances or children are never reported. South Africa has more people with HIV/AIDS than any other country, with one in nine of its 45 million population infected.”
So what’s the down side?
"If a victim is wearing such a device it may enrage the attacker further and possibly result in more harm being caused," said Sam Waterhouse, advocacy co-ordinator for Rape Crisis.
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. All in all I’m just glad someone is doing something about rape, and it is still the woman’s choice if she wants to use this method. This however does not stop molestation, or other forms of abuse.
Elher’s did say that "this is not about vengeance ... but the deed, that is what I hate," she said.

 Read more at: http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/antirape-condom-unveiled/2005/09/01/1125302668132.html

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Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Making Rape Victims Pay for Rape Kits?

I recently had a friend raped and go through the rape kit process. Today they got the bill. A $5000 bill. Ridiculous. My case happens to be in Texas, but this is not only a state problem.
“A rape kit is a set of items that specially trained medial staff use to gather and preserve evidence of a sexual assault. A woman can decline the process, which can take up to four hours, but going to an emergency room and undergoing this additional intrusion helps document the attack and gives law enforcement evidence it needs to investigate the crime and prosecute the rapist.”
A disabled woman in North Dakota who was brutally raped by an acquaintance. While this woman was recovering from surgery required to repair her internal organs after the rape she received a bill from her hospital for the cost of her rape kit. She was eventually able to get her state's victim compensation board to pay the hospital, but in the meantime she kept receiving notices from the hospital's bill collector.
"I could not believe this was happening to me, after all this," she told me. "It got resolved, thank God, but not before I started to worry that my inability to come up with the money to pay the hospital would jeopardize my case. They tell me it wouldn't have, but it was so much worry that I didn't need."
This is just one example of what victim’s go through. No crime victim should be asked to pay to collect evidence and it is even more horrifying that this would be asked of survivors of a heinous crime like sexual violence who have already demonstrated enormous courage and commitment to justice in submitting to the examination. A victim agrees to the collection of a rape kit in the hope that DNA testing will help police apprehend her (and sometimes his) assailant. Charging the victim to collect the evidence is so foreign to our sense of justice and basic compassion that it is comforting to believe is limited to these few places.
No one explains this problem better then Sarah Tofte, US Program researcher:
"The federal Violence Against Women Act prohibits states from charging victims for rape kit collection, or risk losing federal funding, and every state has passed a law to implement this requirement. This is a significant and necessary reform, but its effect is limited by weak state laws and the way hospitals, the police, prosecutors, and victim compensation funds interpret and carry out their obligation to assume the cost of rape kit collection."
Some state laws are simply inadequate. For example, Oklahoma's law caps compensation for rape victims at $450. This covers barely one-third of the estimated cost of collecting a rape kit in that state. Maine's law caps compensation at $500.The laws in North Dakota, Oregon, and the District of Columbia allow the victim to seek compensation for any cost she incurs for the collection of her rape kit. This means that the victim may first have to pay the bill herself, and then apply for compensation. In Montana, the victim is supposed to be compensated as long as the victim compensation fund does not run out and as long as she cooperates with the investigation.
Other states, like Texas, have laws that appear adequate but can be poorly executed. Texas's statute seems clear: law enforcement must pay the cost of a rape kit. In practice, the payment process is far from simple. In February 2009, I spoke with a rape victim in Texas who received a notice from the hospital that the police had paid $700 toward the cost of the exam, leaving her responsible for the remaining $800. She didn't know about the victim compensation fund, and made two payments of $50 each before a victim's advocate helped her to apply to the fund, which eventually paid the remainder.
The woman told Human Rights Watch: "I don't understand why they had to involve me at all. Why couldn't [the victim compensation fund] and the police and the hospital have worked it out on their own? The payment of my rape kit seemed like a big hassle."
If rape kits are to be treated like fingerprints collected at a robbery - in fact like every other kind of forensic evidence - then states should assume the full cost, in every case, regardless of the circumstances. States also need to prohibit the parties responsible for payment, such as hospitals, from billing the rape victim or pressing her to pay the bill and seek compensation later.  
Women should never have to file an insurance claim in connection with a rape kit. A rape kit isn't treatment. It is part of a criminal investigation, and neither they nor their insurance carrier should in any way be forced to bear even temporary cost of this procedure.
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Madonna Comes Out About Rape



Pop Icon Madonna recently revealed in Harper’s Bazaar Magazine that she too was a victim of rape. She describes how her rough start in NYC motivated her and inspired her work, making her one of the most recognizable names in the U.S.  

She described her younger years as being seen as “strange,” keeping her from making many friends.

“But it all turned out good in the end, because when you aren’t popular and you don’t have a social life, it gives you more time to focus on your future.”

She moved to New York City to make herself famous, but it wasn’t all flashing lights and parties.
“My apartment (was) broken into three times. I don’t know why; I had nothing of value after they took my radio the first time,” the “Vogue” singer wrote. “The first year, I was held up at gunpoint. Raped on the roof of a building I was dragged up to with a knife in my back.”

On that roof she was brutally raped. Though Madonna does not specify how old she was, the Michigan native arrived in the Big Apple in 1978 — meaning she would be around 20 at the time of the attack.

The budding star did not report the sex assault to cops, Lucy O’Brien wrote in her 2007 biography, “Madonna: Like an Icon.” Instead, she “internalized” the brutality that left her “crying and shaking on the roof.” The incident became a crucial moment not only personally, but also in Madonna’s artistic development.

“Her anger at the attack came out afterward in a need for complete sexual control,” O’Brien said. “Sex became a mask, a way of psychologically turning the tables on her attacker.”

The assault became a source of endless motivation for the Material Girl.  “She encountered her own worst possible scenario, becoming a victim of male violence, and thereafter turned that full-tilt into her work, reversing the equation at every opportunity,” O’Brien wrote.

Throughout the essay Madonna returns to a theme she’s certainly familiar with: Daring.
“If I can’t be daring in my work or the way I live my life, then I don’t really see the point of being on this planet,” she wrote.

At the age of 35 she decided fearlessness meant something much different than it did when she was 25. “I needed to be more than a girl with gold teeth and gangster boyfriends,” Madonna wrote. “More than a sexual provocateur imploring girls not to go for second-best baby.”

Instead, she found stimulation in Kaballah, “a mystical interpretation of the Old Testament.” The controversy over her spiritual awakening baffled her. “Was I doing something dangerous? It forced me to ask myself, Is trying to have a relationship with God daring? Maybe it is,” she wrote.

Ten years later, she would reinvent herself again, this time by moving to England and adopting two children from Malawi.

Props to Madonna for sharing her story. I think the more celebrities come out about what they've been through the more they inspire the new generation to not be afraid and to do something good with what they've experienced. End the silence and RISE.

For more information see:http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/madonna-raped-knifepoint-article-1.1476599

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Montana Teacher Rape Case

In a widely covered news story, a Montana teacher, Stacey Rambold, was sentenced and released from prison after serving only 30 days in jail. He will still have to register as a sex offender and is considered to be on probation until 2028, but his sentence has been heavily criticized by the people.

Rambold was convicted of raping Cherice Moralez, a 14-year-old girl and one of his students, in 2007. When his case went to trail Moralez took her own lifein 2010 before Rambold went to trial.
In an interview with the Associated Press Moralez's mother, Auliea Hanlon, said that man has managed to avoid what she considers to be justice.“I figured he'd be fired, go to jail, and she would be vindicated, and that would be the end of it,” Hanlon said. “Instead, here it is six years later, still going on, and he's getting out.... He's still skating.” 
“I considered going down to the jail to forgive him, but I don't know,” she said. “I'm still waiting for a sign from God.” Tears streamed down Auliea Hanlon's face as she described the emotions that have at times overwhelmed her since a church counselor her daughter confided in first told Hanlon about the rape. 
Hanlon has said Rambold's actions were a "major factor" in her daughter's suicide. Moralez felt guilty for ruining Rambold's life, and was ostracized and ridiculed by her peers after details in the case became public, Hanlon said. Hanlon said her focus remains on Rambold and the appeal of his sentence, which prosecutors said could take six to 18 months to work its way through the Montana Supreme Court.
So what was the reasoning for the judge’s decision on the light sentence? Judge G. Todd Baugh said that the girl was “older than her chronological age” and “as much in control of the situation as was the defendant.” This of course caused a huge backlash with the general populace. Women’s advocates including the state chapter of National Organization for Women filed a complaint against Baugh and delivered petitions with 144,000 signatures along with the complaint to the state Judicial Standards Commission. The complaint asks that Baugh be removed from the bench “for his misconduct related to his handling of and speech about the rape case involving the sentencing of Stacey Rambold.”

Baugh did release and official apology saying: “I made some really stupid remarks. It didn't come out right and I owe the whole county, but maybe even the whole country, especially women, an apology.” But it seems to be too little, too late with the people.
Rambold acknowledged his actions in a 2010 deferred prosecution agreement made after Moralez killed herself. The agreement allowed Rambold to remain free for more than three years until he was kicked out of a sex offender treatment program for unauthorized visits with relatives' children.  He was returned to court and sentenced as part of a new arrangement in August. 
According to the current agreement in the case, Rambold must register as a level one sex offender, which means he must make his residence open to officers for home visits. He is barred from working with children. 
State officials are also asking Montana's higher courts to send Rambold back to prison for a longer term. Prosecutors said Baugh's lenient sentence was not allowed under a state law that requires Rambold to serve a mandatory minimum of two years in prison. 
In court documents and during the sentencing hearing, Lansing described his client as a one-time offender with no prior record who took responsibility for his actions when he admitted to a single count of rape under a 2010 deferred prosecution agreement that was made after Moralez killed herself. The agreement with prosecutors allowed Rambold to remain free for more than three years until he was kicked out of his sex offender treatment and for not disclosing that he was in a sexual relationship with a Washington woman.
I hope this case continues to shine light on the easy slap on the wrist sentences that rapists and abusers like this continue to receive. Everyone, including the media, keeps forgetting that this girl has died. She committed the ultimate and final act. The pain and torture she felt was too much and she took her own life because of victim blaming. This has to end; we have to start showing more love and less hate to those that have been tortured by men like this.
This is where you can make a difference. Reach out a hand to those who feel alone. Reach out to those that are afraid to come forward for this very reason. Show them how to RISE.
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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

"A Parent's Guide to Helping a Daughter Who Has Been Raped."

Over the last few weeks I've been approached by several close family friends who have told me their child has suffered from some sort of sexual abuse. As a survivor, seeing their agony and pain for their child is heartbreaking and touching in more ways than I imagined. It has been helping me heal knowing they want to do something to help their child, but often when they ask me “what can I do” questions, I struggle to find the answers to give them. I’m so used to being the one raped and recovering that I hadn't thought much on what the family goes through.

In my search for answers I found this really great booklet by Matthew Atkinson. He’s a licensed clinical therapist and broke the questions most parents have into an 18 page booklet called A Parent’s Guide to helping a Daughter who has beenraped. After sitting through and reading it I could not find a better, more thorough answer to my questions.

My favorite part of the whole booklet though was his defining of rape. I felt that if I looked at it from that perspective, my mind was much more open to understanding than being defensive.
First--and I cannot emphasize this enough--rape is not about forcing someone to have sex. It is not sexual at all, in fact. This may sound like a startling and bizarre thing to say, so hear me out.  Although rape usually happens when a woman’s body is hurt in what we consider a “sexual” way, rapists themselves tell us that their actions weren’t about being aroused, attracted, turned on, or “horny beyond control.” Rather, it is a crime of violence in which the goal is to take power, not sex, from the person. Sex is the method used to take power and control; not the goal of the control.   
Think of it this way: when someone mugs a person at gunpoint, the goal of the crime is to take something valuable from the victim, usually money. It is not about fulfilling a mugger’s desire to point and use a gun. The gun (and the threat) is the method used to take something else from the victim, and rapists use sex as their weapon, not as the thing they want to get.
I tried this quote on a few of my friends and you could just see the light bulbs go off in their heads. He does bring up the fact that this happens to men too, but his booklet mostly focuses on a woman’s perspective. There is a name for the families of rape victim though that applies to both.
However, rape does not only affect the woman (or man), but also her family, friends, and other loved ones. Because of this, people in relationships with rape survivors are called secondary survivors; we are not the ones who were attacked, yet we are still hurt and affected. Secondary survivors sometimes need help dealing with the trauma too, and our role as the victim’s helpers makes it important that we prepare ourselves with education and counseling whenever needed.
The booklet goes on to discuss common myths and inaccurate ideas about rape. He addresses what is true and correct and how you can help him or her.
• The victim is not responsible--even slightly--for what a rapist has chosen to do. Even if we disagree with some of her decisions during the incident, some of her responses are instincts (not choices), and even when she does choose some of her actions, no choices make rape deserved, natural, or even likely. Only a rapist’s choice to attack makes a rape happen.
• All humans--men and women--have three instincts when we feel out life is threatened: Fight, flight, or freeze. None of these choices is “better” than the other, so we should resist judging a victim who did something other than “what I would have done in that situation...”Nearly all rape survivors will blame themselves or feel guilty after the rape. This is an unhealthy but natural way for her to psychologically protect herself by trying to figure out what she “did wrong,” so she’ll be able to “fix it” and keep it from happening again. It is important that you not go along with it, and even disagree and insist that none of it was her fault.

You can help by:
• Knowing the myths, and not falling for them
• Understanding what she is going through and why she blames herself
• Listening without asking prying questions, but also reminding her that she is not to blame
• Allowing her to make decisions to regain control (except the decision to blame herself; you will gently but solidly teach her that she is not at fault) 

Then he brings up actual questions the victim will wonder like:
 “Will I need medical care?”
 “Should I tell my family?”
“Should I report this to police?”
 “Could it happen again?”
“Will I become pregnant? “
“What if I get a disease like AIDS?”
 “Will others reject me now?”
 “Am I ruined for the rest of my life?”
 “Will I be an embarrassment to the people I love?”
 “Can my life be normal again?”

It also provides the reader with what both the mother and father will feel, and how it affects your child’s emotional and mental state.
Going after the guy can scare your daughter by making her wonder if the attacker will come after her for revenge because she told someone what he’d done, had him beaten up, etc. Retaliation by the rapist is possible in some instances. And it shows her that yet one more person she thought she could trust becomes violent as a way of handling angry emotions. She’s just had to deal with one person like that; the last thing she wants to see is yet another person in her life using violence to achieve what a goal. That can make her feel guilty, as if she’s imposed an emotional burden on you. She may see the fierce anger of your reaction and wish she hadn't stressed you out with one more thing for you to have to deal with. She may even try to take the role of being your comforter, counseling and soothing you when in fact she is the one in need.
It also discusses in detail what course of action a parent should take to deal with these new feelings. Questions every parent faces like; what kind of actions will help her most, and what to do when the response the victim gives you isn't what you were expecting to hear. But most importantly, why does that make him or her feel that way? 
• Your daughter will be confused after the assault, so it is important that you discuss the need
for medical care. But it is entirely her choice whether to undergo an evidence-collecting
examination.
• Men often have an instinct to seek revenge, but this is a poor option that can further
traumatize the victim, rather than helping her.
• You are more helpful by listening than by asking questions. Allow her to choose what to say, and when, but without prying or rushing her to open up.
• When your daughter blames herself--and she will--it is important that you disagree and
assure her repeatedly that she is not to blame for the rape, no matter what bad decisions she might have made before or after the attack.
• Family members try to be helpful in many ways that aren't always helpful. They should not invade her privacy, pretend it didn't happen, use jokes to cope, make threats, or express their anger to (or at) her.

It brings up important issues that parents push:
Don’t feel shut out or hurt if she isn't immediately open to you about the rape. It’s not a sign that she doesn't trust you or has lost her love for you, it is a sign that she might not trust herself just yet. She will need a long time to grow strong again before she can discuss it with anyone, even you. Then again, some daughters are immediately open. But don’t disrespect her privacy by prying, inquiring, or pressing her to be open, even if you believe “it’s so we can deal with it and move on.”

To me though, one of the most powerful parts of this booklet is his discussion of the different stages of recovery and how they look like the victim is getting worse, when she’s actually getting better.
But be aware that a relapse into negative behaviors is common and likely. And here’s something confusing you should know: her chances of “relapse” into her old problem behaviors are greatest when things seem to have been “going well” for a while. Don’t give up on counseling just because she relapses into depression, self-harm, moodiness, or even substance abuse. If anything, make sure counseling is consistent.
The third stage is marked by the return of the distress responses she experienced earlier (depression, anxiety, fear, insomnia, nightmares, drug use, tension headaches, etc.). To her, this can seem like a failure to cope or a complete collapse of her strength, and that will frighten her and perhaps aggravate you. You may wonder, “what happened? She was doing so well!” She’ll probably wonder the same thing, and then feel depressed as she sees her second-stage strength appear to crumble: “I’m a failure! I’m slipping right back down again!” Some survivors even have suicidal thoughts at this regression stage (because they think they’re failing themselves and everyone else, or they start to believe that these painful feelings will apparently never go away). This is where family relationships undergo the most stress because husbands, parents, and others hadn't planned on “getting more of the same.” Arguments are common, and her criticisms of you and herself become very sharp.
And as every victim and survivor knows, the most healing thing you can do as a parent is:
Tell her you love her. Tell her you love her. Tell her again that you love her. Got that yet? Tell her you love her.
He concludes with ways you can help, such as counseling through volunteering at rape crisis centers and work to help make stronger rape laws, and just making people more aware around you.
There is no easy way to coast through the recovery process, but counseling can help. It can teach her to recognize the steps of her recovery so she isn't so frightened when they happen, and it can teach you how to help her cope. Rape crisis centers usually offer free counseling to survivors at any point, no matter how long after the rape has occurred. I suggest using these counseling opportunities because the counselors will be specially trained and familiar with RTS. (Rape Trauma Syndrome)
All in all I think this booklet was the best and most thorough source of information you could give any parent. Though I understand it's hard for a parent to bite down their emotions and pride to hear these steps out and implement them, overall the benefit for the victim and for your relationship with her afterwards will be worth it.

For more info: http://www.resurrectionafterrape.org/media/Rape%20-parents%20guide.pdf


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Saturday, June 29, 2013

Petition: "The Canadian Justice Department: Increase prison sentences for sexual assault and child molestation"


There's a new petition on Change.Org called "The Canadian Justice Department: Increase Prison Sentences for Sexual Assault and Child Molestation." The petition cites these law articles for reference:
271. Everyone who commits a sexual assault is guilty of
(a) an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years and, if the complainant is under the age of 16 years, to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of one year; or
(b) an offence punishable on summary conviction and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 18 months and, if the complainant is under the age of 16 years, to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of 90 days.
R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 271; R.S., 1985, c. 19 (3rd Supp.), s. 10; 1994, c. 44, s. 19; 2012, c. 1, s. 25.

I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like nearly a long enough punishment for changing my whole life forever. However this year Canada is facing the possibility of serious changes to their system. However they still face serious opposition due to overcrowding of jails and the cost of it all. Speak up and demand to be taken seriously, if not for any other reason than to stop the suffering for the victims. 

This article list Canada's current laws on child abuse: http://www.haltnow.ca/abuse/child-abuse/191-child-abuse-and-the-law.html

And this article discusses what they are hoping to change this year: http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/2013/02/is-canada-too-soft-on-child-sexual-abuse.html

 To sign the petition go here: http://www.change.org/petitions/the-canadian-justice-department-increase-prison-sentences-for-sexual-assault-and-child-molestation

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The Good Men Project, Nathan's Story, and Surviving the Fourth Cycle

Today I'm sharing an article I stumbled upon from The Good Men Project. If you're like me and have never heard of them this is an excerpt from their About section on their website.
"The Good Men Project was founded by Tom Matlack in 2009 as an anthology and documentary film featuring men’s stories about the defining moments in their lives. The original, modest goal, was to tell stories about men that “changed the writer and changed the reader.” In the process, it became apparent that this book was fostering a much-needed cultural conversation about manhood. Since that time, The Good Men Project has grown into a diverse, multi-faceted media company and an idea-based social platform." 
I think this idea is totally brilliant and of course the first story I stumble upon on their site was this one. "What My Sister Did: Surviving Incest" by Nathan C. Daniels. On the site Nathan shares his painful story and you can definitely feel his uncomfortableness, but very real, very raw pain he has suffered. 
"They say that time heals all wounds… that’s bullshit! In this situation, time is not on your side and, if left to its own devices, it will form an alliance with your problems… not you."
Nathan has also written his own book called "Surviving the Fourth Cycle" his true story about overcoming suicide and mental illness.
"Surviving the Fourth Cycle swings pendulously back and forth between two stories that ultimately bleed into one. 
You will experience the author's most recent battle with mental illness through raw and honest journal entries that give you a rare "fly on the wall" perspective from a truly haunted mind. At the same time, Nathan rips his closet door off its hinges and lets all the skeletons come rattling out through a series of writings that are, in essence, the chapters of his life. You are in for a bumpy ride as he picks through the bones in these extremely personal essays that examine the intense relationships and experiences that have led to both his struggle to function in society, and his ability to persevere."

In Nathan's article he shared several steps that helped him recover that he hopes will help others. I'll spare quoting his whole article right here, but if your suffering and want to see what a true survivor, a male survivor, found helpful in his own recovery I strongly suggest checking this out.


Thank you Nathan for coming forward in a harsh society against male rape and speaking out. You are braver than you know and as a survivor I thank you.
To read more about Nathan's book go here: http://www.survivingthefourthcycle.com
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A Letter to a Molester.

This is from http://www.therealsupermumblog.com/2013/05/letter-molester/ but it was so touching I just had to share it here.

A Letter To My Molester
“Just this once,” you used to say, but that was just a lie.
You stole my innocence and made your little brother cry.
Not just when you touched my skin, throughout my whole existence.
Nightmares! Flashbacks! Memories, pursued with great persistence.
You would bring me to the basement, in the quiet of the night.
I know you were a victim too. That doesn’t make it right.
It was wrong, our uncle touched you once, outside by grandma’s shed.
He shared a sickness with you, sis, and then you helped it spread!
It wasn’t good enough to touch… you made me touch you back!
You forced my face between your legs, while writhing on your back.
Once was traumatizing, but this would last throughout a year!
You filled a dwindling childhood with painful, shameful fear!
I’d go to school on Mondays with my wounded pubic bone.
Surrounded by a hundred kids… you made me feel alone!
A six-year old, should never feel the things you had me feeling.
It wasn’t just that year, you took —Decades you were stealing!
I did try to forget it all… once that nightmare passed.
I’m glad I didn’t know back then, how long the pain would last.
You fucked my life up really bad —Without so much as trying.
I’ve cut myself! I’ve gone insane —Envisioned myself dying!
From fear, to shame, to hatred, that I carried for too long,
To numbness, and insanity… before I could be strong!
For thirty years, I’ve struggled with insatiable confusion,
To finally, after all this time, achieve some restitution.
Now, that I’m no longer numb, and I have found relief…
Now, that I’ve survived abuse, and loss, and death, and grief…
I’m finally letting go of all the hate and shame you made!
I’ve learned to reach out for a pen, a lot more than a blade.
I will never say I love you… and I cannot wish you well,
But, I released my hatred too, and now I’m free from Hell!
You molested me, big sister, and now I’m writing so you know…
My wounds have finally healed inside, but getting here was slow.
One more thing I want to share —It’s important, that you see…
The sickness that you tried to spread… I let it end with me!

To the 'The Real Supermom' that wrote this, you are awesome.
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Monday, April 22, 2013

Update - Twitter Hashtag Announcement and TeamStrick Online Awareness Day

Just a quick update and small change to our #hashtag posted here. 

#RISEandShine (Mondays) are now #MusicMondays. RISEandShine will continue, but not on a specific day anymore. So the new schedule is as follows:

#MusicMondays. 
#InnerChildTuesday
#SurvivorWednesday
#TherapyThursday
#FreedomFriday
#SharingSaturday
#HealingSunday

 Also April 20th was the online campaign with TeamStrick & a bunch of other groups to spread awareness. We had some really great entries. #RISEawareness

Our friends at RAINN - (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network)


Kylie - Founder of R.I.S.E.




"I love the idea of the phoenix "rising" from the ashes. And underneath, to be true to it's Greek Mythology, is "RISE" in Greek." -Shona (Official Member) 


My graphic for a shirt. Rape affects both men and women, why not involve them both.



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