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Tag Archives: campus safety

When Does Hello Become Harassment?

23 Sunday Nov 2014

Posted by Dr TaMara in Relationships, Sexuality, Women

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

by-stander invention, campus safety, create safe, Dr. TaMara Griffin, harassment, sex, sexual violence, street harassment

th-174So by now we have all seen the article and the video that’s gone viral of the woman walking around New York for 10 hours trying to increase awareness and prove a point about street sexual harassment. The video has garnered a firestorm of comments from men and women, community groups, media personalities, celebrities, victims’ advocates and community members as large. The barrage of support and criticism surrounding the video left me questioning at what point does hello become sexual harassment?

While message and intentions behind the video are definitely awesome and well-intended, it certainly points out that there is undeniably a fine line between a cordial greeting or compliment and an inappropriate comment with the sexual under tone that makes a woman or man feel uncomfortable and/ or like they are being harassed.

This blurred line between hello and harassment poses a very challenging question, one for which there is not an easy answer to or a quick fix. One of the challenges is that the definition of sexual harassment may vary from person to person, which makes it even more difficult to define. Nevertheless it is a concern that we must address in order to evoke individual, community, and societal change. As a society we must begin to create a culture of healthy sexuality that does not tolerate or condone sexual violence of any kind.

Another challenge is that sex sells everything! We as a society have become so bombarded with sexual images on a daily basis that a seemingly innocent hello, friendly greeting or compliment in passing is misconstrued as an ill-intended attempt to harass. While it is important to be aware and informed, we have to be extremely careful not to over analyze someone’s hello and immediately toss it into the harassment category because it diminishes the severity of sexual harassment. This creates a problem for those who are truly being harassed sexually. Not only does the allegation get minimized but it also gets handled inappropriately and as a result the victim continues to be re-victimized.

Sexual harassment, no matter the race, ethnicity, gender, orientation, religion or political affiliation, ability, disability, socioeconomic status, etc. affects us all! It is a community wide concern that has the potential to leave last effects on the individual, family and the community. Sexual harassment has mental, emotional, verbal, sometimes physical, spiritual, economical and legal implications. We still must be very conscientious about how we do and do not define it. And although our perceptions of sexual harassment may be individualize, there are still some defining elements of sexual harassment and that’s where the crucial distinction lies. To define it only as an experience in which an individual” perceive” the unintended greeting as an intentional act or violation of one’s personal being can have serious implications and impact on a person’s life. Herein lies the reason for much needed conversation around this issue.

The conversation should not focus so much on who is being harassed but rather how do we address it as a community so that everyone feels safe. We spend so much time finger pointing and blaming each other; that while we are playing the blame game the problem still continues. We need to come up with effective comprehensive, skills based programs on how to increase awareness and educate. Such programs would include: looking at how we define harassment, how the intersectionality of gender, orientation, politics, culture, race, religion, etc. plays a role in harassment, how do we prevent it, increasing accountability and responsibility, laws around harassment, etc. It would also include looking at how we as a society have become so desensitize to not only harassment but all forms of violence.

The conversation should also consider the question: what could happen if we get to a point where a hello become sexual harassment. What kind of society will we be? We will be a society that is alone and lacking the human companionship that we need to sustain and maintain relationships because will be afraid to say hello. So it is very important that we begin to define and have conversations around what sexual harassment is and is not. We must teach young men and women the proper ways to engage in relationships or to engage in casual conversations without fear of being harassed or accused of harassment.

At the end of the day, we have become a society that sometimes over looks, condones and in some ways promote sexual harassment, intimate partner violence and other forms of violence that we have become so desensitized; which is a double edge sword. On one end, because we are oversexualized we think that it’s ok to be overtly sexual. And the other end, because we are oversexualized we expect there to be a sexual undertone in anything that someone says or does.

Finally, I leave you with this thought, how much accountability do we have in perceiving the hello as harassment? Just because we’re having a bad day, just because we’ve gotten into a fight with a boyfriend or girlfriend or just because we’ve had a bad encounter with someone, we cannot make the assumption that the next person who greets us is harassing us. Let’s consider the fact that they may truly just want to acknowledge our presence, compliment us, make us smile or just simply say hello.

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Project Create S.A.F.E. Helps to Create Sexual Assault Free Environments

17 Wednesday Sep 2014

Posted by Dr TaMara in Uncategorized

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Tags

by-stander invention, campus safety, campus sexual violence, create safe, domestic violence, Dr. TaMara Griffin, Intimate Partner Violence, sex and relationships, sexual violence

Dr. TaMara speaks about the mission and purpose of Project Create S.A.F.E. Learn more by visiting http://www.projectcreatesafe.com! Donate to the Project Create SAFE campaign by visiting http://www.gofundme.com/createsafe! You contribution helps to provide FREE services to individuals, families, communities and organizations that are in need of assistance. Most of all, please help us spread the word! Speak up! Speak out! Speak often! Speak Positively! #ICREATESAFE will YOU??

Pretty Polish Helps Prevent Sexual Assaults

27 Wednesday Aug 2014

Posted by Dr TaMara in Uncategorized

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Tags

by-stander invention, campus safety, Dr. TaMara Griffin, sexual violence

images-38Social media has been creating a lot of buzz about an innovative nail polish that would help to protect a potential victim from an assault. Created by four male students from North Carolina University, this nail polish is designed to change color when it comes in direct contact with several of the common drugs intended to temporarily incapacitate a potential victim.

According to the article, once the intended victim places their finger inside of the drink the polish will change colors helping to detect the colorless, odorless drug known as the “date rape drug” or “roofie.” The goal of this life saving polish is to make the prowling perpetrator “fear the repercussions of being caught slipping a drug into someone’s drink,” thus ultimately creating a shift in fear from the victim to the perpetrator.

While this anti-rape polish has garnered a lot of support, there are many sexual assault prevention advocates that believe that innovations like this are misguided, can lead to victim blaming and may not necessarily be the best way to approach the sexual assault epidemic on college campuses.

I am incline to agree that a pretty polish, alone, cannot prevent a sexual assault, however I do believe that it is another tool that can prove to be very useful. In order to see a real reduction in sexual violence on college campuses, we need to change how sexuality is viewed in our culture. And this change MUST involve EVERYONE!

We need to create comprehensive programs that incorporate: 1) informed consent education and by-stander interventions, 2) addresses sexism, genderism, culture, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and healthy relationships, 3) identifies social determinants that contribute to risks, 4) identifies triggers, strength factors and protective factors, 5) incorporates survivor support and perpetrator interventions that reduce the likelihood of recidivism, and 6) teaches accountability and responsibility.

We also must address polices that serve as barriers and help to further stigmatize and institutionalized survivors. In order for politics to effectively impact sexual violence, it must become a priority! Such policies must consider addressing social determinants, focus on navigating structural barriers, take into account the impact of culture, sexual orientation, gender, disabilities, religion, economic and other social inequalities, and increase access to services for survivors and perpetrators.

Men must become involved! We need men to become allies in advocating for change. We must focus on redefining how masculinity is defined and viewed in society. We must also address the culture of male dominated athletics and organizations where overt sexual behaviors with undertones of sexual violence have been permissive and even accepted. In addition, we must create an environment that makes it safer and acceptable for men to come forward as survivors.

While, this is not intended to be an exhaustive list it is certainly a starting point to creating a culture that reduces sexual violence.

#ICREATESAFE

www.projectcreatesafe.com

Dr. TaMara on the Flaminpit Show

12 Tuesday Aug 2014

Posted by Dr TaMara in Sexuality, Women

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Tags

campus safety, create safe, domestic violence, Dr. TaMara Griffin, interpersonal violence, sexual violence

10570435_742188369153057_4837238491128332006_n

Dr. TaMara Griffin and Lesa Quade, the host of the Flaminpit Show! Chatting about my latest project, Project Create SAFE “Create Sexual Assault Free Environment” by reducing campus sexual violence.  I will post the actual interview as soon! Stay tuned! In the meantime check out www.projectcreatesafe.com! Also check out Project Create SAFE fundraising campaign at www.gofundme.com/createsafe. Purchase Project Create SAFE items at www.cafepress.com/projectcreatesafe.

 

Project Create SAFE – Sexual Assault Free Evironments

01 Friday Aug 2014

Posted by Dr TaMara in Uncategorized

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Tags

campus safety, create safe, domestic violence, sexual assault, sexual violence

Create Safe-1

Contact: Dr. TaMara Griffin
Phone: 810-447-0575
tamara@drtamaragriffin.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dr. TaMara Griffin unveils Project Create S.A.F.E. {Sexual Assault Free Environments}
A new project aimed at reducing campus sexual violence

FLINT, M.I. (July 17, 2014) – Did you know that:

  • 1 in 5 women have been sexually assaulted while in college.
  • 63% of men who have admitted to committing an assault said that they have committed an average of six attacks each.
  • 1 in 71 men have been raped during their life time.
  • Repeat victimization occurs in 1/3 of women who have been sexually assaulted.
  • Individuals with disabilities, undocumented citizen, and members of the LGBTQAI communities, homeless and individuals with varying social identities are at greater risk for sexual assaults.

Sexual violence on college campuses has become such a huge problem that in January, 2014, TheWhite House developed a task force to address the issue. In, April, 2014, The White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault identified four (4) key action areas to help assist colleges and universities with creating safer environments. The four (4) key areas include: 1) Better reporting, 2) Better prevention, 3) Better response to sexual assault when it occurs, and 4) More transparent federal enforcement. Unfortunately, many colleges and universities are not equipped or prepared to deal with the fallout of campus sexual violence, as a results often times the assault goes under or unreported.

“As an advocate for sexual health, I have become involved in creating a positive solution to reducing campus sexual violence; one that includes an overall cultural shift that changes societal norms that condones and promotes sexual violence. “Not only do I understand the importance of providing women the knowledge and skills to reduce their risk for sexual violence but I also understand the importance of gaining the support of men and including them in the efforts of reducing sexual violence. Focusing on addressing and redefining masculinity will help to reframe sexuality and create a culture of acceptance and healthy sex positive norms in a culture where overt sexual behaviors with undertones of sexual violence have been permissive and even accepted.”  Dr. TaMara Griffin

Project Create SAFE will help colleges and universities maintain federal compliance and address the issue of campus sexual violence by developing and implementing programs that: 1) create an environment of safety and non-tolerance; 2) institutionalize change by creating a culture of healthy sexuality; 3) provides ongoing support to survivors and their families and 4) offers healthy sexuality educational workshops and trainings to  community organizations that offer services to students on college and university campuses.

Please join in the movement and/or donate to the Project Create SAFE Campaign! Your contribution to will enable us to provide services at a discounted cost to individuals, communities and organizations that may not other wise be able to afford services. Donations can be made by visiting www.gofundme.com/createsafe.

If you are interested in learning more about Project Create SAFE, or if you would like information for your university campus or organization please contact Dr. TaMara Griffin, Project Director at (810) 447-0575 or email tamara@drtamaragriffin.com. You may also visit our website at www.drtamaragriffin.com or www.projectcreatesafe.com.

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