Men Can Stop Rape Trains Hundreds in Hawaii During Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Hello, and more specifically, Aloha from Men Can Stop Rape! We wanted to take a quick second and share some thoughts from our very successful recent series of trainings in the state of Hawaii, as well as to highlight some of the incredible work that is being done to address men’s violence against women there.

Men Can Stop Rape is honored to be an integral part of Hawaii’s Statewide Plan for the Primary Prevention of Sexual Violence. This plan, begun a few years ago and as the Department of Health as a lead partner, is an ambitious attempt to spread the message of primary prevention of violence against women throughout as many communities in the state of Hawaii as possible. The plan is being created and put into place be a large and diverse range of community leaders throughout Hawaii.

After months of planning and discussion, Joseph Vess, MCSR’s Director of Training and Technical Assistance and myself, Joe Samalin, MCSR’s Campus Strength Coordinator spent a week in Hawaii meeting with, learning from, and training communities here in Hawaii to help enhance and support all the incredible work being done there already. During our multi-day trainings in Hilo and Maui, we met with, trained, learned from, and were challenged in new ways by community leaders there.

A huge Mahalo (thank you) to EVERYONE who helped with the training, logistics, and recruitment for both trainings, including but not limited to:

Hawaii Department of Health
Prosecuting Attorney Offices in Maui County and Hilo
University of Hawaii Maui College
University of Hawaii at Hilo
YWCA Hilo

Last but not least, we want to thank all of the hundreds of people who attended our trainings and acknowledge all of the wonderful work you are doing. We enjoyed working on what primary prevention work can and does look like in Hawaii – especially what masculinity looks like in Hawaii and how prevention can be tied into key Hawaiian cultural concepts such as community and extended family (Ohana), community responsibility (Kuleana), and of the course Aloha spirit, as well as what primary prevention engaging men can look like across the wide breadth of diverse communities statewide.

Training participants ranged from foster care workers to men’s group members, college students and staff to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated men, criminal justice employees and government agency staff, faith based leaders, coaches, community leaders, folks in recovery from substance abuse and helping others, and many more.

We especially want to thank those participants who were courageous and generous enough to share with all of us the gifts of their stories as both survivors of and perpetrators of violence. It is through these stories that we all find the motivation and the strength and courage to continue doing what we do.


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Men Can Stop Rape PSA Campaign Will Reach 3.6M Tennesseans

This week the Tennessee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence and Verizon Wireless announced the "My Strength is Not for Hurting" an educational campaign that we (Men Can Stop Rape) were asked to create for them. Check out the banner (above) and video PSA (below).

From TCADSV's press release:
'My Strength' is a public awareness initiative focused on preventing first-time perpetration of sexual violence. The campaign works with young men and centers on the theme, "My Strength is Not for Hurting," which emphasizes positive masculinity and enables men to utilize their strength to stand up and speak out against sexual violence. The campaign launches statewide in April and includes digital billboards and television and radio public service announcements.

"Statistics show that one in five female high school students reports being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner," comments Kathy England Walsh, Executive Director of the Tennessee Coalition. Walsh continues, "This campaign will help us get the message out to 3.6 million Tennesseans that young men can prevent violence and break the cycle of abuse."

"Verizon Wireless is proud to support the Tennessee Coalition's effort to bring awareness to a topic like domestic abuse and violence, which effects one in three women in their lifetime," comments Jerry Fountain, President of Verizon Wireless in the Carolinas and Tennessee region. 




We sell similar posters, banners, and postcards on our website, www.mencanstoprape.org. We can create a tailored campaign for your organization or community - learn more. Share

Coast Guard Features Guest Blog Post from MCSR: SAAM is Never Over

The Coast Guard Compass, the U.S. Coast Guard's blog, features a guest post from Pat McGann, Ph.D., MCSR's director of strategy and planning.

Pat offers a frank assessment of the Coast Guard’s efforts to eradicate sexual assault and reminds readers that sexual assault awareness and prevention should not end in April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Check out Pat's post...

Over the last two years, MCSR has been working with the the Department of Defense’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office to help create a "culture of prevention" in every military branch.

Here's a couple of the video PSA's that we created:




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Where is Your Line?

THE LINE (along with Working Films, Chicken and Egg Pictures) recently hosted a screening and panel discussion at NYC's 92YTribeca to discuss THE LINE's use in educational programming.

On the panel were Nancy Schwartzman, director of THE LINE; Michelle J. Anderson, Dean and Professor of Law at CUNY School of Law; Don McPherson, former NFL football player; current sports announcer and activist; Meghan O’Connor, NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault; and Neil Irvin, MCSR's Executive Director.


Check out summaries of the panel discussion as well as intended outcomes for MCSR's use of the film in our educational programs and outreach. Share

Our Men Creating Change chapter at Savannah State

Our Men Creating Change chapter at Savannah State is featured on WSAV NEWS 3 for their "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" march.








Learn more about our Campus Strength program and our Men Creating Change chapters. Share

How do we create “men of strength” in the NFL?

Last month a 20-year-old college student accused Ben Roethlisberger, quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, of sexually assaulting her in the bathroom of a Georgia nightclub. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell responded to the incident with a memo sent to NFL teams that reads, "The policy makes clear that NFL and club personnel must do more than simply avoid criminal behavior. We must conduct ourselves in a way that is responsible, that promotes the values upon which the league is based, and is lawful.”

While we support the general intent of the memo, we hope that the NFL takes concrete steps to create an environment that encourages their players to prevent violence against women.

As a national organization that works with men of all ages, Men Can Stop Rape recognizes that team sports, like football, build character and positive life skills. We take it a step further with the athletes in our programs by encouraging them to be “athletes of strength” – meaning men who treat women and other men with respect, men who have the courage to make the right choices, and men who represent themselves and their community with integrity.

Joe Ehrmann, who we honored in 2005, is a prime example of an “athlete of strength.” A former NFL defensive lineman for the Baltimore Colts and subject of the New York Times bestseller Season of Life, Joe has preached his coaching mantra - “building men for others” - to various coaches and athletes around the country.

Another example of “athletes of strength” is the group of University of Maryland college football players we taught at the University of Maryland, College Park. For an entire summer, these young men learned about the stereotypes and “dominant stories” that society teaches them about masculinity and how it relates to sports and relationships. More importantly they learned how to be a better man for their team, school, and community. The end of the class culminated in a mentoring project in which the athletes role-modeled “strength” to Boys and Girls Club middle school students.

Violence against women is promoted so heavily in our society that we have to counteract it with more than one workshop or seminar. Creating “cultures free from violence” can only be done through a sustainable, long-term approach. Holistic efforts that include ongoing education programs for athletes, the institution of policies, and the implementation of public awareness campaigns, are the only way to end this epidemic and create “men of strength” within the NFL.

Patrick McGann is Men Can Stop Rape’s Director of Strategy and Planning. He can be reached at pmcgann@mencanstoprape.org.

Men Can Stop Rape (MCSR)'s mission is to mobilize men to use their strength for creating cultures free from violence, especially men’s violence against women. Named by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as one of the world’s most innovative violence prevention programs, Men Can Stop Rape has reached over 2 million youth and professionals since 1997. MCSR has worked with organizations such as the DoD Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, US Department of Health & Human Services, and various school systems and universities throughout the country. More information about our programs is available at www.mencanstoprape.org.

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Men Can Stop Rape Announces Neil Irvin as New Executive Director

WASHINGTON, DC – Men Can Stop Rape (MCSR) is pleased to announce the promotion of Neil Irvin as the organization’s new Executive Director.

“After conducting an extensive national search, I can think of no one more uniquely suited to do this work other than Neil. His passion and commitment to men’s involvement in ending violence against women, as well as his diverse skill set, were instrumental in our decision,” said Men Can Stop Rape’s Board President Heather Peeler. “We are delighted that he accepted the position.”

Irvin recently served as Senior Director of Programs, a position he held since 2008, following five years as Director of Community Education. He joined Men Can Stop Rape in 2001.

“Throughout my time here at Men Can Stop Rape I have witnessed the breadth and impact of our work with young men, and I am both thrilled and humbled to lead this organization’s work,” Irvin said. “Men Can Stop Rape is truly unique not only for its mission, but for its commitment to challenging social norms of masculinity and its connection to violence. This is an incredible opportunity for me personally, but there is also tremendous potential for MCSR to help young men create ‘cultures free from violence’ if we strengthen our relationships with organizations inside and outside this field.”

“Over the past nine years Neil’s grown MCSR’s curriculum-based youth program from one school in Washington, DC to over 100 locations in ten states throughout the country,” said Peeler. “He’s also played an instrumental role in our partnerships with local and national organizations doing this work. I have every confidence Neil’s leadership and brilliant understanding of the communities that we serve will be critical to the fulfillment and expansion of Men Can Stop Rape’s mission in the years ahead.”

As Executive Director, Irvin will be responsible for continuing Men Can Stop Rape’s national work in the field of primary prevention of men’s violence against women, as well as cultivating strategic partnerships with state and federal agencies and private and corporate foundations. He will oversee all programs of the twelve year old non-profit which include its award-winning youth program the Men of Strength Club, its college program Campus Strength, its Strength Trainings for youth-serving professionals, and its “My Strength" public awareness campaign.

Irvin played a critical role in Men Can Stop Rape’s partnership with the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault, which in 2005 established a $2 million comprehensive social marketing campaign and programming throughout California. In 2007, he led MCSR’s Strong Moves initiative to place the Men of Strength Club in every public high school in the District of Columbia, the largest city-wide effort of its kind in the country.

Identified by the Centers for Disease Control as a “promising practice,” the Men of Strength Club, or MOST Club, provides male teens with a structured space to build individualized definitions of masculinity that promote healthy relationships. Now in its tenth year, Men Can Stop Rape’s middle school and high school curriculum are taught in schools throughout California, District of Columbia, Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, New York City, North Carolina, Ohio, and South Carolina.

Well known throughout the country in the field of gender-based violence prevention, Irvin has served as a consultant to The White House Commission on Violence Against Women and Girls, the Department of Justice Office of Violence Against Women, Boys and Girls Club, Ford Foundation, and Liz Claiborne Foundation. He serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health and has been a regular lecturer at American University, George Washington University, and Howard University. Prior to joining MCSR, he worked for the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene at the Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents.

Irvin resides in Silver Spring, MD with his wife and two daughters. He can be reached at nirvin@mencanstoprape.org.

Men Can Stop Rape (MCSR)'s mission is to mobilize men to use their strength for creating cultures free from violence, especially men’s violence against women. Named by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as one of the world’s most innovative violence prevention programs, Men Can Stop Rape has reached over 2 million youth and professionals since 1997. MCSR has worked with organizations such as the DoD Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, US Department of Health & Human Services, and various school systems and universities throughout the country. More information about our programs is available at www.mencanstoprape.org.

Media Contact:
Nicole Player
Men Can Stop Rape
202-534-1835
nplayer@mencanstoprape.org

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MCSR Joins Initiative Asking to Restore Local Control of Crime Victims Fund

Washington, DC -Next week, communities throughout the nation will rally to honor and support victims of crime in observance of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. The traditional lineup of vigils, unity gatherings, and community fairs will trumpet a national theme of “Fairness. Dignity. Respect.”

In the District, a group of victim advocates and service providers plan to ask lawmakers to introduce a new tradition to honor crime victims, by restoring local control of the District’s Crime Victims Compensation Fund, which has been under federal control since 1997.

The move would restore millions of dollars of crime victim services funding to the beleaguered city budget. Nearly two dozen crime victim advocacy organizations and service providers, backed by over 1,600 supporters from around the country, are urging federal lawmakers to give the city control of the District’s Crime Victims Compensation Fund.

The Fund is designated to assist crime victims and their families with expenses such as funeral costs, medical and mental health costs, and lost wages. Those who benefit are victims of violent crimes, including rape, robbery, domestic violence, child abuse, and the families of homicide victims.

“The Crime Victims Compensation Office draws millions in annual revenue from court fines and fees paid by District residents,” said Denise Snyder, executive director of the DC Rape Crisis Center, where more than 3,000 sexual assault victims receive crisis support and counseling services each year. “How can it be that the District has no control over how these local funds are used to help our community’s most vulnerable crime victims?” Initiative

Read the full press release...

If you support what we're trying to do, then let your voice be heard! Take action by signing the petition to ask the federal government to restore control of Crime Victims Compensation Funds to the District government in FY2011. Sign now!

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MCSR's College Chapter Breaks Down "Jersey Shore"

Georgetown students watch an episode of Jersey Shore

Check out this post from Jared, a member of Men Can Stop Rape's college chapter at Georgetown University, Men Creating Change (GUMCC):

Yesterday GUMCC hosted a viewing of MTV reality show Jersey Shore and invited Georgetown's Take Back the Night and Diversity in Justice and Action Magis Row House to give their two cents.

The show is a great and hilarious way to look at performances of hypermasculinity and how these performances are not entirely acceptable when they play out with people in real life.

The episode we watched dealt with the aftermath of one of the female characters, Snooki, being punched by a man at the bar.

We discussed the aggressive responses the characters had to that specific case of violence against a woman. One character, Vinny, stated that he would have rushed the police in order to get the man that hurt Snooki.

What was lost in the demonization of the man who hit Snooki (he was often called a lunatic and crazy) was that his violence was not a result of mental instability, but was very much encouraged by the overly masculine culture of the Shore.

At one point in the episode, Vinny basically claims that some women are whores and other women you have to treat like human beings.



If there are only some women that Vinny feels he has to treat like human beings, why is he so bewildered when a man treats a woman like something less than human?

This contradiction shows the deeply ambivalent attitude our culture has towards violence. If we as a culture are going to cheer Ronnie’s show of masculine power in knocking a man unconscious, then we have to be prepared when such violence hits the people we love.

We talked about Mike (aka The Situation) and how his alpha-dogness is easily subverted when a woman he likes stands him up.

We also found interesting how the men of Jersey Shore’s hypermasculinity is so closely connected with what could be considered a “feminine” attention to looks as embodied in the GTL (gym, tan, laundry) philosophy of life:

The fact that their masculinity is bound up with characteristics often considered feminine demonstrated for us the incoherence of the concept of the “real man.”

All in all, we had a great event with a lot of laughs and a lot of deep discussion.

Jared Watkins, a double major in English and Women’s and Gender Studies, is from Farmington, New Mexico. Jared is also interning for Men Can Stop Rape's Training & Technical Assistance department. Share

Hurts one. Affects all…Preventing sexual assault is everyone’s duty

On Thursday, Men Can Stop Rape's Director of Training and Tech Assistance Joseph Vess presented a workshop a workshop for military officers and civilian staff at Virginia's Defense Supply Center Richmond (DSCR). DSCR is a US Department of Defense installation that provides support to all branches of the US armed forces.

The presentation, held as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), focused on working with men and women service members to prevent sexual assault in the ranks.

Also discussed was the “My Strength is for Defending” social marketing campaign that Men Can Stop Rape created for the DoD's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) in April 2009. Posters, radio, TV, and digital PSA's were disseminated to every U.S. military installation throughout the world.

The 2010 campaign - "Hurts one. Affects all…Preventing sexual assault is everyone’s duty" - will focus on the effects sexual assault has on the military’s mission readiness. See SAPRO's website sapr.mil for more info.

Thanks to Barbara Bothwell, DSC Richmond Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, for the pictures.

Check out this video of the DoD's "SAPRline of Courage" t-shirt exhibit being held in the Pentagon throughout April for SAAM:

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Date Rape is a Crime, Not an “Incoherent Concept;” American U. Column and its Media Coverage Distort and Confuse the Issue

WASHINGTON, DC, April 5, 2010 - The recent opinion column in the American University student newspaper – and its ensuing media coverage – fails to accurately represent the reality of sexual assault on college and university campuses. Rape is not an “incoherent concept” for the estimated one in four college women who will be raped by classmates, boyfriends, friends, or dorm-mates during their college career.

Rape is any form of penetration without consent and by force or threat of force; in nearly every state, someone who is intoxicated cannot legally consent to sex. Even though we know that rape is a felony, we are taught that the line of consent is blurry – perhaps even malleable. When a woman drinks too much at a party, or goes home with a certain guy, or goes into his bedroom, consent is too often taken for granted. It is not only the survivors who lose because of these problematic assumptions. On the one hand, eighty percent of survivors know their perpetrators, making it nearly impossible for women to distinguish “safe guys” from “potential rapists.” On the other hand, while the vast majority of these perpetrators are men, most men do not rape women.

Many of the college and university men that Men Can Stop Rape works with nationwide are engaged around this issue precisely because they have seen firsthand the devastating effects of sexual assault on the women they care about. These men know that the two percent of false rape reports are not the real problem; and they focus on supporting the millions of women – like family, friends, classmates, coworkers, and service members – who are sexually assaulted every year. These men work with women as allies in creating safe, healthy relationships and behavior.

It is not likely that the media will stop victim-blaming unless more people speak out against attitudes like “rape is an incoherent concept.” Last week on April 1st marked the beginning of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. There is no better time for individuals, especially men, to learn how they can stand up, be strong, and take action to prevent rape and date rape.

Here are five things men can do to prevent date rape:

1. Does kissing mean that a person wants to have sex? How do you know? When a situation is unclear, asking before you act will ensure safe and healthy sex for everyone.
2. Accept when consent is withdrawn. Even after a person has given their consent, that person can withdraw it at any time. We all deserve the right to change our minds.
3. If a person is drunk or high and can’t give consent, back off and wait until you both are sober.
4. You’ve heard of designated drivers. Now use the same principle to prevent rape. At a party, designate someone among your group of friends to keep an eye on a guy that might be behaving in ways that could lead to sexual violence.
5. You probably will never see a rape in progress, but you will hear attitudes and see behaviors that degrade women and promote a culture of violence. When your friend tells a rape joke, let him know it’s not funny.

Men Can Stop Rape (MCSR)'s mission is to mobilize men to use their strength for creating cultures free from violence, especially men’s violence against women. Named by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as one of the world’s most innovative violence prevention programs, Men Can Stop Rape has reached over 2 million youth and professionals since 1997. MCSR has provided youth and college programming, public awareness materials, and training for the Department of Defense, Office of Health & Human Services, Liz Claiborne, Inc. (Love is Respect), DCPS, California Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and more.

Re-posted on:

Date-Rape Columnist Adds Race To His Conversational Repertoire [Jezebel]
Date Rape is a Crime, not an “Incoherent Concept” - Our Response to the AU Column [Paradigm Shift]
Men Can Stop Rape's Response to American University Rape Apologist [Change.org]

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