Workshop Information

What’s Religion Got to Do with It? Religiosity and Perpetration of Violence against an Intimate Partner

 Claire M. Renzetti, Ph.D. Judi Conway Patton Endowed Chair & Professor of Sociology
University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

A substantial body of research has shown that religiousness is positively associated with self-control as well as impulse control as well as various forms of pro-social behavior. Studies have shown that religious people, compared with non-religious people, express greater concern for the welfare of their intimate partners, have better marital adjustment and less marital conflict, and are able to resolve conflicts with their partners more productively.  Although some researchers have argued that religious beliefs and teachings may legitimate or even encourage the subject of women to men and, in particular, the subject of wives to their husbands, others have found that religion and religiousness may contribute to a reduction in negative interactions between intimate partners.  The present study examined the effects of religiousness on perpetration of intimate partner violence using a national community sample of adult men.  The findings indicate that religiousness serves as a protective factor against IPV perpetration by men.  The findings and their implications for IPV prevention and intervention will be discussed.   

Learning Objectives:

  1. Participants will learn that religious people, compared with non-religious people, express greater concern for the welfare of their intimate partners
  2. Participants will learn that religiousness serves as a protective factor
  3. How religion has implications for intimate partner violence prevention and intervention.

 Awareness, Perspectives, and Impacting Sex Trafficking
Mary Ritchie
Human Trafficking Program Coordinator
Partnership Against the Trafficking of Humans, P.A.T.H. Founder
Women's Crisis Center, Covington Kentucky

The crime of human trafficking is the fastest growing international crime, second only to drug trafficking. This multi-billion dollar crime impacts men, women, and children around the globe and here in the Tri-State area.  This session will focus on sex trafficking in the United States. We look at the commercial sex industry in the USA and the various forms of force, fraud, and coercion in sex trafficking cases across nationally and statewide.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Participants will develop a broad understanding of sex trafficking in the USA and its relationship to commercial sex industry.
  2. Participants will gain an understanding of victim mindset and laws impacting survivors.
  3. Participants will learn ways to impact the sex industries that drive the demand for sex trafficking. 

 Ending Violence One Green Dot at a Time… 
Dorothy Edwards, PhD
Executive Director, Greendot etcetera

This presentation will provide an overview of the Green Dot Community Mobilization Strategy and inspire participants to see their role in prevention.  Green Dot harnesses the power of individual choices to shift our current cultural norms (from bystander inaction to a community that is actively and visibly intolerant of violence).  Dr. Edwards will provide an overview of the role all community members have in promoting community safety and will instill hope that together we can markedly reduce current rates of power-based personal violence. You will leave this presentation with a renewed hope and a commitment to do your part to end violence one “green dot” at a time.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Participants have increased awareness regarding their role in promoting community safety. 
  2. Participants will connect to hope and possibility that our current rates of violence are not inevitable.
  3. Participants will learn a model of social change.
  4. Participants will leave with a concrete application of the model of social change and specific things they can do to contribute to community safety.   


Responding to campus sexual violence: Reflections from a campus-based advocate
Amy Howton
Assistant Director and Sexual Assault response Coordinator
University of Cincinnati

College women are at highest risk for sexual and gender based violence.  Therefore, colleges and universities are responsible for ensuring that campuses respond in ways that both support victims and prevent these forms of violence from occurring on their campuses.   As a campus-based advocate with the University of Cincinnati’s Women’s Center for the past eight years, the presenter will share her experiences coordinating an institutional response to sexual and gender-based violence, highlighting both opportunities and challenges in doing so.   Participants will join in dialogue as we discuss how campuses are doing in responding to these forms of violence and consider revolutionary ways we might do things differently.     

Learning objectives:

  1. Participants will gain understanding of the responsibilities campuses have in responding to sexual and gender-based violence
  2. Participants will develop sense of the challenges and opportunities in creating institutional responses to sexual and gender-based violence

Pornography and Woman Abuse: Research, Theory, and Policy
Walter S. DeKeseredy, PhD.
Professor of Criminology, Justice, and Policy Studies at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology.

It is estimated that there are over a million pornographic sites on the Internet, with as many as 10,000 added every week. In addition to having a major financial impact and contributing to the degradation and objectification of women, adult pornography is strongly associated with various types of male-to-female violence, especially sexual assault. The main objective of this presentation is twofold: (1) to briefly review sociological empirical and theoretical work on the relationships between heterosexual adult Internet pornography and woman abuse and (2) to suggest several progressive policies aimed at curbing major harms caused by the Internet pornography industry.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Participants will learn how to define pornography and obtain a brief background of the Internet pornography industry.
  2. Participants will be exposed to social scientific work on how pornography contributes to woman abuse in intimate relationships, including those on the college campus.
  3. Participants will learn about practical ways of reducing the harms done by Internet Pornography.

The Extensive Sexual Abuse Histories of African American and White Women Prisoners:  A 14-Year Follow-up
Cathy McDaniels Wilson, Ph.D., ABPP
Professor of Psychology, Xavier University

Girls and women involved in either juvenile or adult criminal justice systems are more likely to have experienced physical and sexual violence than their male counterparts or other females in the general public.  In 2009, I presented findings from my initial study which took place in the late 1990s. The current data reflects a 14-year follow-up to that initial project.  Using a combination of self-report survey data and official prison data from 750 women incarcerated in all four Ohio prisons, these data document racial differences among the women on demographic characteristics (e.g., age, education, employment status, marital status, and drug and alcohol abuse. Analyses are both bivariate and multivariate and indicate significant differences between the women in self-reported sexual abuse histories and in drug/alcohol abuse. This presentation will also address the theoretical implications and possible policy and programming implementation.  Successful return to the community from detention, jail, and prison may be strengthened by supports and services that are gender-responsive and trauma-informed.  This presentation will also review the needs of returning girls and women as they leave incarcerate settings and the options for service availability with the community. 

 Learning Objectives:

 This workshop will provide an opportunity for advocates to explore unique issues such as:

1.       The fundamentals of sexual abuse among female offenders;

  1. Understanding the extensive histories of sexual victimization of women who are incarcerated;
  2. Increased understanding of the pathway perspective of female offending; Review of gender-responsive / trauma-informed services.

Rape Investigation and Survivors
Martin D. Schwartz, Ph.D.
George Washington University

A large scale investigation of sexual assault detectives, and a follow up with first responder officers is described, with some emphasis on the nature of rape myths held by officers, and the implications of the nature of their investigations.  The implications of this for advice on behavior to survivors in dealing with the police will be discussed with the group, in an attempt to locate answers in a difficult terrain.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Understand the nature of sexual assault investigations
  2. Understand the nature of police practice and prosecution practice
  3.  Be able to explain why so many cases are dropped by the police or prosecution
  4. Contribute to a discussion of whether there should be steps taken to make survivors better witnesses, to try to reduce dropped cases

Male Peer Support and Sexual Assault

Walter S. DeKeseredy, Ph.D.
University of Ontario Institute of Technology

 Martin D. Schwartz, Ph.D.
George Washington University

 

These two researchers have been arguing for a Male Peer Support Theory of Sexual Assault for 25 years.  In anticipation of a new book next year on the subject, many years of research projects and publications will be summarized in this session, along with the parameters of the theory on the support that men receive for pro-abuse attitudes.  Simply put, in every study they have done, the level of support received by male peers for abusive attitudes has been strongly related to sexual assault and physical violent behavior against female intimates.

Learning Objectives:

 

1.       Participants will be given a brief description of the extent of sexual assault on college campuses and their immediate surroundings.

2.      Participants will learn how male peer support contributes to sexual assault on the college campus.

3.       Participants will learn about how to involve men in the struggle to enhance women's health and safety in institutions of higher learning and elsewhere.

Understanding the Role of an Advocate

Amanda, Trice, Mathew Carlsow, Nikki Winchester, Lindsey Ohler and Alexandra Gee
Xavier University Advocate Program

The Advocate Team of the Xavier University Advocacy and Response Facilitation program will discuss advocacy programs and advocate roles, as well as provide research regarding the effectiveness of advocacy.  Four domains of advocacy will be examined: medical, legal, campus-based, and law enforcement-based advocacy.

The Advocate Team consists of five doctoral students in the Clinical Psychology program at Xavier University, who are supported by a Xavier University Faculty Director, and an Advocate Advisor from Women Helping Women of Hamilton County.

Learning Objectives: 

  1. To raise awareness of the overall role of an advocate.
  2. To foster a better understanding of the key domains that comprise the advocate role.
  3. To learn about the efficacy of advocates in the community