MHS Essay

A few people have asked (via email) about my MHS essay.

In case you're curious, I wrote about the need for better sexual assault data in NYC. We need better data so that we can evaluate prevention programs. Without a baseline, it's very difficult to determine if a program has been effective.

Wanna read the first few paragraphs?
Either way, they're included below.
Figure I should get a little extra mileage out of all that work (you know, in addition to my masters degree).


STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

There is little debate that sexual violence is a serious problem that dramatically impacts the lives of many women, men, and children each year in the United States. Numerous studies have shown that survivors of sexual violence suffer from a plethora of problems, including physical injuries, mental health issues, substance abuse, and financial strain (Choudhary, 2008; Conoscenti, 2005; Kaukinen, 2005). Recognizing the impact sexual violence can have upon both individuals and communities, the feminist movement has been working since the early 1970s to “reform [the] criminal codes defining the crimes of sexual assault and other crimes against women” and to establish a system of community-based services for victims (Kilpatrick, 2004).

Although the advocacy and direct service organizations that arose from this movement have done much to address the long-term needs of survivors, efforts to impact sexual violence on a primary prevention level have been hampered by lack of coordination and a serious dearth of relevant community-level data.Without relevant baseline data, large-scale prevention programs cannot be adequately evaluated.uch evaluation is a key component of any new program and is necessary in order to determine a program’s effectiveness, success, and possible scale up/replicability. Thus, as primary prevention remains the ultimate goal of sexual violence advocates, lack of relevant data presents a serious problem................

MHS here I come..!

I handed in my final essay this past Monday.
Assuming that the review committee likes my final MHS essay and that I don't totally freak out during my 10 minute powerpoint presentation, I'm all done.

I have an end-date for my DOHMH/DOE internship, and will be figuring out my Alliance final day when my supervisor returns from vacation.

It seems crazy that this time last year I was interviewing for internships and trying to figure out how Ben, Layla and I were all going to fit in the 250 square feet of fun he called an apartment.

Now we have 2 kitties, 2 bedrooms and I have 2 internships and a freelance position with a non-profit.
Thanks to some help I'm the in process of setting up informational interviews with organizations in NYC and I'm trying to figure out my next steps.

Just a few short months away from getting a few extra letters

I can't wait to graduate in May!
I'll have my masters degree and will (hopefully?!) have something figured out in terms of a job.

Before that happens, however, I need to write my thesis and present to the department.

As of now I have figured out my essay topic and have started to create the outline.
Since the department approved my petition to remain in NYC, I'm going to use some of the work I've been doing as the basis for my paper.

I'm going to do some sort of policy paper/legislative statement about the need for better sexual violence data, and the ways in which current collection methods could be improved.

More to come as I think this through and move forward..

Learning about consent? But what are we teaching?

(cross-posted @ the NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault blog)

Although I have already attended one high school reunion (guess I'm getting old!), I still have very clear memories of football games, standardized test prep, and the ubiquitous all-school assembly. There was always something festive about being called in to sit in the auditorium, and even though the presentations were usually awful, it was fun to escape the daily grind. Thanks to the conservative leanings of most central PA citizens, I had to sit through my fair share of anti drug/anti drinking/anti sex lectures, and I definitely remember at least one program that involved puppets and a scary "don't have sex or you'll get STDs message."

Why the walk down memory lane?

Well, a co-worker recently sent me a link to an organization that specializes in risk management courses for students.

I found one of their offerings particularly interesting.

The National Center for Higher Education Risk Management offers a 'consent program' for high school students, with a focus on understanding and then obtaining consent in sexual situations.

When I read the overview, I couldn't help imagining what this program might look like in a high school auditorium; a room full of students equally excited by the thought of discussing sex at school and irritated that they have to listen to some awkward guy the entire time.

According to the program, "Conversations about Consent" there are ten things you will learn:

1. Can men be raped? How?
2. Does consent have an expiration date?
3. Can consent be withdrawn? How?
4. When must consent be given—before, during or after sexual contact?
5. Are there different levels of sexual interaction to which consent must be specifically given?
6. What are some comfortable strategies for finding out if someone is interested in sex?
7. What are some indicators of a lack of clarity in a sexual situation?
8. What are common assumptions men and women make about sex.
9. How consent is like—and unlike—baseball.
10. What is the difference between seduction and coercion?

In theory, I like the idea of a consent program.

I'm rather concerned, however, with the focus of this particular program.

Talking about consent from a risk management perspective means focusing on the rules--ie how to get consent so that you do not get accused of rape.

Is this really the right tactic?

Do we want to be teaching about sexuality and relationships from a risk management perspective?

Wouldn't it be healthier and more socially responsible to teach young adults that consent is an intrinsic part of a healthy relationship? That consent is necessary because your partner's desires and wishes are as important as your own?

I don't think that parents would be thrilled if someone came in and taught a risk management seminar on drunk driving to teens. The tag-line might be "Conversations about Drinking," but the message would be: how not to get caught if you do something wrong.

Sexual violence and sexual assault is wrong.

I'm not sure that engaging in a 'discussion' about how to avoid being caught is something I would want to promote.Yet I'm sure the National Center is doing a booming business--there's nothing adults like more than to preach about healthy relationships without having to engage in the truly difficult discussions about our cultural norms and sex.

Side note: Someone PLEASE tell me how consent is both like and unlike baseball. I refuse to take #9 on the list above seriously.

What a waste of time/money/energy: Suspending a 6 year old for bringing camping gear to school

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Is this really necessary?
I understand the need for 0 tolerance for weapons in a school.
Weapons are dangerous, kids have low impulse control, and you don't want the two to mix.
But when did common sense become irrelevant in this discussion?

If a six year old boy brings a camping tool that becomes a fork, a spoon, and a small (not sharp) knife for use at lunchtime, he should not face a 45 days in the district’s reform school.
He should perhaps be sent to the office, so that an adult can explain why it is dangerous to have anything sharp in the lunchroom. Then a guidance counselor or principal could have taken the tool away, called his mother to remind her of the policies and asked her to pick it up immediately.

So why didn't this happen? Why is the 6 year old facing a long suspension and time in reform school?

Because the law is written that 0 tolerance has to be enforced w/ a suspension, no matter the situation or age of the student.

What this really comes down to is lack of trust in our educators.
Why aren't we giving them the discretion to determine when a suspension or expulsion is warranted, or if a different and perhaps less punitive measure is needed?

Perhaps our school systems could spend more time and money actually EDUCATING students if they weren't forced to suspend 6 year old children and then face court challenges and loss of community support after the decisions.

Feeling less than enthused by Federal Work Study Guidelines...

What’s the point of having a federal work study program if it’s actually limited to within a state?

Sorry if that’s confusing..but I’m rather annoyed.
I am finishing my degree @ Hopkins but am working in New York.
My program requires that we work as interns for at least 4 months.
They don’t care where you work, or really what you do (as long as it’s reasonably on-point).

So I picked up and moved to NYC to live with B.
Why would I stay in a city that’s 4 hours away by bus from my boyfriend, when my program is practically begging me to leave?
Anyway, I am 2 weeks away from finishing part 1 of my internship experience.

My supervisors here at internship # 1 seems to like me.
He offered me a part-time position for this fall.
I accepted, and will be working here 2 days a week. I’m also taking a rather large hourly pay cut due to budget constraints.
I also accepted a position at a local non-profit (internship #2).
I am very excited about this position, but less excited about the $500 stipend available (for 4 months of work).

I asked if they would consider crafting a work study agreement.
Work study has an organization put in ¼ of the funding, and they match the amount.
That way the $500 stipend would become $2000.
Not exactly a windfall (it works out to around $6/hour for 19 hours of work a week), but better than 500!

Well, it turns out that I’m back to $500 for the semester from internship #2.
Hopkins can’t approve a work study position in another state.
Somehow “federal” work study seems less…well…federal.

You’d think a nationwide program would allow students to accept positions outside of their geographic area.

So now, despite being more than 50% done with my master degree I’m starting to think about finding a 3rd job. Which, given the current economic climate, is unlikely to materialize.

I think I still have my tuxedo..anyone in catering need a server?!

Very scary report from the ACLU: Criminalizing the Classroom

Just finished reading a recent ACLU report on the NYC schools.
Yikes.
It’s some pretty scary stuff..and not scary in the “I’m so mind-numbingly bored” or “I wish I were way cooler” way.
Scary in the, there’s a serious police presence in too many NYC schools and schoolchildren are being terrorized by the very people meant to serve and protect.

According to the report, over 93,000 children have to pass through metal detectors each morning. This includes about 100 schools with permanent metal detectors, and those schools subjected to part of the roving program.

It seems really strange to be protesting police presence in schools.
People always talk about making schools safer. We all know why.
But this report presents a pretty compelling case FOR school safety while being AGAINST police officers and metal detectors.

For one thing, there seems to be a lot of confusion over the role of the police officers and SSA (School Safety Agents) within the school and general law enforcement context.
The report documents numerous occasions in which students have been arrested for breaking rather insignificant school rules.

There’s really no excuse for a 9th grade to be handcuffed and brought to the police station for cursing in the halls. That’s a minor school infraction, best ‘policed’ and punished by a school administrator.

The power dynamic just sounds awful.
Fully armed police officers patting down young students, with multiple reports of a flagrant disregard for policies meant to ensure student safety and security.
Male police officers are not supposed to pat down female students. Yet the report contains numerous personal accounts (from students, faculty, and parents) of this rule being ignored. Another male student reported that he is routinely humiliated by the police officers for being openly gay. He reported that they flip coins to see who will have to pat him down, something they do not subject his subjectively heterosexual peers to daily.

Worse yet, almost 1/3 of all the students polled in the study felt that an officer had touched them inappropriately or made them feel uncomfortable through verbal communication.

Since the officers (both NYPD and SSAs) are overseen by the Police department, students, their families and educators have to navigate a large and confusing system to lodge a complaint.

Even if a student believes that their rights are being violated, how are they going to protest their treatment?
Most people do not clearly understand their constitutional rights, and even if they do, are they all expected to have the knowledge and resources to navigate the legal system?
The report also highlights that paying for the metal detectors and other security measures has had a direct impact on the ability of the schools to provide educational material. While the city has been paying hundreds of millions of dollars to provide these ‘safety services,’ they have also been routinely cutting allocations for book and salaries. The report notes that in one large school (4,000+ students) there are multiple metal detectors and SSAs, but not nearly enough desks. The entire complex also lacks a single librarian.

The sad part about this situation is that all of the police officers, metal detectors and SSAs have not made the schools safer. The report points out that the decline in school violence is NOT statistically significant, a fact that is often obscured when the city is reporting on its progress.

Rather, police personnel get involved in more than twice as many non-criminal incidents at schools with permanent metal detectors that at typical similarly sized schools. So the children attending these schools are instead being forced to endure a police presence that does not increase their safety, but does increase their level of negative interaction with the legal system.


Getting back to safety, the ACLU proposes several measures that have been highly successful in other school districts across the country.

The Los Angeles school system has a police force, but it reports directly to the superintendent of the district. It also does not allow police officers to use the metal detectors, and allows school administrators to take over this role.

Another large school district, Miami-Dade does not employ any walk through metal detectors at all, and police officers again report directly to the school administrators and superintendents.

Educators and administrators in NY have expressed rather clearly that many of these matters are best handled within the school. They of course want safe environments for their students, but not by turning their schools into mini-penitentiaries.

There are other obviously other options.
We don’t have to have metal detectors.
Or police officers who pat down students, confiscate food, and terrorize students.
NYC should learn a lesson from this failed experiment, and change course before a generation of students learn that government officials would rather pay for handcuffs than books.

Why schools are failing children.. I have evidence!

I debated about posting this here.
I really did.

I’ll take you through my thought process.

“Ooh, an email.”
“Ooh, a rather frightening email”
“This explains so much about our school system”
“I should share this. It’s funny and sad. Mostly sad”
“Hm, email is kind of a private forum”
“Not really though. I think email is actually known to be kind of public”
“Hm. I should make it really anonymous though”“It might be bad since it is from work”
“I think it will be ok. I’ll make it very vague”
“Done”

That all went through my head.
Really.

So here’s the deal. I’m posting a line from an email I received this morning.
I’m not going to tell you who sent it to me for obvious reasons.
I will just say that I am currently working for a large gov’t organization in NYC.
The person who sent this is ostensibly in charge of educating young minds.
Also, I would like to point out that typos happen.
This is not a typo.
When in doubt, spell-check EVERYTHING before you hit send.

Enough said.

The email snippet:

Have a great week-end. I here the possibility of SUN.

My immediate mental response?
Oy vey.