Check out this great stalking awareness campaign called Stalking: Know It. Name It. Stop It. Not only do they have promotional materials to raise awareness about stalking, there are also numerous resources related to safety planning, outreach materials, and information specific to responders like law enforcement and prosecutors.
Last year, the Men’s Anti-Violence Council developed a workshop about commonly exploited technology used to stalk and harass individuals. It has been extremely popular and we have presented it at numerous conferences and workshops. We’ll be presenting it next month at The Big Ten Counseling Center conference regarding how this topic relates to counseling centers and college students. Stay tuned for when we upload the Power Point from that presentation.
The Office of the Vice President and the White House Office of Science and Technologyjust announcedthe winners of the Apps Against Abuse challenge. The two apps are called Circle of 6 and On Watch. TheCircle of 6app was created by by our very own friend of MAC, Nancy Schwartzman over atThe Line!
The Circle of 6 app lets you designate six individuals to be in your “circle.” Once you have selected your six allies, you can select different ways to ask for their support. If you tap the car icon, a text message to come and get you along with your GPS location is sent. Tapping the phone icon sends a message to call the sender to interrupt the current situation. The chat icon connects the sender with their circle so that they can get advice about a situation. A danger button automatically calls a national safety hotline. Once it is set up, it would take a user two taps in the app to get help. Take a look at some of the screen shots below. This looks like a great way to stay connected and get help in a dangerous or potentially dangerous situation.
The app is a prototype and is set to be released on the app markets across a variety of operating systems in January, 2012. You can support and stay updated about the app on their Facebook page.
MAC member, Derrais Carter has created a new project for the Men’s Anti-Violence Council called Mobile Masculinities. The goal is to create a critical discussion about masculinities and anti-violence work through online videos.
During the University of Northern Iowa’s Men’s Institute last week, Derrais got the opportunity to ask the keynote speaker, Jackson Katz a few questions. As many of you know, Dr. Katz is an expert in the movement to get men involved in reducing gender violence. He wrote The Macho Paradox and was responsible for creating the first film I ever watched about masculinity, Tough Guise. See the video below for the first installment of Mobile Masculinities with Jackson Katz!
Have you ever found yourself in a situation or discussion about difference (e.g. race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, etc.) and you just didn’t know what to do or say but you knew you needed to do something?
It doesn’t matter if it is overt racism, covert sexism, bullying or offensive language. Inappropriate conduct needs to be addressed in order to create a safe and welcoming campus and community for everyone. Helpful and active bystanders can create the positive change needed in our community. If bystanders remain passive and silent because they don’t know what to say or do, the problem is allowed to continue, and often escalate.
This interactive discussion is designed to provide information about the bystander intervention model regarding diversity and violence; provide training in identifying harmful and inappropriate situations; and teach specific bystander intervention skills and techniques to address inappropriate conduct. There will be opportunities to discuss realistic scenarios, process real-life situations, and practice the bystander intervention skills.
You need to register for this workshop on WRAC’s website here.
Join us on October 21, 2011 from 1:00 – 3:00 pm at Iowa Advanced Technology Labs Conference Room (Across the street from WRAC) to learn how to be an active and helpful ally.
Volunteer training for the Men’s Anti-Violence Council (MAC) starts on September 7th. MAC is a volunteer opportunity at the Women’s Resource and Action Center for men on campus and from the community to get involved in violence prevention initiatives. In just 3 years, MAC members and the students and staff we have trained across campus have delivered programming, training and workshops to over 9,000 individuals! Our goal is to provide information, raise awareness and teach the skills necessary to make our campus and community a safer place for everyone. MAC members implement numerous events every year. We host film viewings, participate in fundraisers, bring speakers to campus, present at local and national conferences, and train students and community members in how to effectively address inappropriate and unsafe conduct in our community.
You can find out more about our training dates and location on our website. If you are interested, please complete a volunteer application and bring it with you on September 7th. Please help spread the word to any men in the area who could be an asset to the program. Invite them to attend the orientation training on September 7.
To learn more you can contact the MAC Coordinator at 319.335.1486.
Welterweight UFC champion, George St. Pierre isn’t someone that would be at the top of my list of bullying victims. St. Pierre has a 21-2 record in the UFC and has not lost in over four years. He has fought some of the toughest men in the UFC and has millions of fan across the world. However, in an interview with Yahoo! sports, he described his childhood experiences with bullying. Below are some excerpts from the interview.
“I had a rough childhood, big problems. I didn’t have many friends growing up. I’m from a small town. I was an intellectual person. People who were friends with me were intellectuals, they were not popular either. They weren’t the hockey player that everyone wanted to be like.”
“I had an acne problem. I was just not dressing very well. I was not very popular with girls. I just wasn’t a popular guy.”
St. Pierre still remembers the bully that started when he was 10 years old and lasted for over 4 years. He can vividly picture that pack of older kids that tormented and plotting escape routes after class. He remembers the feelings of dread at the thought of going to school, the restless sleep, and the loneliness and hopelessness.
Click Read More to hear the rest of St. Pierre’s story and his message for victims, bullies and bystanders.
The Men’s Anti-Violence Council is collaborating with students from the Master’s of Social Work program to host a viewing and discussion of the documentary Boys and Men Healing. See description below for more information and a preview. Hope to see you there!
It is estimated that 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused before the age of 18. However, there is often a lack of understanding about the healing process of adult male survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Join members of the Men’s Anti-Violence Council and students from the Master’s of Social Work program in viewing and discussing the new documentary Boys and Men Healing.
Boys and Men Healing is a documentary about the impact that sexual abuse of boys has on the individual and society. The documentary emphasizes the importance of healing and speaking out for male survivors. The film portrays the stories of three courageous men whose healing process helped them reclaim their lives—while giving them a powerful voice to speak out, and take bold action toward prevention for other boys. The film includes a support group of men and is testimony to the importance of men finding safe places to support one another and share their stories together.
The event is on Monday, April 25 at 7 p.m. in the Penn State Room (room 337) in the IMU. Food and drinks will be provided.
Update: The film viewing went great! Thanks so much to everyone who attended and participated. We had an unrealistic expectation that we would fill the 45-seat room. Imagine our surprise when over 70 people showed up! Thanks for a great event!
