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Rape Prevention in Arizona
by Dawn Pisturino
Abstract
Social
services in Arizona are concentrated mainly in the Phoenix area. Outlying areas may or may not have sufficient
services. In Mohave County, for example,
domestic and sexual violence services are geared largely toward families and
domestic violence. Few services exist
specific to rape prevention. In fact,
the nearest actual rape center is located in Flagstaff (Coconino County), which
is two hours away. Arizona does have a
comprehensive Sexual Violence Prevention & Education Program aimed at
prevention of sexual and domestic violence, but most state-funded organizations
are located in southern Arizona.
National organizations like RAINN provide general guidelines and
state-by-state information.
Rape Prevention in Arizona
The Sexual Violence Prevention &
Education Program in Arizona originated at the state level, conforms to CDC
guidelines, and depends on funding from the CDC and other sources.
In 2004, the Governor’s Office for
Children, Youth, and Families formulated a state plan that would “increase
capacity . . . to provide services, promote prevention, conduct trainings, and
create public awareness activities statewide” in the area of sexual assault. The primary goal was to “increase victim
access to comprehensive crisis services” (Governor’s Office for Children,
Youth, and Families, 2004).
A statewide eight year plan was
implemented through the Arizona Department of Health Services in 2010 that
would “stop first time perpetration” through standardized educational
curriculum in the schools, colleges, and universities; faith-based
organizations; widespread media campaigns; and businesses that serve
alcohol. The mission was to achieve “the
vision of a culture that supports healthy, respectful relationships through
primary prevention efforts and zero tolerance of sexual violence in Arizona
communities” (Arizona Department of Health Services, 2010).
Sexual assault is a public health threat
that requires preventative education and counseling before an assault occurs; interventions immediately after an incident; and long-term
follow-up care, if necessary, with therapy and empowerment tools (University of
Arizona, 2012). Programs are now
teaching bystander intervention skills to people who want to serve as role
models and intervene when they witness a potential or actual sexual assault
occurring. The University of Arizona
routinely screens students for past and recent sexual assaults and abuse so
they can receive the therapy they need.
Male students learn how to evaluate their own attitudes and
beliefs about male dominance and entitlement in order to gain new respect for
their partners and develop more effective communication skills (University of
Arizona, 2012).
The Sexual Violence Prevention &
Education Program implemented in 2012 on the campus of the University of
Arizona in Tucson is also available to other campuses, organizations, and
businesses through their community outreach program. According to their research, alcohol is
implicated in 50-70% of all sexual assaults.
Drug and alcohol screenings are now done on campus to screen students
for substance use problems. Students
receive information about consent and the ability/inability to consent for
sexual activity while intoxicated.
Freshmen are required to take an online course in sexual assault
(University of Arizona, 2012).
Research conducted at the University of
Arizona supports new laws and public policies.
Researchers have found that community-based programs are most effective. Their public awareness programs have been so
effective, Governor Douglas Ducey proclaimed April 2016 Sexual Assault
Awareness Month (Governor’s Office, 2016).
According to the National Center for
Injury Prevention and Control (2016), 1 in 5 women and 1 in 15 men experience
rape or attempted rape. By the age of
eighteen, 40% of women have suffered some sort of sexual abuse or assault. The long-term physical and psychological
trauma can be devastating. Family
Advocacy Centers have been established in some areas of Arizona to provide
post-sexual assault services, including forensic evidence collection, expert
witness testimony, and legal representation.
Arizona state law allows victims to receive a forensic examination by a
trained examiner within 120 hours (5 days), whether or not they plan to report
the incident to police (Governor’s Office for Children, Youth, and Families,
2004). Forensic biological evidence will
be kept indefinitely in unsolved felony sexual offense cases (Arizona Revised
Statute 13-4221). There are no statutes
of limitations in felony sexual offense cases (Arizona Revised Statute
13-107). The definition of rape has been
expanded in order to increase the number of convictions. Sexual assault is a class 2 felony, but if a
date rape drug was used, the sentence will be increased by three years (Arizona
Revised Statutes 13-1406). The minimum
sentence for a first conviction under ARS 13-1406 is 5.25 years, but a life
sentence may be imposed if intentional serious physical harm was inflicted.
Cultural competence remains an important
issue when dealing with victims of sexual assault since the United States has
such a diverse population “with differing ideas about domestic violence and
sexual assault” (Warrier, 2005). Trained
interpreters and bilingual educational materials must be available. Professionals must be able to understand
victims’ experiences of violence within the context of their own culture. This is particularly crucial among the Native
American population.
Kathryn Patricelli, MA (2005), educates
women on what to do after an assault or rape.
First off, they should not bathe or cleanse themselves. Secondly, they should call the police and
report what happened. Third, women should go the emergency room and ask to be
examined. A forensic examination should be
performed. If a date rape drug was used,
they should have a urine toxicology screen done. Fourth, they should go stay in a safe place
or have someone stay with them. Fifth, victims
should get help from a counselor to ease the shock, pain, and guilt. If symptoms do not ease in a reasonable
amount of time, the victim should get ongoing therapy for post-traumatic stress
disorder.
Method
Process
Research was conducted
online through EBSCO and Google Scholar using the keywords “rape prevention,”
“rape prevention in Mohave County,” and “rape prevention in Arizona.” Other research was done in person and by
telephone.
Results
The best online results were found in
Arizona government websites and publications.
Kingman Aid to Abused People/Sarah’s House did not answer their door or
telephone. Their primary focus is on
family abuse and domestic violence.
Calling the Mohave Victim Witness Program phone number connected me to a
pager. There was no local rape
prevention literature available at the Mohave County Library in Kingman; their
resource list was out-of-date; and the librarian could only find two young
adult books in the system related to teen dating safety and sexual harassment.
Discussion
Local programs funded by the state of
Arizona must provide “education on sexual harassment, definitions of rape, teen
dating violence, assertive communication, and strategies to increase reporting
and awareness of sexual violence” (Arizona Department of Health Services,
2016). Some organizations also explain
consent and Arizona law.
Most programs and organizations in
Mohave County provide post-incident crisis intervention, shelter, and hotlines
for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Mohave Community College has policies dealing
with campus safety and sexual harassment and assault. Mohave Mental Health and Southwest Behavioral
provide long-term therapy services for depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Local hospitals have trained forensic
examiners, social workers, and
counselors available for immediate care after a sexual assault. The Mohave County Health Department performs
confidential testing for STDs/HIV.
Charles P. Nemeth (2012) defines rape as
sexual intercourse with another person through the use of force, without
consent, and with intent. His guidelines
for dealing with an attack include trying to dissuade the attacker from
completing the act; pretending to have an STD or AIDS; acting insane; yelling;
struggling and fighting back; using self-defense skills; using pepper spray or
mace; avoiding resistance in order to survive (Nemeth, 2012).
The Governor’s Office for Children,
Youth, and Families (2004) describes rape “as a crime of power and control . .
. motivated by aggression and hatred, not sex.”
The state of Arizona has implemented a statewide plan to address the
problem through standardized educational programs, increased availability of
services to victims, and expanded tools for prosecutors and police to increase
the number of convictions for sexual assault.
But most comprehensive services
are concentrated in the Phoenix/Tucson metropolitan areas. More needs to be done for less populated
counties like Mohave County.
References
Arizona
Department of Health Services. (2016). Sexual
violence prevention and education
Arizona
Department of Health Services, The Bureau of Women’s and Children’s Health.
(2010). Arizona
sexual violence primary prevention and education eight year program plan.
Phoenix, AZ: State of Arizona.
Centers
for Disease Control, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control,
Division of
Violence Prevention. (2016). Stop SV: A technical package to prevent
sexual violence.
Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease
Control.
Governor’s
Office. (2016). State of arizona
proclamation. Phoenix, AZ: State of Arizona.
Governor’s
Office for Children, Youth, and Families, Division for Women. (2004). The state
plan
on domestic & sexual violence: A guide for safety & injustice in
arizona. Phoenix,
AZ: State of Arizona.
Nemeth,
C.P. (2012). Criminal law. Boca Raton,
FL: Taylor & Francis.
Patricelli,
K., MA. (2005, December 15). Abuse – If you have been assaulted or raped.
University
of Arizona, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. (2012). Sexual
violence
prevention & education program orientation manual & annual summary.
Tucson,
AZ: University of Arizona.
Warrier,
S. (2005). Culture handbook. San
Francisco, CA: Family Violence Prevention Fund. Dawn Pisturino
Administration of Justice 109, Mohave Community College,
Kingman, Arizona
Copyright 2016 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
(The references would not format properly.)
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