Secrets of a Red Solo Cup

Nerd alert! Typically on Tuesdays, I'm taking grad classes. This morning, I really wanted to finish the journal article I was reading on the metro about innovative interventions aimed at reducing binge drinking. Then at work, I created a page about how sexual predators use coercion to increase their targets alcohol intake (leading to binge drinking- 4 or more drinks for women and 5 or more drinks for men), and how predators use potential harmful effects of binge drinking to their advantage.

Talking about alcohol can be tricky. Really good people offer to buy someone a drink while out and about without bad intentions. People can consume a lot of alcohol without it resulting in a  physical or sexual assault. Awareness of tactics sexual predators use is important. Conversations with friends before going out about expectations, plans for what to do if someone gets separated from the group, how to respond if something doesn't seem right are all important in regards to safety. 

Here are a few point about alcohol abuse and perpetrators when it comes to sexual assault:

• Although the media has labeled drugs such as Rohypnol and GHB as the date-rape drugs of the present, these are only two of the many drugs used to incapacitate a victim. Of the 22 substances used in drug-facilitated rapes, alcohol is the most common. (LeBeau, M., et al., Recommendations for Toxicological Investigations of Drug Facilitated Sexual Assaults, Journal of Forensic Sciences. 1999.)
• The relationship between alcohol and rape is multifaceted, and alcohol may be both a precipitant of and an excuse for sexually aggressive behavior by men (Abbey et al., 2001; Berkowitz, 1992; Larimer et al., 1999; Richardson & Hammock, 1991).
• Men who have committed sexual assault also frequently report getting their female companion drunk as a way of making it easier to talk or force her into having sex. (Abbey, McAuslan, & Ross, 1998).                                                                                         
• Alcohol was a factor in 61% of Kanin’s sample of college date rapists, and 76% of his sample admitted to attempts to intoxicate a female date (Kanin, 1985).
• In a study on male sexual coercion, 23% of college men admitted to getting a date drunk or stoned to engage in sexual intercourse, and 23% of women reported a date getting them drunk or stoned and engaging in unwanted sex (Tyler, et al., 1998).
• Alcohol can be a disinhibitor and increase sexual impulsivity, as well as lower an individual’s detection of risk and impair their ability to resist assault (Abbey, 1991). 
• Intercourse obviously cannot be consensual when one individual is incapacitated due to intoxication.  Men may believe that there are fewer risks associated with coercive sex when they are intoxicated (Tyler et al., 1998). 

GoFundMe: One of Us Book Goodness

Good day friends!

I wrote a book!  I'm really excited about how close I am with sharing a final product with others!  

Peace Corps Writers sent an email on Oct 27 saying they were "happy to accept One of Us as a Peace Corps Writers book. Your writing is strong and your story an important one."

Friends have asked how they can support the project (Thank you!!).  I'm not one to typically ask for help- between work, grad school, and the book, my energy and finances are a bit stretched. 

Here's where you can help!
The book still needs a thorough copy-edit and then formatting for print.  I have been given rough estimates and the costs should be around $3000. The $2500 goal on here will help offset the costs. I am hoping to send my current manuscript to the copy-editor in the next couple of weeks once the semester calms down. **


Short description from oneofusmovement.com :

"One of Us: Sex, Violence, Injustice. Resilience, Love, Hope.
With this autobiographical narrative of the military judicial system experience as a civilian victim of sexual assault, Sandi Giver has vividly brought to light the challenges of seeking legal justice when all odds are against the victim. Giver takes the reader from the night of the assault in Uganda as a Peace Corps Volunteer to a Norfolk, Virginia, courtroom recounting intimate details to help protect others from a sexual predator. At a time where Peace Corps was under scrutiny for not supporting victims of sexual assault and the military for not keeping alleged perpetrators accountable, this case was the perfect storm."

Publishing One of Us means a lot to me.  I have spent my life serving the marginalized and sexually exploited populations here in the states and overseas. From my experience, I feel like sometimes we can be dismissive of what we don't understand or overlook issues if it isn't personally relevant. 

With publishing One of Us, I hope to shed light on how sexual assault impacts those around us, our loved ones.  With my personal narrative, I am also sharing the challenging reality that I as a victim lived through to seek legal justice.  In my daily life I am doing what I can through genuine conversations to bring about social change where we do not tolerate sexual assault.  I was the first civilian invited to speak one-on-one with General Patton of SAPRO to discuss my experience going through the military legal system and they put into place some of my recommendations.  Change is slowly happening. The book is one more tangible way I want to contribute to this change.  If you want to know more, just ask.  

With that being said, I must get back to writing a final paper on the Violence Against Women Act for grad school.  Thank you sooooo much for your support!  

LinkedIn: Sandi Giver 
Instagram: @SandiAlaska


**Anything extra will go towards:
1. Other book publishing costs
2. Possibly book printing and shipping to those who have helped financially support the project
3. Book launch party to celebrate
4. Grad school so I can learn all of the skills and be that more effective in serving others.

What Happens Every 107 seconds?

Another sexual assault occurs according to the US Department of Justice's National Crime Victimization Survey.

For our class policy presentation, we were also tasked with creating a handout. Combining information from multiple websites that would be relevant to an audience of future social workers, the basic topics were chosen:

1. General intimate partner statistics
2. Statistics for different groups including Native Americans and LGBTQ
3. Campus specific information with Title IV and the required student training
4. How to support individuals who are experiencing violence (this section is slightly cut off in the photo)
5. Pertinent websites with resources (rainn.org,  National DV Hotline, National Suicide Prevention Hotline) and films (Invisible War about military sexual assault, and The Hunting Ground about campus sexual assault)

I must say, the professor, Dr. Negi, thanked me for explaining what was in the brochure to the rest of the class. Dr. Negi also said that the brochure was the best she had seen. The time I have spent at my full time job learning inDesign, layouts, and tailoring information to different populations has really helped.

What resources or other information do you think would be helpful for future social workers when it comes to violence against women or gender based violence?

What is the Violence Against Women Act?

Policies are confusing. Who do they impact? Who are the people who have to carry out the services? What services are even available?

Watch this short video to get a basic understanding of VAWA. This is a video I created for a Social Welfare and Social Policy grad school class. 

Have a question? Leave a comment and I'll do what I can to help out!

Grad School & the Violence Against Women Act

When a student chooses the Violence Against Women Act for a policy debate and wants to create a video about stakeholders and their position, finding a law enforcement officer and lawyer friend to help you out is pretty awesome