Would we ever say "The Alleged Mugging Incident" ???

Although I do not personally follow celebrity gossip websites, Jezebel posted about a domestic violence case going on with Lindsay Lohan's father, Michael Lohan. I clicked on the original link to just see what it was all about and as soon as I got done with the first sentence, I was already frustrated with the article. 


"Law enforcement sources tell us ... Lohan's girlfriend filed a report with the L.A. County Sheriff's Department between 9:30 and 10:00 PM tonight ... claiming they got into an argument that turned physical ... and she had some visible marking from the alleged incident. "


"The ALLEGED incident."


I just cannot help but being irritated by this language because gendered violence is the only type of violence where it would be acceptable to write a story like this. If a man were mugged in a parking lot we would never say, "He had visible injuries from the alleged mugging." We would not think twice about the validity of a mugging incident, yet society first doubts incidents of domestic violence before it believes them.


The language in this article shows how much work still needs to be done to break down the stigma of survivors and gendered violence. The media continues to play a crucial role in the movement and we must continue to critic even the way stories are presented. 


-Lauren, NPA Volunteer

Supporting Incarcerated Women

SAPAC is not my only volunteer extra-curricular activity. I also volunteer with Safe House Center. I'm currently a member of the Sexual Assault Response Team, and have cross trained as a co-facilitator for support groups.

Currently, Safe House is piloting a new support group at the Huron Valley Women's Correctional Facility, and I'm assisting as a facilitator for Friday morning groups. The group is a 4 week support/didactic group, essentially DV 101, with safety planning and coping skills thrown into the mix. March 26 was our orientation session, which turned out to be fabulous.

The women are all thrilled that we are providing this group for them, and we received many comments about how important it is for them to receive this education and develop bonds with one another.

At first I was nervous about this. We had been told that the 'inmates' can be 'manipulating' and will 'try to push our buttons.' We questioned how this is different from everyday life. The language used to describe these women equated them to children, which was unappealing at best, but we dealt with it. Honestly, the women I've interacted with so far have been wonderful and very grateful. They have also been honest with us; I think it helps that we are not part of the correctional facility and that we go in with a supportive non-judgmental attitude.

So, I'm looking forward to this support group, and will keep you posted on how it's going. Obviously, confidentiality is of utmost importance, so no specific details. However, I will give my impressions on how successful the group is and the feedback we get from the women.

~Jen

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

For those who are not aware, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM).

Wear purple to show support for victims and survivors of domestic violence!

The Networking, Publicity, & Activism (NPA) Program will be holding a DVAM Rally on the University of Michigan Diag on Friday, October 23 from 12-1pm. Come support us and the movement to end domestic violence!

For more information about Domestic Violence Awareness Month, visit http://dvam.vawnet.org.

For more information about SAPAC and other volunteer programs, visit http://www.umich.edu/~sapac.

For more information about the DVAM Rally, email npacoords@umich.edu.