Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

[Howard Kallem <>]

I am replying to this with great caution.  The developers of this approach 
first reported on its success in 2015, and then recently reported again that 
it has continued to show success over the past several years.  What was their 
measure of success?  A reduction in the number of assaults.  To my knowledge, 
this is the ONLY approach that has been proven by research to do this at the 
postsecondary level.  There are other strategies and approaches that have 
been shown to increase knowledge and change attitudes, but this is the only 
one of which I am aware that has been shown to reduce prevalence.  To be 
clear, other approaches may well reduce prevalence, but none have been proven 
to do so at the postsecondary level.

When this study first came out in 2015, as I recall, it was criticized by 
some advocates in the US as victim blaming, and shifting the focus from 
educating men not to perpetrate.  In my opinion (and I recognize I am saying 
this as a 67 year old White male), at least some of the critics may not have 
fully understood the nature of the program.  As I understand the program (and 
I may be mistaken), it is not intended to be a stand-alone program but be 
part of a broader effort that includes educational efforts directed to men as 
well as the specific Flip the Switch strategies.  And the Flip the Switch 
strategies go well beyond standard risk-reduction approaches like "don't 
leave your drink unattended" and "don't drink from an open container."  And 
it goes beyond self-defense, although that is certainly a part of it.  It 
also includes strategies to promote self-esteem and empowerment -- it is okay 
to say no, you don't have to be polite, you shouldn't have to worry about 
being unpopular -- it teaches agency and self-respect.  In that respect, 
along with the self-defense aspects, it is intended to counter the prevailing 
culture that so many of our students seem to come to college with -- a 
culture that objectifies them and teaches them to be polite and demure and 
agreeable...to put their own interests second behind those of the man (if, 
indeed, they even are able to recognize their own interests).

But, as I said, when the study first came out in 2015, many saw it as victim 
blaming...and I know several schools that decided not to pursue it for that 
very reason -- they didn't want to have to face that accusation.

This is not to say that the program is without problems.  One, that may not 
be a problem in Canada but could be here, is that the Title IX regulations 
issued by the Office for Civil Rights generally prohibit single sex education 
and other programs.  There are exceptions for contact sports and, at least at 
the elementary and secondary level, sex education.  I suspect this program, 
which is directed exclusively to female students, wouldn't qualify as sex 
education.    

Just some thoughts....

Howie Kallem
Director, Title IX Compliance
________________________________________
From:  [] on behalf of 
Kaplan, Claire N. (cnk2r) []
Sent: Wednesday, June 6, 2018 4:57 PM
To: Adriane Bang
Cc: Melissa Babb; Peters, Sara; 
Subject: Re: Question regarding Flip the Script prevention education program

I don’t disagree, Adriane, however it’s easy to underestimate what survivors 
are capable of. I haven’t taught in years, and I spend most of my time on 
primary prevention as well as survivor support. I do feel, however, that 
resistance (because that’s what self-defense is) is an important piece of the 
larger puzzle.

If you read the literature on self-defense for women (thinking specifically 
of Martha McCaughey and Lisa Speidel), you’ll find that women who have 
learned these techniques (even in a shorter term class, although you’re 
correct—the more the better) generally feel more empowered. They are no more 
likely to make rash decisions than anyone else. And yes, while the freeze 
response is common, especially if someone is already a survivor, having 
knowledge of SD has been shown to help women respond earlier in a situation, 
even before it becomes physically violent. They are less likely to dismiss 
their own feelings of discomfort and that they have every right to walk out 
or speak up. We are not socialized to listen to our own internal warning 
system, which can also lead to the freeze response. This is not victim 
blaming at all; this is acknowledging that we do not teach our daughters that 
they have the right to raise hell when they are not being treated well, and 
that nobody really dies from embarrassment. We deny women their own agency.

The research is out there that physical resistance can reduce the level of 
lethal physical injury, and survivors who used any strategy at all, even if 
they are sexually assaulted in the end, recover more quickly. We also need to 
teach in self defense classes that complying in order to survive is not the 
same as helplessness. Sometimes the choices are dire: resorting to strategies 
in order not to be injured as much, or to get through it and then resisting 
after the fact through reporting or political activism.

In solidarity,
Claire


————
Claire N Kaplan, PhD
She, her, hers
Program Director, Gender Violence and Social Change and Men’s Leadership 
Project
Maxine Platzer Lynn Women’s 
Center<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__womenscenter.virginia.edu&d=DwMGaQ&c=imBPVzF25OnBgGmVOlcsiEgHoG1i6YHLR0Sj_gZ4adc&r=oHP2z8NxlKh7HFhxWJgaDPFLv2GiZYFKyKbBAVGdxiU&m=dL3Axw40JUluWg-JiYLwG800UTIf8nilmtOzI9bAGEQ&s=vfZ6-fLp48yahzQ0vDSGEkeTRYryhUwqQdaxs6RGBF8&e=>
The Corner Building
1400 University Ave.
PO Box 800588
Charlottesville VA 22908-0588
434-982-2774
List Manager, SAPC
@clairskyk
[cid:EA9E7880-647F-460D-90C3-35CB6AA77F4D]

From: Adriane Bang 
<<>>
Date: Wednesday, June 6, 2018 at 4:41 PM
To: "Kaplan, Claire N. (cnk2r)" 
<<>>
Cc: Melissa Babb <<>>, Sara Peters 
<<>>, Sexual Assault Program 
Coordinators' Listserv <<>>
Subject: Re: Question regarding Flip the Script prevention education program

Hi all,
I think risk reduction can be a piece of the puzzle in responding to and 
ending violence, but it is not an area in which I focus. In addition to the 
many concerns shared here, I would also highlight that a one up program might 
give folks a false sense of security when we know that folks need lots of 
practice before a strategy becomes muscle memory and they are able to employ 
skills.  And, even if they are practiced, a freeze response can still be 
likely.


Adriane Bang, LMSW
Director, Gender Equity Center
Boise State University
1910 University Drive, Boise, ID, 83725-1335
Phone: (208) 426-4259
Website: 
genderequity.boisestate.edu<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__womenscenter.boisestate.edu&d=DwMGaQ&c=imBPVzF25OnBgGmVOlcsiEgHoG1i6YHLR0Sj_gZ4adc&r=oHP2z8NxlKh7HFhxWJgaDPFLv2GiZYFKyKbBAVGdxiU&m=dL3Axw40JUluWg-JiYLwG800UTIf8nilmtOzI9bAGEQ&s=6r087KK4lIMMUoSuV0e-4ahszOZdRoIeuyahY5831gM&e=>

Pronouns: she/her/hers


On Wed, Jun 6, 2018 at 10:41 AM, Kaplan, Claire N. (cnk2r) 
<<>> wrote:
As a former self-defense instructor, both through the Southern California 
Rape Hotline Alliance and RAD systems, I am a huge fan of self-defense for 
women. From what I’ve read about Flip the Script, that’s essentially what it 
is. Self-defense is useful far beyond defending oneself against a 
perpetrator. As a self-defense student many years ago, I found what many 
women do: that they simply feel more empowered in their lives, and develop a 
much lower tolerance for all offensive, abusive and generally discriminatory 
insults we have to deal with on a daily basis. Most students in these classes 
never need to use what they learned to stop an assault; instead they find 
themselves speaking up more, calling bulls**t for what it is, and so on. 
Example: after taking my first class, I quit a toxic job.

As an instructor I witnessed quiet women discover strengths they never knew 
they had, and develop a sense of personal body rights that they were denied. 
It was endlessly thrilling.

The key here is that self-defense programs need to be checked out thoroughly 
by a local feminist agency to ensure that the instructors:

  *   know how to address triggers and give space to survivors if they wish 
to share stories or talk about their fears
  *   are trauma-informed
  *   allow for extensive discussion about avoiding victim-blaming language 
and behaviors
  *   include verbal assertiveness training
  *   Do not employ scare tactics

Plus, the SD program has women instructors available (even if they aren’t 
teaching that particular class), and are willing to establish a collaborative 
relationship local SA/DV agencies. Some local dojos offer self-defense 
classes but do not have a way to offer the kind of space for 
conversation/discussion and assertiveness training, etc.  Collaboration with 
a local SA/DV agency is a great way to do this.

These are just a few pointers. There are other SD instructors on this list, 
so if anyone has any other suggestions, please chime in.

Good luck!
Claire
————
Claire N Kaplan, PhD
She, her, hers
Program Director, Gender Violence and Social Change and Men’s Leadership 
Project
Maxine Platzer Lynn Women’s 
Center<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__womenscenter.virginia.edu&d=DwMGaQ&c=imBPVzF25OnBgGmVOlcsiEgHoG1i6YHLR0Sj_gZ4adc&r=oHP2z8NxlKh7HFhxWJgaDPFLv2GiZYFKyKbBAVGdxiU&m=dL3Axw40JUluWg-JiYLwG800UTIf8nilmtOzI9bAGEQ&s=vfZ6-fLp48yahzQ0vDSGEkeTRYryhUwqQdaxs6RGBF8&e=>
The Corner Building
1400 University Ave.
PO Box 800588
Charlottesville VA 22908-0588
434-982-2774
List Manager, SAPC
@clairskyk
[cid:C20AE57A-2C4D-4931-A404-62E500190890]

From: <<>> on behalf 
of Melissa Babb <<>>
Reply-To: Melissa Babb <<>>
Date: Wednesday, June 6, 2018 at 7:51 AM
To: Sara Peters <<>>
Cc: Sexual Assault Program Coordinators' Listserv 
<<>>
Subject: Re: Question regarding Flip the Script prevention education program

I will start by saying that I had not heard of this program until just now, 
so I don't know everything it covers. One question I'd want to know would be 
how it addresses tonic immobility and/or if the survivor is incapacitated due 
to drugs/alcohol or can not resist/fight back for other reasons.

On Tue, Jun 5, 2018 at 10:13 PM, Peters, Sara 
<<>> wrote:
Hi All,

Some of our Title IX people would like to bring Flip the Script 
(http://www.uwindsor.ca/sexual-assault/FlipTheScript<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.uwindsor.ca_sexual-2Dassault_FlipTheScript&d=DwMGaQ&c=imBPVzF25OnBgGmVOlcsiEgHoG1i6YHLR0Sj_gZ4adc&r=oHP2z8NxlKh7HFhxWJgaDPFLv2GiZYFKyKbBAVGdxiU&m=dL3Axw40JUluWg-JiYLwG800UTIf8nilmtOzI9bAGEQ&s=GEO2_qm3tqzQMbV77L9sq5BqGinV3mJhAis5o7l8Yqk&e=>)
  to campus and I have some concerns. It was featured in a NYTimes article 
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.nytimes.com_2018_05_30_opinion_women-2Dstop-2Dcampus-2Drape.html-3Faction-3Dclick-26pgtype-3DHomepage-26clickSource-3Dstory-2Dheading-26module-3Dopinion-2Dc-2Dcol-2Dright-2Dregion-26region-3Dopinion-2Dc-2Dcol-2Dright-2Dregion-26WT.nav-3Dopinion-2Dc-2Dcol-2Dright-2Dregion&d=DwMGaQ&c=imBPVzF25OnBgGmVOlcsiEgHoG1i6YHLR0Sj_gZ4adc&r=oHP2z8NxlKh7HFhxWJgaDPFLv2GiZYFKyKbBAVGdxiU&m=dL3Axw40JUluWg-JiYLwG800UTIf8nilmtOzI9bAGEQ&s=-PgcDBfatjIaoDABuJUyUo3kuR9auT0IR4nmRQ7mOi4&e=>
  that made everyone here very excited. I would love some feedback if anyone 
has looked into this program. Best, Sara



Sara K. Peters
Director of Center for Women and Gender Equity
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
University Center 351A
615 McCallie Avenue
Department 1801
Chattanooga, TN 37403
Phone: 423-425-5605
Fax: 423-425-5649

Pronouns: she, her, hers
(For more information about inclusive 
language)<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__everydayfeminism.com_2015_10_language-2Din-2Dtrans-2Dactivism_&d=DwMGaQ&c=imBPVzF25OnBgGmVOlcsiEgHoG1i6YHLR0Sj_gZ4adc&r=oHP2z8NxlKh7HFhxWJgaDPFLv2GiZYFKyKbBAVGdxiU&m=dL3Axw40JUluWg-JiYLwG800UTIf8nilmtOzI9bAGEQ&s=R3Qyqd37rbIkahXMmR0sUwQen2Vrf3_QCZK2deq28PU&e=>

"You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than 
you think."

~ A. A. Milne


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--
Melissa Babb, Psy.D.
Interpersonal Violence Coordinator
Licensed Psychologist #4512
North Carolina State University Counseling Center
919.515.2423
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