Newsletter: October 2003

This issue is available for download in PDF Format (195.7K)

Prevention is the Best Cure : Ending Child Sexual Abuse

Advocates and activists have long known how to distinguish risk reduction from true prevention when working to end sexual assault. Risk reduction provides potential victims with information and skills to understand the reality of sexual violence, identify situations in which stranger and acquaintance rape occur, and avoid and survive potential rape situations. Prevention involves affecting the behavior of perpetrators or potential perpetrators. Risk reduction is an effective tool that may prevent some rapes, but anti-sexual assault advocates have always been clear about one thing: prevention is key, because it is the perpetrators who need to change, not their victims. The same principles apply to child sexual abuse. [more]

Alternative Prevention Strategies : The Criminal Justice System Responds

The New York City Criminal Justice Coordinator, the five District Attorney's Offices, the New York Police Department, the Department of Probation, and the Division of Parole are working together to prevent the most dangerous sexual offenders from offending again. Called the Specially Targeted Offenders Project (STOP), it developed a set of criteria to identify those at heightened risk for re-offending. Criteria include crimes with multiple victims, vulnerable victim populations and serious injury or death. STOP makes better use of enforcement tools like Megan's Law, parole and probation violations to re-incarcerate dangerous offenders. [more]

Policy News

John Doe Indictment Project Announced for NYC | HHC Central Office Loses Full-Time Sexual Violence Position | Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month Becomes Law | Prison Rape Elimination Act Becomes Federal Law [more]

Ask the Alliance

Recent news coverage of some high-profile rape cases have left me confused about rape victims’ rights when a rape case goes to trial... [more]

Forensic Healthcare Program Expands Online Resources

As NYC hospitals develop their acute sexual assault treatment services, the FHP recognizes a citywide need for increased services, and additional information. [more]

Quarterly Leadership Meeting Review

The June 2003 Alliance Quarterly Meeting was packed with information for the attendees. It began with Alliance Executive Director Harriet Lessel announcing new legislation had been passed by the state legislature in an effort that cleaned up outstanding issues in the Sexual Assault Reform Act of 2000. [more]

Just the Facts

In 2002, a national survey found that about 12.8% of rape victims were male... [more]

Alliance News

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