VAWA 2005 Could Curb Violence in Girls' Lives

By Emily Charlap, NOW Policy Intern

May 13, 2005

The landmark Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994 must be reauthorized this year, and VAWA supporters expect the bill to include language that addresses violence against young people. Our nation cannot say it addresses violence unless we make sure there is VAWA funding for youth violence prevention and treatment.

At a Congressional briefing hosted by Girls Inc. May 11, advocates, professionals and young women affected by violence and abuse talked about the growing problem of gender-based violence—from sexual assault and date rape to family violence and stalking. The audience heard over and over how VAWA 2005 could be an even greater force than before in addressing the overall problem of violence against young women and girls. The proposed bill includes education to break the cycle of violence, as well as enhanced funding for treatment and direct services to young survivors.

Young women suffer the greatest risk of rape and sexual assault. A young woman can experience this violence in many places: in her home, her school, her relationships and her community. Sadly, young women who are raped or sexually assaulted almost always know the perpetrator.

Nearly one in three high-school-age women experience some type of abuse-whether physical, sexual or psychological-in their dating relationships. During the 1999-2000 school year, the U.S. Department of Education reported 628 rapes or attempted rapes, 4,261 cases of sexual battery other than rape and 127,568 incidents of sexual harassment on public school grounds. Yet, public school systems rarely report such incidents. This kind of abuse of young women, perpetrated by both young men and other young women is seen by some adults as normal, or at least avoidable. Such incidents are waved off with: "she shouldn't have worn that," or "she shouldn't have acted that way"—the game we're all familiar with, Blame the Victim.

Shannon Eaves, a member of the Girls Inc. Girls Advisory Board, and a freshman at San Francisco State University, shared a personal story with the group gathered at the May 11 briefing. A friend of Eaves was raped repeatedly by a trusted adult in her community. When the victim mustered up the courage to speak out about the attack—despite her attacker's threats-community members called her a liar. Not only did the community turn their backs on the girl, but her family chose to neither support nor believe her. To add insult to injury, she had no place to go because of a complete lack of confidential shelters and rape crisis centers in her area.

Eaves and others pooled resources to put their friend up in a motel for a few days, and then took her to stay at her grandmother's house, where she was helped in rebuilding the relationship with the rest of her family. Though the girl is back at home and even attending community college, there are still emotional consequences of both the attack and the lack of support and direct services that followed. Such an incident is not isolated, not even in this young victim's own life.

This story is just one of millions that could be told by millions of women across the nation. Girls need help and VAWA 2005 is being drafted to provide that help.

It's terrible enough that women and girls suffer sexual assault, rape and domestic abuse. But should they also be left to deal with it on their own? We need to expand the direct services like shelters, counseling and legal help that were put in place by the original VAWA and continue to raise awareness that these services exist. VAWA 2005 can address these needs by adding more funding for such services, including more funding for culturally specific services in communities where that type of specialized services can be most effective.

Zanae Cook, a 14-year-old eighth-grader from Philadelphia, also shared her story at the briefing May 11. Cook suffered harassment from another young woman on a public bus while her friends and strangers watched in silence. Instead of combating violence with violence, Cook remained calm while being spit on and verbally harassed. In a Girls Inc. after-school program, she learned to recognize various types of violence, as well as different methods to break the cycle of violence.

More young women and girls need to learn how to recognize and respond to violence. Fortunately such programs already exist and with adequate funding the programs could be expanded to educate more and more young people—both girls and boys. Young men and boys need to be educated about the role they can play in stopping gender-based violence. Adult men also need to be reminded that they are role models for the younger generations, and can affect boys' behavior. Men and boys need to understand that violence against women and girls is unacceptable in all of society. By including minors in VAWA 2005, these vital education and prevention programs can be funded and we can break the cycle of violence.

Editor's note: NOW policy intern Emily Charlap, a student at Union College, attended the Congressional Briefing hosted by Girls Inc.