(CARe) Communities Against Rape Initiative

In Indiana, there are apx. 2000 rapes per year reported to the FBI and it is estimated that approximately 10,000 or more go unreported. In response to these statistics, the Communities Against Rape (CARe) Initiative was implemented using funds from the Indiana State Department of Health, Preventative Health and Health Services Block Grant Crime Bill Amendment.

The CARe Initiative is a network of students and teachers, public school systems and university researchers, youth organizations and adult experts, health care providers, victims and law enforcement agencies.

The mission is to reduce sexual assault and rape, particularly among the young people of Indiana.

Crisis Connection, Inc. has implemented the CARe curriculum originally developed by Indiana State University in Dubois, Perry, and Spencer Counties. CCI has also done prevention education in other areas as deemed appropriate. This includes professional services to classes, clubs, teams, leadership groups and parent organizations. This includes speakers, videos, books, brochures and other resources. Among others, topics covered include:

• Creating Positive Relationships and Anger/Stress Management
• Gender Issues Sexual Assault—Sexual Abuse
• Domestic Violence and Safety
• Sexual Harassment and Respect
• Communication Skills and Substance Abuse
• Historical, Social and Legal Implications of Rape

The Indiana Youth Institute’s blueprints for healthy development of all Indiana’s children are based on the premise that every child in Indiana deserves an equal opportunity to grow up in a safe, healthy and nurturing environment.

The CARe curriculum mimics these blueprints:

BUILDING SELF-ACCEPTANCE

• 50-90% of all rapes are not reported.

Curriculum: Self Respect, Respect for Others, Gender Roles, Accepting Responsibility

BUILDING SPIRIT AND CHARACTER

• One in 12 college men admitted to behaviors that qualify as rape or attempted rape.
• People often believe they won’t be reported for sexually abusing an acquaintance or friend.

Curriculum: Sexual Harassment

BUILDING CREATIVITY AND JOY

• Research conducted over the past 40 years provides evidence that youth who participate in activities that enhance their creativity are more effective problem solvers.

Curriculum: Awareness of Dangerous Situations, Rape, Assertive Communication

BUILDING A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

• Rape as a weapon of war has been documented in seven countries in recent years though its use has been widespread for centuries.
• A women is 20 times more likely to be raped in the United States than in Japan, 13 times more likely than in England, and 4 times more likely than in Germany.

Curriculum: Setting Boundaries, Gender Perception

BUILDING POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS

• 57% of rapes occur on a date; 60% of sexual assaults occur in homes;
• 60-80% of women who are raped know their attackers.

Curriculum: Date Rape, Predatory Drugs

BUILDING ACTIVE MINDS

• Rape is not motivated by lust or sexual desire.
• Rape is an expression of power or anger.

Curriculum: Dangerous Dating, Resources for Help

BUILDING A CARING COMMUNITY

• In a 1992 survey, about half of the young women polled said they were afraid to walk alone at night in their own neighborhood.
• Children who witnessd violence at home are more likely to report committing violent acts themselves than children not exposed to such violence.
• Rape promotes the acceptance of violence as a societal norm.

Curriculum: Community Safety, College Safety

BUILDING ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE

• 50% of adult rape victims lose their jobs or are forced to quit their jobs after the violent crime.
• According to the National Institute of Justice, rape is the costliest monetary crime, exacting $86,500 in tangible and intangible costs per victim.

BUILDING A HUMANE ENVIRONMENT

• Every 41 seconds an adult woman is raped in America.
• One in 10 men is raped in his lifetime. 1 out of 7 boys will be sexually assaulted before age 18.
• 50% of all victims are 12-24 years of age; the average age of a victim are 11 to 14 years of age.
• Up to 70% of people with developmental disabilities are sexually assaulted.

BUILDING A HEALTHY BODY

• Each year about 2,000 rapes are reported to Indiana Law Enforcement Agencies. Until CARe was established, there had been no state-wide educational programs on rape or sexual assault in Indiana.

The CARe Community Project Directors regularly receive updated training, network and prepare monthly reports from Purdue University Department of 4H Youth to insure the program is working. It has been proven in comparison of pre- and post-test scores that there is a significant improvement in factual knowledge of rape and its effects. Healthy changes in attitudes and beliefs about the appropriateness of sexual activity in various circumstances were noted in both males & females, middle school, junior high and secondary school students; and rural, suburban, and urban students. It is now reasonable to believe that once hearts and minds of young persons improve, a corresponding change in their activity will result.

For additional information please see:

http://www.four-h.purdue.edu/care/main.html