This webinar originally occurred on November 29, 2018
Duration: 1 hour
Overview
A deeper understanding of the trauma experienced by people of color and its impact on their experience in the criminal justice system provides the ability to improve sexual assault investigations and victim services for survivors of color.
This webinar will give attendees an understanding of the prevalence of sexual violence in communities of color and the unique barriers to disclosing sexual violence. Survivors of color are often stereotyped and these stereotypes perpetuate the notion that survivors of color are willing participants in their own victimization. These stereotypes are often a result of implicit bias, which is a preference for or prejudice against a person or a group of people. We all carry different forms of biases within us and are often not aware that we have them. Our biases are triggered automatically through the rapid association of people/groups/objects and our attitudes and stereotypes about them. This webinar will challenge attendees to examine their own biases they carry as humans. In doing so, attendees will be given tools to assist with de-powering these biases to ensure that all survivors of sexual violence are treated with respect and dignity regardless of the multiple identities they carry such as gender, class, race and/or sexual orientation. Attendees will also gain skills to build trust and relations with communities of color with the hope of increasing reporting and offender accountability.
Detailed Learning Objectives
- Gain an understanding of the prevalence of sexual assault for communities of color.
- Address the implications and present-day manifestations of historical trauma on survivors of color and the criminal justice system response.
- Discuss ways to be trauma-informed and maintain engagement with survivors of color through incorporating cultural humility to improve overall response to sexual assault.
Presenter
- Teresa M. Stafford | Senior Director of Victim Services and Outreach at Cleveland Rape Crisis Center
Funding for this Forensic Technology Center of Excellence webinar has been provided by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.
The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this webinar are those of the presenter(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Contact us at ForensicCOE@rti.org with any questions and subscribe to our newsletter for notifications.
