DPRC February 2017 Newsletter

According to the White Ribbon Campaign there are 5 main purposes to ending violence against women in all its forms.
Sexual Violence Prevention Team of the EUP (SVPTeamEUP) and Diane Peppler Resource Center (DPRC) are very excited to be hosting our 8th annual White Out hockey games. White Out is a campaign that was starting in the 1990s in Toronto, Ontario. A group of boys and men decided they no longer wanted to stand by and stay silent to the abuse against women. Since this campaign was started it has spread national and international and community all over the work recognize February as a White Ribbon Campaign. Therefore, DPRC and SVPTeamEUP have been visiting a number of local city and county commissions to get approval for the posting of white ribbons in towns throughout the EUP. When these white ribbons are seen throughout your community realize they are a symbol of the pledge men and boys can take in our community to no longer stay silent about abuse against men, women, and children.

1. Challenging everyone to speak out and think about their own beliefs, language, and actions.
2. Educating young people, especially young men and boys, on the issues through the educational resources we produce.
3. Raising public awareness of the issue.
4. Working in partnership with women’s organizations, the corporate sector, the media, and other partners to create a future with no violence against women.
5. Supporting White Ribbon Campaigns with our experience, resources, and networks (Taken from the White Ribbon Campaign Website).

There is so much our community can do to support our victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Over the last few years we have seen a drastic increase in the number of male victims coming forward. Although the White Ribbon Campaign is not specific to male victims it was the first step in which men realized domestic violence and sexual assault was not just a woman’s issue but affects our entire community.
If you have any questions, please contact Diane Peppler Resource Center at 906-635-0566 or visit us on Facebook at Diane Peppler Resource Center or SVPTeamEUP.

One in 3 US high schoolers have been in an abusive relationship, and only 2/3 of them have told someone. We believe at Diane Peppler Resource Center this needs to change. Everyone deserves a healthy, safe, and respectful relationship. February has been designated Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM); and we hope you will join us in spreading awareness about abuse, and promoting healthy relationships. You can do that this month by joining loveisrespect.org ‘s event #orange4love by wearing orange on Valentine’s Day and sharing your picture on social media!
The TDVAM Campaign is brought to us by LoveisRespect, a project of the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and Break the Cycle. To find out how you can get involved, visit LoveIsRespect.org.
Teen Dating Violence (TDV) is a pattern of abusive behaviors used to exert power and control over a significant other. The abuser intentionally behaves in ways that cause fear, and humiliation to control their partner. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dating violence includes physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Warning Signs found here: BreakTheCycle.org.
Diane Peppler Resource Center is holding Girls’ Groups at local high school and middle schools in an effort to educate youth about healthy relationships, friendships, and self-image. It is time to bring awareness and prevention into our community to end TDV. Diane Peppler Resource Center is part of the movement against Teen Dating Violence – are you?

Cassidee Retzloff

Teen Dating Violence: Why it is a big deal-
We are seeing a rise of teen dating violence within our society and community. While working in the school on educating students on healthy relationships, almost every school I go into talks about a student or situation that is a form of Teen Dating Violence. Now each school has their own way of dealing with these situations and students, but unfortunately some of them decide to do nothing a leave the victim alone and vulnerable to what could happen.
During these discussions with schools, I have also worked with a number of community and parent organizations to encourage their involvement in addressing violence among teens. Many times parents explain, “that's not my student...,” “my child would never get involved in that.” or even worse, “that doesn’t happen here.” A study conducted by Teen Research Unlimited found “though 82% of parents feel confident that they could recognize the signs if their child was experiencing dating abuse, a majority of parents (58%) could not correctly identify all the warning signs of abuse.”
The reality is it happens everywhere. According to the National Council of Crime and Delinquency Focus, “one in three adolescents in the US is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional, or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that far exceeds the rate of other types of youth violence.” Many times these students do not understand the dangers that come along with dating violence, especially if it has not yet turned physical. The emotional and verbal abuse can have long lasting effects on their future relationships and the ability to make healthy relationship decisions. Many times these teens struggle or are at high risk for substance abuse, eating disorders, risky sexual behavior, and further domestic and sexual violence.
For more information on Teen Dating Violence check out loveisrespect.org, Futures without Violence, or the Sexual Violence Prevention Team of the EUP Facebook Page. You can also always contact Kaylynn Cairns, Teen Sexual Violence Prevention Educator, here at Diane Peppler for more education or to have her speak to your organization.

Kaylynn Cairns

From the Director
Betsy Huggett, Executive Director

I was listening to a popular radio program one morning on my way to work. One of the DJs was discussing his daughter, who is in elementary school, and how she came home with a negative progress report because she hit another child. As he was telling the story, he stated that she defended herself from an assault that occurred from a fellow student, a boy, who decided to hit her first. Of course, she got caught and therefore punished. One of the other DJs laughed and commented, “Does that mean that they are engaged now? Isn’t that how things work in the 2nd grade?” He then stated that if a boy hits a girl that means he likes her. We need to challenge that way of thinking.
For generations, we have told little girls that if a boy hits her, pulls her hair, says mean things to her, etc. that means the boy likes her. We unwittingly are setting the stage of abusive future relationships by telling a little girl that it is completely acceptable for a boy to hit her to show how he feels about her. Likewise, we are teaching boys to use physical aggression to show their feelings towards another instead of using their words. We have to teach our children from a young age to not be afraid of having feelings and emotions that are completely normal and then teach them about appropriate measures of expression.
With February being Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month and Valentine’s Day falling in there, it is a good time to evaluate the messages we are sending to our youth about respect and violence in their new burgeoning relationships. Children watch us in everything we do. They are observing us in relationships with others. They will mimic what they see and hear. So what do your relationships tell your children about how to treat others? Are we making excuses for another child’s bad behavior by continuing to perpetuate the inaccurate statements that violence is a sign of love or admiration? Are we justifying the negative relationships in our own lives in the name of love? What do you want your children to think love is?
I know everyone has their own definition of what love is. It should include respect for self and the other. It should be consensual. It should elicit feelings of well-being and contentment and joy. But I can also tell you what love is not. Love is not painful. Love is not jealous shows of rage. Love is not trying to force your will on the other person. Love is not being afraid. So the next time a child tells you someone hurt them, please do not tell them it was because the person likes them. Tell them something real about the situation. Maybe tell them that we cannot control others actions as much as we would like to be able to. Maybe tell them that hitting is never the right way to show you care about someone. Then maybe we won’t need a Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.

Mackinac County Minute
"A message from our Mackinac Co. Advocate, Kristy Dickhousen."

Happy February from Mackinac County! We are in need of girl's size 4T clothes, adult women size 13 pants and craft supplies. Any donations for our St. Ignace office can be dropped off at 246 Ferry Ln. or at our main Sault Ste. Marie office. Please call 906-643-0498 or 906-635-0566 for more information.
Here is a list of community events in Mackinac County in the next few weeks:

On February 14, 2017 the Mackinac County Child Protection Round-table is requesting a community wide dress down day for $5 per person, with proceeds going towards a Feeding America truck to come to St. Ignace for the month of March 2017. The last Feeding America event hosted consisted of over 200 vehicles feeding over 500 people.

March 2, 2017 is the One School One Book Parenting event at St. Ignace Elementary. This event promotes literacy awareness, family support, community resources with fun activities and a meal provided.

March 4, 2017 is the Family Fun Day at the Kewadin Shores Tent Structure. This day will include food, activities, games and prizes with an emphasis on parent/child activities for Parenting Awareness Month.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month Speaker
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Every year Diane Peppler Resource Center in conjunction with the Sexual Violence prevention team will be hosting our annual Take Back the Night speaker at Lake Superior State University. The event will be on April 4th at 6:30 pm in the Walker Cisler Center Superior Room. This year’s speaker is Brittany Piper (Pictured).
Besides hosting the Take Back the Night Event, we are looking for one High Schools in Chippewa, Mackinac, and/or Luce County to host Brittany Piper at their school. These speaks would take place during the school day and last for roughly sixty minutes. She will be in the EUP on April 5th.
For more information please contact Kaylynn at 906-635-0566. For more information on Brittany, visit brittanypiper.com

We gladly accept donated items as well as monetary donations. Here is the current wishlist of DPRC in no particular order:

If you have any questions about what you can donate, call 906-635-0566.

You can shop online at smile.amazon.com to make those same exact purchases and they will make a donation to the Diane Peppler Resource Center every time that you purchase from their website!

If you are a victim, or are a friend or family member of a victim, in need of support, here are local support group options hosted by the Diane Peppler Resource Center that you are more than welcome to attend. If you have questions about locations, times, or topics of discussion please call us at 1-800-882-1515

Chippewa County
Domestic Violence Group
Every Thursday
6pm-8pm
Sexual Violence Group
Every Tuesday
6pm-8pm

Mackinac County
Walk in anytime
8am-4pm
Monday—Friday
246 Ferry Lane
St. Ignace MI

Luce County
Walk in anytime
8am-4pm
Monday—Friday
407 W. Harrie St.
Newberry MI

We would like to thank all of the donors who supported the Diane Peppler Resource Center in the month of January.

We would also like to thank our volunteers for giving their time in the month of January.

Luce Co. Corner