TAKING A STAND!
Youth Organizing to End Adolescent Sexual Assault and Dating Violence

On December 11, 2002, Jane Doe Inc. held a sold-out conference, with more than 300 youth and adult allies coming from every corner of Massachusetts. The day was more than a conference - it was a powerful and innovative event to help teens identify and actively reject sexual assault and dating violence. Along with basic training on the issues, the conference focused on developing the organizing skills of youth to become leaders in the movement to end the violence in their relationships and in society.

The morning started off with a special performance by Joel Miranda, creator of ?Gonna Make It,? a song addressing incest, dating violence and rape. ?Gonna Make It? has gained national attention for its powerful message and innovative education and prevention approach. Participants could then choose from over twenty workshops ranging from basic introductions to the dynamics of teen dating violence and sexual assault to strategies for engaging youth in becoming part of the solution. Workshops included understanding the media, working with men in the movement, outreaching to youth in rural areas, developing competency with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered youth, engaging youth within faith communities and fostering youth leadership.

The prevalence of teen dating violence and sexual assault has been documented by the Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Study. One in five girls and one in seven boys report being physically or sexually assaulted by a dating partner. One in nine Massachusetts high school students (16.3% of females and 6.4% of males) has had sexual contact against his/her will. Add to this the pervasiveness of sexual harassment, the reality of gang rape and the multiple related issues from teen pregnancy to smoking and other unhealthy behaviors and it is clear that physical abuse and sexual violence pervade our communities, creating wrenching, life-long and costly harm to teens of all ages, races, cultures, sexual identities and socio-economic backgrounds.

Tragically, the recent state budget cuts eliminated the entire Department of Education (DOE) funds for the Teen Dating Violence and Intervention Program. The loss of this funding has already resulted in the loss of many critical prevention and education efforts in local communities throughout the state and jeopardizes the rest. In recognition of these cuts, Jane Doe Inc. significantly reduced the conference registration fee for youth. Schools typically cover student fees and transportation costs for such events through their DOE-grant funded programs. The reduced fee resulted in an increased number of youth attending the conference compared to prior years. Jane Doe Inc. has prioritized the need to reinstate these budget appropriations in the Fiscal Year 2004 budget.

As the statewide coalition against sexual assault and domestic violence, Jane Doe Inc. created this conference as a forum for youth and adults to learn from one another and to encourage leadership by young people on these critical issues. We must understand what the needs are, what the motivators are, what the obstacles are in shifting attitudes and changing behaviors. We need to have the organizing tools and strategies to take this knowledge and put it into action. We need to look for creative ways to enhance and expand the myriad effective and essential education and prevention programs in schools and communities throughout the state. We need to foster collaboration among youth leaders and school and agency staff. And we need to support community based efforts that seek to inspire youth-led action to prevent sexual assault and dating violence among their friends, in their schools and throughout our communities.

There are many models for this work around the state - and some will be presented in workshops today and many of you in the audience are already involved. In the coming months, you?ll also start to hear about a new effort - the Teen Action Campaign. This campaign gains its strength and its authenticity because it is by youth, for youth.

The youth conference is one of two annual conferences sponsored by Jane Doe Inc. Come back to this site in a few weeks for more information about our upcoming conference to address issues of domestic violence and sexual assault in immigrant and refugee communities.

For more information about Jane Doe Inc.?s work with youth or the spring Immigrant and Refugee conference, please contact us at conference@janedoe.org.

The conference was sponsored by Jane Doe Inc. and supported in part by the Rape Prevention Education Grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.