Race interacts with gender in many ways. I grew up in Vietnam, a country whose citizens are still influenced by traditional gender roles. Traditionally, Vietnamese people follow four virtues called “Công-Dung-Ngôn-Hạnh”. This consists of good domestic skills, good-looking appearance, gentle speech, and exemplary conduct. Being a traditional Vietnamese woman means being an individual who can take care of the chores and her look, speak modestly, and live harmoniously with her husband and children. On the other hand, traditional Vietnamese men are expected to be the provider of the family. The identities of his children and his wife are recognized through the relationships with him. In the past, sons had more opportunities to have higher education since they were expected to bring home glorious achievements (Bui, 2019).
Vietnamese also hold a similar belief to the “rule of thumb” discussed in Lutze and Symons (2003, p. 321). Men gain control through their social privileges and authority. That is how domestic violence begins (Lutze & Symons, 2003, p. 321). As a child, I witnessed many men physically and verbally abused their wives. One of the bystanders told me that they did so to gain power over their partners. From this experience, I learn that a wife's happiness depends on her husband. To avoid such a suffering marriage I tell myself to learn my man thoroughly.
Vietnamese people have made many changes to gender roles. Nowadays, both the female and male population have equal educational opportunities. Many men share chores with their wives. Also, more and more women enter the workforce during motherhood.
Witnessing this changing process, I am inspired to fight for my career path and personal achievements. Although my relatives expect me to financially and emotionally dependent on my future husband, I receive support from my parents for my decisions. They said it was vital for a woman to gain independence and have equal authority in marriage.
However, fighting over power in a romantic relationship is not a smart step to achieve this goal. Besides high education, my mother always tells me that a woman needs to adjust her behaviors to gain respect from her husband. These behaviors aren't the ones discussed in the reaction essay of Lutze and Symons (2003). Instead of being a compliant or a weak woman (p. 320), a woman should know how to use her gentleness. Gentleness in the female population, in my opinion, reflects a modest and wise attitude. If a man is associated with power, it will not be a smart decision for a woman to use it against him. She could use a gentle attitude or speech to talk him down. Unlike helpless compliance associated with women in the past, this gentleness contains an internal feminine strength. Coco Chanel had an interesting quote about this topic, “gentleness doesn't get work done unless you happen to be a hen laying eggs.”
To achieve gender equality, I believe women should have the freedom to participate in activities, educational, and political field. This belief reflects a gender perspective called liberal feminism. According to Lutze (n.d.), liberal feminists claim that limited opportunities in education for women are the cause of gender inequality (p. 4). Many friends of my parents always encourage my brother to study hard and achieve materialistic goals. Meanwhile, they wish me to find a good husband and become a happy housewife. The reason for this phenomenon might be because there weren't many women went to universities at the time.
Like other girls who live in traditional homes, my mother wasn’t allowed to go to school. Growing up in the rural, she helped her parents all day on the field. She enjoyed school so much that she spent her sleeping time studying. However, with the traditional view of gender roles, her father made her stay home and found her a husband. He said it was a waste of money to send a girl to school because she would end up being a housewife in the future. When I heard this story, I was disappointed about how people kept maintaining such an unhealthy stereotype about gender roles.
As a female individual in the twenty-first century who receives the chance to equally access higher education, political participation, and so forth, I am responsible to reach my fullest potentials. In doing so, I would receive academic respect from my male partner. The academic achievement is the preparation for gaining the impact in the workforce and the respect for my political views or voting. With this belief and effort, hopefully, I will be able to use my success as an example to teach my children about equal respect for both femininity and masculinity.
Eurus Thach.
References:
Bui, M. (2019). Vietnamese Traditional Gender Roles [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.itourvn.com/blog/vietnamese-traditional-gender-roles.
LaViolette, A. D., & Barnett, Ola W. (2014). It could happen to anyone : why battered women stay (Third edition.). Los Angeles: SAGE.
Lutze, F. E., & Symons, M. L. (2003). The Evolution Of Domestic Violence Policy Through Masculine Institutions: From Discipline to Protection to Collaborative Empowerment. Criminology & Public Policy, 2(2), 319–328. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-9133.2003.tb00128.x.
Lutze, F. E. (n.d.). Perspective on Gender Theory [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://apps.aoi.wsu.edu/onlinemedia/transcripts/crmj403_3_art%20(c092).pdf.
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
The Nostalgic Time of Equal Educational, Political Access, and So Forth, For The Achievement of Gender Equality (Part 1)
The term “socialization” is defined as a learning process through which an individual fits in society (LaViolette, Barnett, 2014, p. 18). It begins at birth with observation and reinforcement. LaViolette and Barnett (2014) claim that we tend to practice rewarded behaviors and avoid punished ones. We also learn these behaviors by observing others’ reinforcement (p. 18). “Socialization” consists of “gender socialization” through which one acknowledges stereotypes about gender roles.
It’s undeniable that gender socialization has an impact on our lives. Like many girls, I was taught to behave in a dress. When I was in kindergarten, my parents used to buy me floral dresses and tech me graceful poses. Since I was encouraged with praises, I learned that was how a girl should behave. That was my first stereotype about gender roles. Before kindergarten, I was interested in superheroes, machines, and soccer suits. I gave up this interest because being a “princess” seemed to make my parents happier.
My elementary school teachers used pink and blue colors for gender categorization in our classes. Besides that, my clothes were mostly pink and bright. From that experience, I learned to associate different genders with different colors.
During the eighth grade, I watched a movie in which a woman was a professional Taekwondo fighter. “Girls can also be fighters,” I told myself. Despite the disagreement from my parents and siblings, I registered a Taekwondo course. It was a great experience. The instructors encouraged me a lot since I was one of the few female learners in the class. My mother used to say that a girl supposed to involve in graceful and gentle activities like cooking or sewing. Fortunately, my family eventually changed their minds after I persuaded them that Taekwondo would be a useful self-defence for women.
This milestone has influenced many of my decisions including pursuing my dream major and working during motherhood in the future. I believe that women can have equal access to any field as men do. With this belief, I am planning to get a PhD degree in Psychology. This is the greatest motivation I get from practising this non-traditional view of gender roles.
There are also disadvantages for holding this thought. During high school, since being independent of men was my target, I ignored my male classmates' help. Moreover, I didn't pay any attention to my appearance. “If men aren't stressed about their look, why women have to be so," I told myself. At that time, I judged girls who prefered their appearances over their academic success. I desired to show people the internal strength of being a woman so much that I always criticized and thought too intensely. This resulted in the isolation I got from my classmates, which supercharged my antisocial thoughts.
I got so carried away by the wish of not letting my life be influenced by others that I argued with my mother many times. I tried to show her my right to make decisions with sharp words, which hurt her many times. Realizing this, I learned to adjust my attitudes more gently.
It’s undeniable that gender socialization has an impact on our lives. Like many girls, I was taught to behave in a dress. When I was in kindergarten, my parents used to buy me floral dresses and tech me graceful poses. Since I was encouraged with praises, I learned that was how a girl should behave. That was my first stereotype about gender roles. Before kindergarten, I was interested in superheroes, machines, and soccer suits. I gave up this interest because being a “princess” seemed to make my parents happier.
My elementary school teachers used pink and blue colors for gender categorization in our classes. Besides that, my clothes were mostly pink and bright. From that experience, I learned to associate different genders with different colors.
During the eighth grade, I watched a movie in which a woman was a professional Taekwondo fighter. “Girls can also be fighters,” I told myself. Despite the disagreement from my parents and siblings, I registered a Taekwondo course. It was a great experience. The instructors encouraged me a lot since I was one of the few female learners in the class. My mother used to say that a girl supposed to involve in graceful and gentle activities like cooking or sewing. Fortunately, my family eventually changed their minds after I persuaded them that Taekwondo would be a useful self-defence for women.
This milestone has influenced many of my decisions including pursuing my dream major and working during motherhood in the future. I believe that women can have equal access to any field as men do. With this belief, I am planning to get a PhD degree in Psychology. This is the greatest motivation I get from practising this non-traditional view of gender roles.
There are also disadvantages for holding this thought. During high school, since being independent of men was my target, I ignored my male classmates' help. Moreover, I didn't pay any attention to my appearance. “If men aren't stressed about their look, why women have to be so," I told myself. At that time, I judged girls who prefered their appearances over their academic success. I desired to show people the internal strength of being a woman so much that I always criticized and thought too intensely. This resulted in the isolation I got from my classmates, which supercharged my antisocial thoughts.
I got so carried away by the wish of not letting my life be influenced by others that I argued with my mother many times. I tried to show her my right to make decisions with sharp words, which hurt her many times. Realizing this, I learned to adjust my attitudes more gently.
Eurus Thach.
References:
Bui, M. (2019). Vietnamese Traditional Gender Roles [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.itourvn.com/blog/vietnamese-traditional-gender-roles.
LaViolette, A. D., & Barnett, Ola W. (2014). It could happen to anyone : why battered women stay (Third edition.). Los Angeles: SAGE.
Lutze, F. E., & Symons, M. L. (2003). The Evolution Of Domestic Violence Policy Through Masculine Institutions: From Discipline to Protection to Collaborative Empowerment. Criminology & Public Policy, 2(2), 319–328. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-9133.2003.tb00128.x.
Lutze, F. E. (n.d.). Perspective on Gender Theory [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://apps.aoi.wsu.edu/onlinemedia/transcripts/crmj403_3_art%20(c092).pdf.
The Synergistic Relationship Between Sexual Violence and Rape Culture
Female youngsters grow up with the belief that sexual violence among men should be expected (Hlavka, 2014, pp. 339, 344). They misperceive these violent behaviors as romantic gestures or sexual stimulations. In doing so, young women normalize sexual violence, which accidentally empowers the unforeseen rape culture. The reason is, according to Morczek (2015), “sexual violence and rape culture have a synergistic relationship” (p. 50). In other words, sexual violence and rape culture strengthen each other’s existence.
Hence, the beginning of rape culture was triggered by social perceptions towards genders. Traditional gender roles invoke thinkings and fantasies of male victimizers and female victims (Belknap, 2001). Because of this, underreported cases in which men are victims attract less social attention. Male victims had been eliminated from the definition of rape for a long time in our history. Before 2012, rape was defined by the Code of Hammurabi as the violation of female virginity against a woman’s will by a male offender (Morczek, 2015, p. 51).
Since these scenarios, in which women are sexually abused by men, has been implanted in the community for centuries, rape culture is still acknowledged based on this foundation. According to Buchwald, Fletcher, and Roth (2005), feminists suppose that the view of gender-based violence, in rape culture, is expected and assumed to be a harmless social fact. This results in the growth of sexual violence against women. Besides rape, “sexual victimization also covers sexual coercion, verbal and visual harassment, and most stalking behaviors” (Fisher, Daigle & Cullen, 2010, p. 3).
Repeated sexual violence, despite physical and mental injuries, is believed to be less offensive (Dines, 2010, p. 63; Deming, Covan, Swan & Billings, 2013, p. 466). In the rape culture, violence continues to occur without any penalty. Instead of being viewed as a crime, violent expressions and language associated with sexual activities are considered sexually attractive (Buchwald et al., 2005, p. xi).
The fact that victims perceive rape culture and sexual violence as understandable manners reminds me of two Stockholm syndrome characteristics. They are viewing the abusers as “good guys” and “denial or rationalization of violence and anger toward the abuser” (Graham, Rawlings & Rigsby, 1994). In spite of the injuries caused by the abusers, the victims still have an emotional relationship with them. The similarity between the patients who have Stockholm syndrome and the female victims discussed in Morczek’s report (2015) makes me question if young girls are trained to have an unhealthy mental life.
We don’t know if the violent expressions in Morczek’s report (2015) occurs within a romantic relationship. Either being in a romantic relationship or not, a woman experiences a violation of her mind or bodies, like unwanted sexual contact, should be considered as a victim of sexual victimization (Fisher et al., 2010, p. 3). In Morczek’s report (2015), sexual violence isn’t seen as a crime in the rape culture (p. 50). The male and female victims seem to view themselves as followers of traditional gender roles. Sex-role stereotypes are the rules that they choose to obey.
Although I am not a victim of sexual violence, reading about the rape culture invokes many emotional aspects in me. I used to be sexually assaulted in both verbal and physical way. Each time my body was violated, either I was on my date or not, I was so shocked that I froze. However, I never reported them. The reason is that I couldn’t stand the frustration and the shame talking about them.
This thinking of mine might be influenced by the rape culture. When women are expected to be silent and “enjoy” the violation of their minds or bodies (Morczek, 2015, p. 50), their words seem to be powerless. The worst reaction I have ever received was how others normalize it. Since then, I don’t feel safe telling people these unfortunate stories.
Some people manipulate the rape culture for their benefits. Last year, in Vietnam, Hung Manh Do, a 48-year-old man, tried to kiss a girl in the elevator without her consent. Despite her resistance, Hung succeeded. His behavior was recorded by the camera in the elevator. After the release of the video, the only legal punishment he faced was the fine of 8,66 dollars. That was how Hung got out of the crime (Dong, 2019).
This frustration made the young female victim speechless. Fortunately, Hung couldn’t lead a peaceful life after that. After the case ended, the Vietnamese community on social media criticized Hung and shared his photo. Media sensationalism, according to Morczek (2015), strongly impacts and shapes public opinion on sexual offenders (p. 51). Under such pressure, Hung eventually apologized to the girl. However, the girl still stayed silent. However, the girl still stayed silent.
I also knew a woman experienced both domestic and sexual violence. She shared that her husband forced her to be naked in front of her child. Like the women discussed in the rape culture (Morczek, 2015, p. 50), she didn’t speak up. However, unlike them, she didn’t accept or enjoy it. She ended up divorcing him.
Instead of leading a better life, she was always haunted by the painful past. Hence, she is still suffering from battered woman syndrome. The reason is the self-destructive coping behaviors she learned during the abuse (LaViolette, Barnett, 2014, p. 162). She spends her earnings on drinking and lives in poverty.
Rape culture is potentially harmful to every human being. It threatens a human’s right to protect the physical property like his or her body and the mental property like his or her emotional stability. If the law couldn’t help the victims receive a better life, it’s our responsibility as a community to support and protect them.
Hence, the beginning of rape culture was triggered by social perceptions towards genders. Traditional gender roles invoke thinkings and fantasies of male victimizers and female victims (Belknap, 2001). Because of this, underreported cases in which men are victims attract less social attention. Male victims had been eliminated from the definition of rape for a long time in our history. Before 2012, rape was defined by the Code of Hammurabi as the violation of female virginity against a woman’s will by a male offender (Morczek, 2015, p. 51).
Since these scenarios, in which women are sexually abused by men, has been implanted in the community for centuries, rape culture is still acknowledged based on this foundation. According to Buchwald, Fletcher, and Roth (2005), feminists suppose that the view of gender-based violence, in rape culture, is expected and assumed to be a harmless social fact. This results in the growth of sexual violence against women. Besides rape, “sexual victimization also covers sexual coercion, verbal and visual harassment, and most stalking behaviors” (Fisher, Daigle & Cullen, 2010, p. 3).
Repeated sexual violence, despite physical and mental injuries, is believed to be less offensive (Dines, 2010, p. 63; Deming, Covan, Swan & Billings, 2013, p. 466). In the rape culture, violence continues to occur without any penalty. Instead of being viewed as a crime, violent expressions and language associated with sexual activities are considered sexually attractive (Buchwald et al., 2005, p. xi).
The fact that victims perceive rape culture and sexual violence as understandable manners reminds me of two Stockholm syndrome characteristics. They are viewing the abusers as “good guys” and “denial or rationalization of violence and anger toward the abuser” (Graham, Rawlings & Rigsby, 1994). In spite of the injuries caused by the abusers, the victims still have an emotional relationship with them. The similarity between the patients who have Stockholm syndrome and the female victims discussed in Morczek’s report (2015) makes me question if young girls are trained to have an unhealthy mental life.
We don’t know if the violent expressions in Morczek’s report (2015) occurs within a romantic relationship. Either being in a romantic relationship or not, a woman experiences a violation of her mind or bodies, like unwanted sexual contact, should be considered as a victim of sexual victimization (Fisher et al., 2010, p. 3). In Morczek’s report (2015), sexual violence isn’t seen as a crime in the rape culture (p. 50). The male and female victims seem to view themselves as followers of traditional gender roles. Sex-role stereotypes are the rules that they choose to obey.
Although I am not a victim of sexual violence, reading about the rape culture invokes many emotional aspects in me. I used to be sexually assaulted in both verbal and physical way. Each time my body was violated, either I was on my date or not, I was so shocked that I froze. However, I never reported them. The reason is that I couldn’t stand the frustration and the shame talking about them.
This thinking of mine might be influenced by the rape culture. When women are expected to be silent and “enjoy” the violation of their minds or bodies (Morczek, 2015, p. 50), their words seem to be powerless. The worst reaction I have ever received was how others normalize it. Since then, I don’t feel safe telling people these unfortunate stories.
Some people manipulate the rape culture for their benefits. Last year, in Vietnam, Hung Manh Do, a 48-year-old man, tried to kiss a girl in the elevator without her consent. Despite her resistance, Hung succeeded. His behavior was recorded by the camera in the elevator. After the release of the video, the only legal punishment he faced was the fine of 8,66 dollars. That was how Hung got out of the crime (Dong, 2019).
This frustration made the young female victim speechless. Fortunately, Hung couldn’t lead a peaceful life after that. After the case ended, the Vietnamese community on social media criticized Hung and shared his photo. Media sensationalism, according to Morczek (2015), strongly impacts and shapes public opinion on sexual offenders (p. 51). Under such pressure, Hung eventually apologized to the girl. However, the girl still stayed silent. However, the girl still stayed silent.
I also knew a woman experienced both domestic and sexual violence. She shared that her husband forced her to be naked in front of her child. Like the women discussed in the rape culture (Morczek, 2015, p. 50), she didn’t speak up. However, unlike them, she didn’t accept or enjoy it. She ended up divorcing him.
Instead of leading a better life, she was always haunted by the painful past. Hence, she is still suffering from battered woman syndrome. The reason is the self-destructive coping behaviors she learned during the abuse (LaViolette, Barnett, 2014, p. 162). She spends her earnings on drinking and lives in poverty.
Rape culture is potentially harmful to every human being. It threatens a human’s right to protect the physical property like his or her body and the mental property like his or her emotional stability. If the law couldn’t help the victims receive a better life, it’s our responsibility as a community to support and protect them.
Eurus Thach.
References:
Belknap, J. (2001). The invisible woman : gender, crime, and justice. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Buchwald, E., Fletcher, P. R. & Roth, M. (2005). Transforming a rape culture. Minneapolis, MN: Milkweed Editions.
Deming, M. E., Covan, E. K., Swan, S. C., & Billings, D. L. (2013). Exploring Rape Myths,
Gendered Norms, Group Processing, and the Social Context of Rape Among College Women: A
Qualitative Analysis. Violence Against Women, 19(4), 465–485. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801213487044.
Dines, G. (2010). Pornland : how porn has hijacked our sexuality. Boston: Beacon Press.
Dong, P. (2019). Vụ "cưỡng hôn" bị phạt 200 nghìn đồng: Quá nhẹ và không đủ sức răn đe. Lao Dong. Retrieved from https://laodong.vn/ban-doc/vu-cuong-hon-bi-phat-200-nghin-dong-qua-nhe-va-khong-du-suc-ran-de-663344.ldo.
Fisher, B. S., Daigle, L. E., & Cullen, F. T. (2010). Unsafe in the ivory tower : the sexual victimization of college women. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
Graham, D. L. R., Rawlings, E. L., & Rigsby, R. (1994). Loving to survive: Sexual terror, men’s violence, and women’s lives. New York, NY: New York University Press.
Hlavka, H. R. (2014). Normalizing Sexual Violence: Young Women Account for Harassment and Abuse. Gender & Society, 28(3), 337–358. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243214526468
LaViolette, A. D., & Barnett, Ola W. (2014). It could happen to anyone : why battered women stay (Third edition.). Los Angeles: SAGE.
Morczek, A. (March/April 2015). The Synergistic Connection Between Sexual Violence and Rape Culture. The Sexual Assault Report, 18(4), 49-64.
10 Resources in Pullman, WA that Can Help You With Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
The first resource is Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse (ATVP). They have three main contacts. One for 24/7 services 1-877-334-2887. The other two are 1-509-332-HELP (4357) and 1-208-883-HELP (4357). Besides people who seek help for themselves, the contacts are also available for everyone who wishes to support these victims. This organization aims to provide urgent and supportive services for sexual and domestic violence victims, survivors and their children. Moreover, they also provide knowledge and education related to this field.
Their emergency services are shelters and crisis intervention to these male or female victims and their dependent children. Besides that, many support services like court support, therapy, family and child advocacy, transportation, food and clothing, employment and school assistance are also provided.
ATVP is supposed to be a discrimination-free place. However, the website is only available in only English. Some immigrants, who are not familiar with this language, might have some difficulties accessing to ATVP’s services. On the other hand, ATVP is thoughtful when they have “Quick Escape Button” on the top of the website, on which the victims can click and move to a random Wikipedia page. This might help them avoid the attention of the abusers.
The second resource available in Pullman is Cougar Health Services. After-hours telephone nurse line is 509-335-3575. The line for crisis support service is 509-335-451.
Cougar Health Services provide emotional support, medical care, and reporting for domestic or sexual violence victims. They also provide Green Dot bystander intervention program for students to learn about the signs and interventions for domestic or sexual violence and sexual harassment.
Although Cougar Health Services provide psychological and medical services, they lack emergency services. Victims who are in life-threatening situations are encouraged to dial 911. Moreover, Cougar Health Services are not efficiently available off-campus, which is not a good option for victims who are not students.
The third resource is the Pullman Regional Hospital. The 24/7 phone number of the Emergency Department is 509-336-7359. They also encourage victims to dial 911 in life-threatening situations.
Their aim to support victims of sexual assault and rape. They have a service called Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE), which provides forensic medical examinations. Within 4 days of the assault, a victim would receive a professional evaluation from a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. The nurses will identify and care for injuries, collect physical evidence, assess the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and give preventative treatment, give crisis information and referral to support services, etc.
Pullman Regional Hospital helps victims collect evidence for an efficient report. Besides the exam, they also help victims contact the support services available in the community. They should have this service translated to different languages and attached to many places to get victims’ attention.
The next resource is on the Psychology Today website. In Domestic Violence Therapists in Pullman, WA section, there are many therapists available for domestic or sexual violence victims who are looking for interventions and mental treatments. This resource is inclusive since different counsellors are willing to help. However, it is only a good option for the victims whose fiance is stable and their children to strengthen their resilience.
City of Pullman Police Department is also a great local resource for these victims and their children. The victims can dial 911 anytime to get physical, urgent support. This resource is the most inclusive. They also have to help the victims contact with available local services.
The Whitman County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office offers a Victim / Witness Coordinator is another good resource for these victims to receive assistance with restitution benefits. The victims contact one of the prosecutors via phone number 509-397-6250. Their responsibilities are gross misdemeanor prosecution, file and prosecute felony complaints, victim and witness support, child support enforcement. Because they work based on the Washington State Legislature, this resource should be inclusive.
Washington State Department of Labor and Industries also support domestic or sexual violence victims. Their contacts are 1-800-762-3716 and 360-902-5355. They are responsible to pay for the Sexual Assault Nurse Exam (SANE) and additional medical or mental health treatment via a crime victim’s compensation claim. To receive these services, the victims will need to cooperate with law enforcement or participate in the criminal justice system and file a police report.
WSU Office of Civil Rights Compliance & Investigation (CRCI) provides criminal investigation for the victims who involve sexual assault. They could be contacted via 509-335-8288. The limit of this organization is that only WSU students would be contacted by a representative from the WSU Office of Civil Rights Compliance & Investigation.
These victims and their children can also get help from the Washington State Domestic Violence Hotline via phone number 1-800-562-6025 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. everyday. They would help the victims connect the nearest domestic violence program and resources, including safe shelter, advocacy, counseling and legal assistance. Moreover, their missions also include crisis assistance, emotional support, and safety planning.
The National Sexual Assault Hotline is similar to the Washington State Domestic Violence Hotline. The victims can contact 800-656-4673 to get help. Unlike the state’s hotline, this national hotline works 24 hours, which is more appropriate for victims who are available in the evenings.
Eurus Thach
References:
Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse. (n.d.). About ATVP [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://atvp.org/aboutus.shtml.
Cougar Health Services. (n.d.). Violence Prevention [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://cougarhealth.wsu.edu/violence-prevention/.
KING Staff. (2016). Resources to help domestic violence victims. K5 News, Health. Retrieved from https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/resources-to-help-domestic-violence-victims/361205012.
Office of Civil Rights Compliance & Investigation. (n.d.). Investigations [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://crci.wsu.edu/.
Pullman Regional Hospital. (n.d.). Sexual Assualt Treatment & Resources: Providing healthcare and treatment to victims of sexual assault and rape [ Blog post]. Retrieved from https://pullmanregional.org/patient-care/services/emergency-care/sexual-assault-treatment-resources.
Psychology Today. (n.d.). Domestic Violence Therapists in Pullman, WA. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/domestic-violence/wa/pullman.
Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. (n.d.). Sexual Assualt Victims [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://lni.wa.gov/claims/crime-victim-claims/sexual-assault-victims#information-for-victims.
Whitman County. (2018). Prosecutor [blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.whitmancounty.org/Page.aspx?pn=Prosecutor.
WSU Police. (n.d.). Reporting a Sexual Assualt [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://police.wsu.edu/sexual-assault-investigations/elements-section/.
Their emergency services are shelters and crisis intervention to these male or female victims and their dependent children. Besides that, many support services like court support, therapy, family and child advocacy, transportation, food and clothing, employment and school assistance are also provided.
ATVP is supposed to be a discrimination-free place. However, the website is only available in only English. Some immigrants, who are not familiar with this language, might have some difficulties accessing to ATVP’s services. On the other hand, ATVP is thoughtful when they have “Quick Escape Button” on the top of the website, on which the victims can click and move to a random Wikipedia page. This might help them avoid the attention of the abusers.
The second resource available in Pullman is Cougar Health Services. After-hours telephone nurse line is 509-335-3575. The line for crisis support service is 509-335-451.
Cougar Health Services provide emotional support, medical care, and reporting for domestic or sexual violence victims. They also provide Green Dot bystander intervention program for students to learn about the signs and interventions for domestic or sexual violence and sexual harassment.
Although Cougar Health Services provide psychological and medical services, they lack emergency services. Victims who are in life-threatening situations are encouraged to dial 911. Moreover, Cougar Health Services are not efficiently available off-campus, which is not a good option for victims who are not students.
The third resource is the Pullman Regional Hospital. The 24/7 phone number of the Emergency Department is 509-336-7359. They also encourage victims to dial 911 in life-threatening situations.
Their aim to support victims of sexual assault and rape. They have a service called Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE), which provides forensic medical examinations. Within 4 days of the assault, a victim would receive a professional evaluation from a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. The nurses will identify and care for injuries, collect physical evidence, assess the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and give preventative treatment, give crisis information and referral to support services, etc.
Pullman Regional Hospital helps victims collect evidence for an efficient report. Besides the exam, they also help victims contact the support services available in the community. They should have this service translated to different languages and attached to many places to get victims’ attention.
The next resource is on the Psychology Today website. In Domestic Violence Therapists in Pullman, WA section, there are many therapists available for domestic or sexual violence victims who are looking for interventions and mental treatments. This resource is inclusive since different counsellors are willing to help. However, it is only a good option for the victims whose fiance is stable and their children to strengthen their resilience.
City of Pullman Police Department is also a great local resource for these victims and their children. The victims can dial 911 anytime to get physical, urgent support. This resource is the most inclusive. They also have to help the victims contact with available local services.
The Whitman County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office offers a Victim / Witness Coordinator is another good resource for these victims to receive assistance with restitution benefits. The victims contact one of the prosecutors via phone number 509-397-6250. Their responsibilities are gross misdemeanor prosecution, file and prosecute felony complaints, victim and witness support, child support enforcement. Because they work based on the Washington State Legislature, this resource should be inclusive.
Washington State Department of Labor and Industries also support domestic or sexual violence victims. Their contacts are 1-800-762-3716 and 360-902-5355. They are responsible to pay for the Sexual Assault Nurse Exam (SANE) and additional medical or mental health treatment via a crime victim’s compensation claim. To receive these services, the victims will need to cooperate with law enforcement or participate in the criminal justice system and file a police report.
WSU Office of Civil Rights Compliance & Investigation (CRCI) provides criminal investigation for the victims who involve sexual assault. They could be contacted via 509-335-8288. The limit of this organization is that only WSU students would be contacted by a representative from the WSU Office of Civil Rights Compliance & Investigation.
These victims and their children can also get help from the Washington State Domestic Violence Hotline via phone number 1-800-562-6025 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. everyday. They would help the victims connect the nearest domestic violence program and resources, including safe shelter, advocacy, counseling and legal assistance. Moreover, their missions also include crisis assistance, emotional support, and safety planning.
The National Sexual Assault Hotline is similar to the Washington State Domestic Violence Hotline. The victims can contact 800-656-4673 to get help. Unlike the state’s hotline, this national hotline works 24 hours, which is more appropriate for victims who are available in the evenings.
Eurus Thach
References:
Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse. (n.d.). About ATVP [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://atvp.org/aboutus.shtml.
Cougar Health Services. (n.d.). Violence Prevention [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://cougarhealth.wsu.edu/violence-prevention/.
KING Staff. (2016). Resources to help domestic violence victims. K5 News, Health. Retrieved from https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/resources-to-help-domestic-violence-victims/361205012.
Office of Civil Rights Compliance & Investigation. (n.d.). Investigations [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://crci.wsu.edu/.
Pullman Regional Hospital. (n.d.). Sexual Assualt Treatment & Resources: Providing healthcare and treatment to victims of sexual assault and rape [ Blog post]. Retrieved from https://pullmanregional.org/patient-care/services/emergency-care/sexual-assault-treatment-resources.
Psychology Today. (n.d.). Domestic Violence Therapists in Pullman, WA. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/domestic-violence/wa/pullman.
Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. (n.d.). Sexual Assualt Victims [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://lni.wa.gov/claims/crime-victim-claims/sexual-assault-victims#information-for-victims.
Whitman County. (2018). Prosecutor [blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.whitmancounty.org/Page.aspx?pn=Prosecutor.
WSU Police. (n.d.). Reporting a Sexual Assualt [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://police.wsu.edu/sexual-assault-investigations/elements-section/.
What I Have Learned from Child Abnormal Psychology Class
The first specific issue that we have covered in class that impresses me is gaining information about the child’s age and how long the symptoms have lasted. This is the basic and initial step to do when we approach a young patient. Before attending the class, I always misperceived that it was important to focus on the symptoms first because it might be the shortest way to diagnosis and intervention. However, after the first few lectures, I acknowledge that it is not always necessary to make a diagnosis for a child’s problems.
Besides creating a stigma for him or her, we might limit the interventions. Moreover, we might miss some other symptoms that are outside of our diagnosed category. To make a proper intervention for a child, we should focus on the specific symptoms and find a way to make it better. I feel grateful for learning this lesson right at the beginning of the course. Moreover, I appreciate the fact that professor Barry keeps reminding us of it, which makes me remember it better. If I accidentally miss this piece of information, I will trap myself in great confusion when I study counseling psychology in depth.
Age is an essential factor since we can acknowledge if the patient is in the onset age of a disorder. Moreover, this information will help us know if the described behaviors are normal at the patient’s age. For example, chewing largely non-nutritive items might be normal for toddlers who haven’t learned much about categorizing food. However, if a teen persistently picks paper as his enjoyable snack then it’s time for serious consideration.
Asking “how long” is undeniably important. Each disorder will be officially diagnosed after a certain time. For instance, a ten-year-old child is more likely to have pica if she keeps eating non-edible items for over a month. Also, a child before age 18 might be diagnosed with Tic disorder or Tourette syndrome if he has sudden, involuntary motor movements and vocal utterances for at least a year.
My favorite aspect we have learned in class is reinforcement. Since the beginning of the class, I have had an interest in reinforcing and how it shapes our behaviors or helps rehabilitation. I believe in the influence of reinforcement on humans’ mind.
In the past, I used to think that it might be a myth to apply reinforcement to anyone with moderate psychopathological symptoms or disorders. When we learned about youngsters with intense substance use, I suggested reinforcement as an intervention. At that time, I thought my idea wasn’t persuasive because the patient in the given case was a teen. However, professor Barry made me gain more confidence in this idea. He said that we shouldn’t deny the influence of reinforcement on people from different walks of life. Moreover, it is also a motivation used by parents and other significant ones as a protective factor to improve one’s behavior or thinking. Since then, I have always considered reinforcement in every disorder or symptom’s intervention. One day, when I have children, I will apply reinforcement to help them shape their healthy behaviors. It will be much better than stressful punishments.
Last but not least, the final issue which is impressive to me is the compromise between children and parents. Hence, the bond between parents and children strengthens the mental health of both children and parents, which also helps them understand each other more. During the lesson about conduct problems, students were given the situation that a child crying in the middle of the mall to get what he wanted. Professor Barry presented us with a surprisingly simple way to deal with it. He suggested that parents should talk to their children before coming to the mall, which means making a friendly, positive compromise. He said that if the child still showed negative expression during the shopping anyway, we can remind the child of the compromise so he or she can recall the punishments or rewards they could receive from his or her behaviors.
This suggestion is wonderful since I grew up in an Asian country where people favor physical or verbal punishments. I don’t want to hurt my child. Moreover, I hope he or she will respect me. To achieve these goals, I need to respect him or her first. Hopefully, with what I have learned in this class, I can help my child gain balanced mental health.
Besides creating a stigma for him or her, we might limit the interventions. Moreover, we might miss some other symptoms that are outside of our diagnosed category. To make a proper intervention for a child, we should focus on the specific symptoms and find a way to make it better. I feel grateful for learning this lesson right at the beginning of the course. Moreover, I appreciate the fact that professor Barry keeps reminding us of it, which makes me remember it better. If I accidentally miss this piece of information, I will trap myself in great confusion when I study counseling psychology in depth.
Age is an essential factor since we can acknowledge if the patient is in the onset age of a disorder. Moreover, this information will help us know if the described behaviors are normal at the patient’s age. For example, chewing largely non-nutritive items might be normal for toddlers who haven’t learned much about categorizing food. However, if a teen persistently picks paper as his enjoyable snack then it’s time for serious consideration.
Asking “how long” is undeniably important. Each disorder will be officially diagnosed after a certain time. For instance, a ten-year-old child is more likely to have pica if she keeps eating non-edible items for over a month. Also, a child before age 18 might be diagnosed with Tic disorder or Tourette syndrome if he has sudden, involuntary motor movements and vocal utterances for at least a year.
My favorite aspect we have learned in class is reinforcement. Since the beginning of the class, I have had an interest in reinforcing and how it shapes our behaviors or helps rehabilitation. I believe in the influence of reinforcement on humans’ mind.
In the past, I used to think that it might be a myth to apply reinforcement to anyone with moderate psychopathological symptoms or disorders. When we learned about youngsters with intense substance use, I suggested reinforcement as an intervention. At that time, I thought my idea wasn’t persuasive because the patient in the given case was a teen. However, professor Barry made me gain more confidence in this idea. He said that we shouldn’t deny the influence of reinforcement on people from different walks of life. Moreover, it is also a motivation used by parents and other significant ones as a protective factor to improve one’s behavior or thinking. Since then, I have always considered reinforcement in every disorder or symptom’s intervention. One day, when I have children, I will apply reinforcement to help them shape their healthy behaviors. It will be much better than stressful punishments.
Last but not least, the final issue which is impressive to me is the compromise between children and parents. Hence, the bond between parents and children strengthens the mental health of both children and parents, which also helps them understand each other more. During the lesson about conduct problems, students were given the situation that a child crying in the middle of the mall to get what he wanted. Professor Barry presented us with a surprisingly simple way to deal with it. He suggested that parents should talk to their children before coming to the mall, which means making a friendly, positive compromise. He said that if the child still showed negative expression during the shopping anyway, we can remind the child of the compromise so he or she can recall the punishments or rewards they could receive from his or her behaviors.
This suggestion is wonderful since I grew up in an Asian country where people favor physical or verbal punishments. I don’t want to hurt my child. Moreover, I hope he or she will respect me. To achieve these goals, I need to respect him or her first. Hopefully, with what I have learned in this class, I can help my child gain balanced mental health.
Eurus Thach.
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