Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect

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Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect
Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect
AbbreviationPCAR
PredecessorPennsylvania Coalition Against Rape
Formation1975;49 years ago (1975)
Headquarters Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Location
Region served
Statewide network of 51 rape crisis centers serving all 67 counties in Pennsylvania
ServicesPublic policy advocacy and service support for survivors of sexual violence
CEO
Yolanda Edrington
COO
Joyce Lukima
Parent organization
Respect Together
Affiliations National Sexual Violence Resource Center Respect Together
Website pcar.org

The Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect (PCAR), known as the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape from 1975 to 2023, is an organization that opposes rape and sexual violence in Pennsylvania and the United States, and advocates for victims of sexual violence. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Contents

History

Founded in 1975, PCAR works with a statewide network of 51 rape crisis centers serving all 67 counties across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to provide services to survivors of sexual violence. [5] [6]

As part of this organization's mission, PCAR personnel research and advocate for public policies to protect and provide recovery assistance to victims of sexual violence and to hold sexual violence offenders accountable in order to improve the safety of communities. [7] During the fall of 1975, PCAR and its supporters lobbied members of the Pennsylvania State Legislature to change procedures statewide for defining, managing and prosecuting rape cases. Among the changes that were demanded: [8]

On March 16, 1976, PCAR joined with women's groups statewide to hold a lobby day at the Pennsylvania State Capitol when legislation prohibiting the introduction of victims' sexual histories into court cases was delayed by legislators attempting to weaken proposed changes by continuing to allow the introduction of sexual history information in statutory rape cases that involved victims who were aged sixteen or younger. [9] [10]

In November 1978, PCAR executive director Sandra Lambert praised U.S. President Jimmy Carter for signing the Rape Victim Act into law on October 30 of that year. The federal law, which followed Pennsylvania's groundbreaking passage of Act 53 in 1976 to improve legal protections for rape survivors, was designed to reduce the introduction of testimony in future rape trials across the United States regarding survivors' past sexual histories by requiring that any such proposed testimony would be submitted to presiding judges in private hearings to determine whether or not it was directly related to the defense of alleged offenders and appropriate for trial use. According to Lambert, "In the 27 rape crisis centers in Pennsylvania, we have seen not only an increase in reporting of rape since Act 53 was passed, but also more offenders going to court." Lambert noted that the recidivism rate of rape offenders was estimated at seventy-three percent. [11]

From May through October of 1979, according to PCAR, 1,322 victims of rape sought assistance from nineteen of the thirty-five rape crisis centers operating across the state. Of those 1,322 survivors, 557 (42.1 percent) were children under the age of eighteen. [12]

In August 1979, Anne Pride, the administrator of Pittsburgh Action Against Rape, was elected as PCAR's president. [13] In December of that same year, the Pennsylvania House's Judiciary Committee voted 14-3 in favor of legislation that would strip husbands of the "right to use marriage as a defense against sexual assault charges." The bill had increased its co-sponsorship from five legislators during 1978 to twenty-four in 1979. Between June and March of 1978, seventy-seven women had reported being forced by their husbands to have sexual intercourse, against their will, according to PCAR, which noted that this figure was an increase from the fifty-nine cases of marital rape that had been reported in 1977. [14]

On February 5, 1980, PCAR joined with the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence to present a Legislative Education Day at the Pennsylvania State Capitol to increase understanding about House Bills 744 and 745, which proposed the creation of The Office on Crime Victims to improve investigation and prosecution of domestic abuse and sexual assault crimes and fund domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers and support services for crime victims and witnesses. [15]

Programs and services

Beginning in the late 1970s, PCAR and its supporters developed and presented professional development and civic education programs that provided training for educators, healthcare workers, journalist, legal and public safety professionals, and members of the general public regarding the forms of sexual violence and their impact on communities across Pennsylvania. [16] [17] [18] [19] [20]

From 2009 to October 1, 2015, PCAR founded and provided financial management services for AEquitas, which supported prosecutors working on human trafficking and gender-based violence cases worldwide. [21] [22]

In 2015, Pennsylvania enacted the Protection of Victims of Sexual Violence or Intimidation Law, which expanded "traditional court-ordered protection from its typical targets [of harassment]—such as ex-spouses or relatives—to acquaintances and strangers," including minors. According to Joyce Lukima, PCAR's chief operating officer, "Survivors of rape on college campuses have gotten protective orders under the law." Lukima added: [23]

This really offers a tool for survivors to keep them safe. People are just becoming aware of this as an option for them. When they see there's some action they can take, they're probably more likely to reach out for help also.

In 2018, PCAR launched its Sexual Violence Legal Assistance Project to provide comprehensive legal services for sexual violence survivors. [24] It also lobbied the state legislature to eliminate civil and criminal statutes of limitation in child sexual abuse cases and to also "expand the window of opportunity for those who have timed out of the criminal and civil limits to seek justice" through civil methods later in life. According to PCAR's chief executive officer, Karen Baker: [25]

We know that delayed reporting of sexual violence is normal, common and should be expected. Many people who have been sexually abused, wait months, years or decades before discussing what was done to them with anyone, let alone making a formal report to authorities.

We must give survivors of child sexual abuse the time they need to report on their own terms—not according to some arbitrary and outdated time limit.

We also know that adults who commit sexual violence tend to commit multiple acts against multiple people. And it is time for Pennsylvania law to reflect this reality and provide law enforcement the ability to investigate whenever a victim is ready to make a report in hopes of stopping the perpetrator from harming others.

Present day

PCAR personnel currently research, develop and publish resources regarding sexual assault-related issues, and present training programs for professionals across Pennsylvania, such as PCAR's reference cards and training videos for Pennsylvania judges [26] and PCAR's annual state conference, including the 2023 event, "Honoring Resiliency and Humanity." They also work with members of the news media to provide access to accurate information and foster ethical reporting while also increasing awareness by the general public of the impact that sexual violence has on individuals and individual communities. [27] [28]

In addition, PCAR personnel manage the operations of the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), which provides sexual violence prevention and intervention resources. [29] They also collaborate with personnel from the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence (NAESV) and ValorUS in operating RALIANCE, which was established with financial support from the National Football League in 2015 to reduce and ultimately eradicate sexual violence. [30]

At the end of 2023, the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape rebranded and combined with the group Respect Together [31] and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. The new name was the Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect.

On December 18, 2023, the 20-year-long CEO, Karen Baker, retired from the organization. The new CEO is now Yolanda Edrington, the former COO of the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. Edrington is native to Harrisburg, PA. [32]

Accreditation

PCAR was accredited the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations' (PANO) Seal of Excellence. [33]

Related Research Articles

Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence that includes child sexual abuse, groping, rape, drug facilitated sexual assault, and the torture of the person in a sexual manner.

Some victims of rape or other sexual violence incidents are male. It is estimated that approximately one in six men experienced sexual abuse during childhood. Historically, rape was thought to be, and defined as, a crime committed solely against females. This belief is still held in some parts of the world, but rape of males is now commonly criminalized and has been subject to more discussion than in the past.

Sexual violence is any harmful or unwanted sexual act or attempt to obtain a sexual act by violence or coercion, act to traffic a person, regardless of the relationship to the victim. This includes forced engagement in sexual acts, attempted or completed acts and occurs without the consent of the victim. It occurs in times of peace and armed conflict situations, is widespread, and is considered to be one of the most traumatic, pervasive, and most common human rights violations.

Victim blaming occurs when the victim of a crime or any wrongful act is held entirely or partially at fault for the harm that befell them. There is historical and current prejudice against the victims of domestic violence and sex crimes, such as the greater tendency to blame victims of rape than victims of robbery if victims and perpetrators knew each other prior to the commission of the crime.

A rape kit or rape test kit is a package of items used by medical personnel for gathering and preserving physical evidence following an allegation of sexual assault. The evidence collected from the victim can aid the criminal rape investigation and the prosecution of a suspected assailant. DNA evidence can have tremendous utility for sexual assault investigations and prosecution by identifying offenders, revealing serial offenders through DNA matches across cases, and exonerating those who have been wrongly accused.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Violence Against Women Act</span> United States crime legislation

The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) is a United States federal law signed by President Bill Clinton on September 13, 1994. The Act provided $1.6 billion toward investigation and prosecution of violent crimes against women, imposed automatic and mandatory restitution on those convicted, and allowed civil redress when prosecutors chose to not prosecute cases. The Act also established the Office on Violence Against Women within the U.S. Department of Justice.

Rape is a type of sexual assault initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, under threat or manipulation, by impersonation, or with a person who is incapable of giving valid consent.

Rape can be categorized in different ways: for example, by reference to the situation in which it occurs, by the identity or characteristics of the victim, and by the identity or characteristics of the perpetrator. These categories are referred to as types of rape. The types described below are not mutually exclusive: a given rape can fit into multiple categories, by for example being both a prison rape and a gang rape, or both a custodial rape and the rape of a child.

Rape crisis centers in the United States, usually capitalized as Rape Crisis Center and often abbreviated as RCC, are community-based organizations affiliated with the anti-rape movement in the U.S. Rape crisis centers in other countries offer similar services, but have different histories and vary in their organizational structure.

Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assault against a small child, whereas sexual abuse is a term used for a persistent pattern of sexual assaults.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rape</span> Type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse without consent

Rape is a type of sexual assault involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person who is incapable of giving valid consent, such as one who is unconscious, incapacitated, has an intellectual disability, or is below the legal age of consent. The term rape is sometimes used interchangeably with the term sexual assault.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Network to End Domestic Violence</span> Non-profit organization in the USA

The National Network to End Domestic Violence(NNEDV) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded in 1990, based in the District of Columbia. It is a network of state and territorial domestic violence coalitions, representing over 2,000 member organizations nationwide. The National Network to End Domestic Violence works to address the many aspects of domestic violence.

Intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) deals with sexual violence within the context of domestic violence. Intimate partner sexual violence is defined by any unwanted sexual contact or activity by an intimate partner in order to control an individual through fear, threats, or violence. Women are the primary victims of this type of violence.

The anti-rape movement is a sociopolitical movement which is part of the movement seeking to combat violence against and the abuse of women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexual violence in South Africa</span>

The rate of sexual violence in South Africa is among the highest recorded in the world. Police statistics of reported rapes as a per capita figure has been dropping in recent years, although the reasons for the drop has not been analysed and it is not known how many rapes go unreported. More women are attacked than men, and children have also been targeted, partly owing to a myth that having sex with a virgin will cure a man of HIV/AIDS. Rape victims are at high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS owing to the high prevalence of the disease in South Africa. "Corrective rape" is also perpetrated against LGBT men and women.

Rape in the United States is defined by the United States Department of Justice as "Penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim." While definitions and terminology of rape vary by jurisdiction in the United States, the FBI revised its definition to eliminate a requirement that the crime involve an element of force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Sexual Violence Resource Center</span> US non-profit agency

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) is an American nonprofit organization that addresses the causes and impact of sexual violence through collaboration, prevention, and resources. Working in collaboration with state and territory sexual assault coalitions, representatives from underserved populations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women, and a host of community-based and national allied projects, NSVRC provides national leadership to address and prevent sexual violence.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) is an annual campaign to raise public awareness about sexual assault and educate communities and individuals on how to prevent sexual violence in the United States. It is observed in April.

After a sexual assault or rape, victims are often subjected to scrutiny and, in some cases, mistreatment. Victims undergo medical examinations and are interviewed by police. If there is a criminal trial, victims suffer a loss of privacy, and their credibility may be challenged. Victims may also become the target of slut-shaming, abuse, social stigmatization, sexual slurs and cyberbullying. These factors, contributing to a rape culture, are among some of the reasons that may contribute up to 80% of all rapes going unreported in the U.S, according to a 2016 study done by the U.S. Department of Justice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexual assault of LGBT persons</span>

Sexual assault of LGBT people, also known as sexual and gender minorities (SGM), is a form of violence that occurs within the LGBT community. While sexual assault and other forms of interpersonal violence can occur in all forms of relationships, it is found that sexual minorities experience it at rates that are equal to or higher than their heterosexual counterparts. There is a lack of research on this specific problem for the LGBT population as a whole, but there does exist a substantial amount of research on college LGBT students who have experienced sexual assault and sexual harassment.

References

  1. ↑ "The History of the Violence Against Women Act" (PDF). U.S. Department of Justice. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 17, 2011. Retrieved October 13, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Resources in Pennsylvania". National Association to Prevent Sexual Abuse of Children. Retrieved October 13, 2011.
  3. ↑ Ryan, Kathleen. "Women push for new rape case procedures." Sunbury, Pennsylvania: The Daily Item, October 27, 1975, p.4 (subscription required).
  4. ↑ "Crawford, Michael. "We must not trivialize sexual assault of boys." Lancaster, Pennsylvania: LNP Online, April 20, 2015, p. 9 (subscription required).
  5. ↑ "About PCAR". Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape. Retrieved October 13, 2011.
  6. ↑ Wilson, Linda. "Butler center helping victims of rape." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Post Gazette, October 26, 1978, p. 45 (subscription required).
  7. ↑ "About PCAR," Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape.
  8. ↑ Ryan, "Women push for new rape case procedures," The Daily Item, October 27, 1975.
  9. ↑ "Rape Law Changes Sought." Uniontown, Pennsylvania: The Evening Standard, March 16, 1976, p. 13 (subscription required).
  10. ↑ "Women's Rally Set March 16." Uniontown, Pennsylvania: The Evening Standard, March 4, 1976, front page (subscription required).
  11. ↑ "Anti-Rape Group Praises Carter." Hanover, Pennsylvania: The Evening Sun, November 3, 1978, p. 25 (subscription required).
  12. ↑ "Assistance Requests of Rape Victims Rise." Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania: Citizens' Voice, March 17, 1980, p. 3 (subscription required).
  13. ↑ "Area woman gets top post." North Hills, Pennsylvania: News Record, August 14, 1979, p. 14 (subscription required).
  14. ↑ "Marriage defense might not work." Indiana, Pennsylvania: The Indiana Gazette, December 18, 1979, p. 6 (subscription required).
  15. ↑ "Education Day next Tuesday." Somerset, Pennsylvania: The Daily American, January 30, 1980, p. 6 (subscription required).
  16. ↑ "Childline: Major Goals Are Child Protection, Preservation of the Family Unit." Hanover, Pennsylvania: The Evening Sun, June 2, 1979, p. 7 (subscription required).
  17. ↑ "Incest: Symptom of a Family in Trouble." Hanover, Pennsylvania: The Evening Sun, May 31, 1979, p. 9 (subscription required).
  18. ↑ "'Incest' seminar March 7." Latrobe, Pennsylvania: The Latrobe Bulletin, March 3, 1980, p. 9 (subscription required).
  19. ↑ "Ginny Thornburgh talks of marriage at Legislative Exchange." Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania: The Morning Press, March 20, 1980, p. 14 (subscription required).
  20. ↑ "Rape Crisis Class for Area Police." Scranton, Pennsylvania: The Tribune, May 14, 1983, p. 5 (subscription required).
  21. ↑ "About PCAR," Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape.
  22. ↑ Dillon, Justin. "Due process must be part of sex-assault policy." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 25, 2015, p. A14 (subscription required).
  23. ↑ Bond, Michelle. "New Pa. law strengthens protection from harassment." Chambersburg, Pennsylvania: Public Opinion, November 30, 2015, p. 5 (subscription required).
  24. ↑ "About PCAR," Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape.
  25. ↑ "We all must act to ensure victims can seek justice." Lancaster, Pennsylvania: LNP Always Lancaster, August 19, 2018, p. E3 (subscription required).
  26. ↑ Schroeder, Laurie Mason. "Judges to get guidance for child sex cases." Allentown, Pennsylvania: The Morning Call, January 3, 2018, p. A6 (subscription required).
  27. ↑ Graham, Barbara A. "The Pennsylvania Picture—Part I: Home Life Horror for Growing List of Child Victims of Sexual Attack." Scranton, Pennsylvania: The Scranton Times, March 14, 1979, p. 20 (subscription required).
  28. ↑ "About PCAR," Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape.
  29. ↑ Bumsted, Brad, Paula Knudsen and Sam Janesch. "Power, politics, priest abuse." Pottsville, Pennsylvania: Republican and Herald, September 2, 2018, p. A11 (subscription required).
  30. ↑ "About PCAR," Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape.
  31. ↑
  32. ↑ "Yolanda Edrington is announced as the new Chief Executive Officer of Respect Together | Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR)". pcar.org. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  33. ↑ "Standards for Excellence." Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations, retrieved online May 9, 2023.
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