February 2010
Rounded Rectangle: Family Justice Center 9309 N. Florida Ave. Suite #109 Tampa, Florida 33612 Phone: 813-935-2015 Fax: 813-935-2019 E-mail: info@fjchc.org Website: www.fjchc.org Hours of Operation: Monday—Thursday 8am-8pm Friday 8am-5pm Rounded Rectangle: In This Issue: Kookaburra Charity Package from Outback Three Women’s Leaders Among Those Lost in Haiti Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month FJC Monthly Partner Spotlight FJC Volunteer Program FJC Volunteer Spotlights FJC Training Academy Child Welfare and Domestic Violence Cross-System Training Series Sexual Abuse Intervention Network Training Early Childhood Community Resource Fair Community Meetings Rounded Rectangle: Family Justice Center Newsletter Text Box: February is ‘Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention’ Month When teens begin dating, they apply the relationship norms they learned watching those in parental roles. The results in many junior high, high schools and colleges across our nation are chilling.  In June, 2008, Liz Claiborne, Inc., released the results from a Teen Research Unlimited survey it commissioned on dating violence in teens and tweens (those aged 11 to 14).  The survey was conducted online between January 2 and January 18, 2008, with a total of 1,043 tweens, 523 parents, and 626 teens completing the survey.  The results range from disturbing to frightening:           More than one in three 11-12 year olds (37%) say they have been in a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. Nearly three in four tweens (72%) say boyfriend/girlfriend relationships usually begin at age 14 or younger. 62% of tweens who have been in a relationship say they know friends who have been verbally abused (called stupid, worthless, ugly, etc) by a boyfriend/girlfriend. Two in five (41%) tweens who have been in a relationship know friends who have been called names, put down, or insulted via cellphone, IM, social networking sites (such as MySpace and Facebook), etc. One in five 13-14 year olds in relationships (20%) say they know friends and peers who have been struck in anger (kicked, hit, slapped, or punched) by a boyfriend or girlfriend. Only half of all tweens (51%) claim to know the warning signs of a bad/hurtful relationship.  More than three times as many tweens (20%) as parents (6%) admit that parents know little or nothing about the tweens’ dating relationships. Twice as many tweens report having “hooked up” with a partner (17%) as parents reported of their own 11-14 year old child (8%). For teens: More than one in three teens report that their partners wanted to know where they were (36%) and who they were with (37%) all the time. Among teens who had sex by age 14, it’s much higher (58% and 59%, respectively). 29% of teens say their boyfriends/girlfriends call them names and put them down, compared to 58% of teens who had sex by age 14. 22% of teens say they were pressured to do things they did not want to do, compared to 45% of teens who had sex by age 14. 69% of all teens who had sex by age 14 said they have gone through one or more types of abuse in a relationship. **   The crime of teen dating violence, including physical, emotional and sexual assault, and harassment via texting, email or Instant Messaging is a cruel reality for many American teenagers--a reality of which many parents are unaware.  www.crapo.senate.gov ** Statistics listed are from research done by the Love Is Not Abuse effort undertaken by Liz Claiborne, Inc.  FJC Partner Council Spotlight The FJC Partner Council Spotlight for the month of January was the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay. The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay brings help, hope and healing to people facing serious life challenges or trauma resulting from sexual assault or abuse, violence, financial distress, medical emergency, suicidal thoughts, emotional or situational problems.     Dial 2-1-1 where you will receive free, confidential crisis counseling by our highly trained staff, along with information and referrals to Crisis Center services or to over 3,500 other community services.  We are here 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Crisis Center’s trauma treatment team provides counseling and advocacy services to children, teens, adults and their families who have experienced sexual and/or physical abuse, neglect, domestic violence, and other types of trauma. These services include individual, family and group therapy, crisis intervention, victim advocacy, resources and referrals, abuse prevention and psycho-educational workshops, as well as medical examination/care for adult and teen rape crisis victims. The Crisis Center recently collaborated with the Family Justice Center to secure a safe and child-friendly space to conduct a complex reunification session.  Before this session, this school-aged girl had made great progress in healing from childhood abuse and was ready to take the next courageous step in her journey toward recovery.  Her desire was to have all members of her family present to support her. As the family was splintered and several members had not been together in many years, safety concerns arose.  The availability of a safe location for the family of this young girl to gather allowed her to take further steps in healing in a secure and friendly environment.  Thank you Crisis Center for your hard work and dedication to the community! * As of January 2010, the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay will be providing a Victim Advocate to offer services on-site at the Family Justice Center. FJC welcomes this partnership and looks forward to working more closely with the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay in this way!   FJC Volunteer Program Are you interested in volunteering at the Family Justice Center? The Family Justice Center is always looking for people who are willing to share their time and service to help us to provide a safe and comfortable environment for all those we serve. For more information Please contact the Outreach Coordinator, Mona Cruz at 813.490.9435 or outreachcoord@fjchc.org .  YOU Make the Difference...Everyday! This month we have two amazing volunteers to spotlight… For the last year, Mellissa Jagrup has served as a volunteer counselor for FJC guests. Mellissa first became interested in assisting victims of domestic violence when she discovered during her undergrad years that there were more shelters for animals than there were for survivors of DV. “When I heard that I would be given an opportunity to give back through FJC by providing counseling, I decided to jump at the chance to do so.” Says Mellissa. “I provided counseling services as a LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor) to families connected with HKI as well as the community. Some of these families depended on me to be able to complete their counseling so that they could be reunified with their kids. This was done through my own funds by purchasing my own insurance.” Mellissa is currently employed with Hillsborough County Children's Services as a Treatment Counselor working out of the Residential Program. Mellissa was happy to work with women and families from all backgrounds and walks of life to help them rebuild their sense of self, decreasing fears of starting over on a new journey and having a more positive outlook for the future. “I really want to thank God, FJC and the clients for giving me the opportunity to give back and just taking a chance on me.” Mellissa has completed her time her at the Family Justice Center and will be greatly missed. We appreciate Mellissa for her commitment and dedication. Melissa Gohs has been working as a volunteer for the Family Justice Center for well over a year. Melissa is the Child Care Coordinator on Thursday evenings and has assisted staff in numerous special projects. Melissa has done such an amazing job that she is now the person that all new volunteers shadow before volunteering on their own! Melissa’s warm disposition and positive attitude have made her an integral part of the Family Justice Center. We are so glad to know that she will continue to provide incredible service to Guests of the FJC. Thank you, Mellissa and Melissa for all that you do. YOU make the difference...Everyday!  The Family Justice Center Training Academy  Nuts and Bolts: The Basics of Domestic Violence Advocacy Training February 1-2, 2010 and March 1-2, 2010 8:30am to 5:00pm FJC ***12 CEU’s*** ***14.5 General CLE’s*** $20 Nuts and Bolts is a four part (FJC 101, 201, 301, 401), 2-day training offered to advocates, volunteers, interns, clergy, and other community based providers who work with victims of domestic violence. Topics include, dynamics of domestic violence, safety planning, lethality assessment, confidentiality, boundaries, working with diverse populations, dating violence, and effects of domestic violence on children and adolescents. Jewish Women International Presents: She's Got All Kinds of Trouble: Substance Abuse and Domestic Violence Webinar February 4 12 noon to 1pm EST  FJC Join Jewish Women International in a 60-minute live webinar presented by Patti Bland, M.A., CCDC, director of the Train the Trainer Project for the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault in Juneau. Patti is also an Associate for the Vera Institute of Justice in NY and serves as a consultant for the University of  Northern Iowa Graduate School of Social Work Integrated Services. She has published articles on chemical dependency and domestic violence and completed development of domestic violence curricula for the Washington State Medical Association and the Perinatal Partnership Against Domestic Violence. What you will learn: 1.     Prevalence of substance abuse in the context of violence against women 2.     Overview of multiple abuse issues as barriers to safety, autonomy and justice 3.     How perpetrators’ use substances as a mechanism of control 4.     How substance use effects cognition 5.     Screening IN not out: How to talk to people with substance use issues 6.     Safety issues when violence and substance use co-occur     The Child Welfare Domestic Violence Cross-System Training Series Presents: Child Protective Investigations February 10, 2010 from 1pm to 4pm Facilitator: Marion Tarallo - Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office FJC The class will provide basic information on how abuse reports are handled from the Florida Abuse Hotline through distribution to the field. Additionally, it will address the investigations process; types of reports investigated, maltreatments, and mandated reporting.  FJC Orientation for new On-Site Partners January 25th, 2010 from 9:00 am to 12:30pm FJC Basic operational procedures of the FJC, and vital safety policies and procedures, equipment, and scheduling procedures between agencies.    SAIN Presents: Children with  Sexual Acting Out Behaviors  February 9, 9 am - 11 am FJC ***2 CEU’s*** $5 SAIN is a collaboration of volunteer professionals working to reduce the incidence of child on child sexual abuse in our community through identifying, referring, supervising and treating children with sexual behavior problems. “Children with Sexual Acting Out Behaviors” is a two-hour, introductory course for professionals working with children.  This course enables participants to distinguish between healthy and problematic sexual behaviors in children.  Topics including characteristics of sexually abusive youth, definition of child sexual abuse, strategies for preventing further victimization and the legal process in Hillsborough County are also covered in this course. Please Register for All Trainings at http://www.fjchc.org/public/events.html     Community Meetings FJC Partner Council Meetings are held the last Wednesday of every month. The next meeting will be on February 24th, 2010 at 9 am at the Family Justice Center. Contact Shannon Sokolowski at: ssokolowski@fjchc.org with any questions. Sexual Abuse Intervention Network (SAIN) Meetings are held every third Wednesday of the month. The next meeting will be on February 17th, 2010 at 9 am at the Family Justice Center. Contact Renee Ristow at: rristow@fjchc.org with any questions. Sexual Violence Task Force Meetings are held the fourth Wednesday of each month at rotating partner agencies. The next meeting will be on February 24th, 2010 at noon at the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay. Contact Marilyn Bray at: mbray@crisiscenter.com with any questions. Men Stopping Violence Against Women February 10, 2010 from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM at the Children’s Home . Contact Marilyn Bray at: mbray@crisiscenter.com with any questions. Child Welfare/ Domestic Violence Policy Group March 9th, at 3:00pm at the Family Justice Center. Contact Nikki Daniels at: ndaniels@fjchc.org with any questions. Hillsborough County Domestic Violence Task Force Committee Meetings:  Domestic Violence Task Force March 11th, 2010 at 10:30a at the Crisis Center. Contact Nikki Daniels at ndaniels@fjchc.org for more information. Fatality Review Planning Committee ( Formerly Project L.A.U.R.A) TBA. Contact Roseanne Cupoli at: rocupoli@thespring.org or 813-247-5433 ext. 309 for more information. Public Policy Committee (working on DV and Child Welfare project). March 9th, 2010 at 3:00pm at the Family Justice Center. Contact Nikki Daniels at: ndaniels@fjchc.org or 813-490-9401. Community Education & Awareness Committee February 18th, 2010 at 9:00am at The Family Justice Center. Contact Donna Vento at: dmvento@thespring.org or 813-247-5433 ext. 315.  facebookRounded Rectangle: Volunteer Now! Rounded Rectangle: Donate Now! Rounded Rectangle: follow us on

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Text Box:  Support the Family Justice Center by purchasing a Kookaburra Charity Ticket Package Join us as TPC Tampa Bay hosts the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am April 12th—18th Phone (813) 265-4653 Fax (813) 265-4655 www.outbackproam.com Since its inception 22 years ago, this tournament has contributed over $8.4 million to Tampa Bay area charities. 100% of the money from all charity ticket packages sold will go directly to the charity that sold the package. The Kookaburra Charity Ticket Package Includes: Two (2) One Day Green-Hopper Party Passes (see description below) Four (4) Weekly Badges, tournament admittance entire week. Ten (10) One Day Passes, tournament admittance any one day. Two (2) preferred parking passes. One (1) weekday foursome of golf at TPC Tampa Bay. (Space available basis, May 3 – September 23. Monday – Thursday Cart fee approx $30 + tax) One (1) Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am lapel pin. Total Investment: $500 (Retail Value: $1,000) Click here to buy tickets and for more event information   THREE WOMEN’S LEADERS AMONG THOSE LOST IN HAITI For the last two weeks we’ve continue to hear of the incredible devastation that has occurred in Haiti. Many lives were lost, including three women who fought for the rights of Haitian women and children. These losses hit home, seeing the amazing work that these women were doing to stop family and domestic violence in Haiti. Myriam Merlet, Magalie Marcelin and Anne Marie Coriolan, founders of Haiti’s most effective advocacy organizations working on behalf of women and girls, died this month in the country’s devastating earthquake. Merlet was a founder of Enfofamn, an organization that raises awareness about women through media, collects stories and works to honor their contributions. V-Day founder and activist Eve Ensler dubbed Myriam Merlet a “Vagina Warrior” and told CNN that Merlet was “very bold” in insisting that Ensler bring “The Vagina Monologues” to Haiti. Merlet also helped establish safe houses for women in Port-au-Prince and Cap Haitien. Magalie Marcelin established Kay Fanm, an organization that deals with domestic violence, offering services and shelter to women, and making micro loans. Marcelin was a lawyer and actress. Anne Marie Coriolan was founder of Solidarite Fanm Ayisyen (Solidarity with Haitian Women, or SOFA), an advocacy and services organization. She was best known for her work as a political organizer who helped bring rape to the forefront of Haitian courts.