By Okon Ekpenyong

Survivorship takes a toll on an individual’s mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health, especially when you are a survivor of a sexual assault or rape.
Victims and advocates joined hands on May 8 and 9, 2023 in Columbus, Ohio, for a two-day Conference on Victim Assistance hosted by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.

Donte Woods-Spikes, a Columbus artist, author, speaker, and community activist, often shares positive messages of hope that resonate with anyone who has experienced pain, no matter the reason.

Donte’s words of affirmation are so vital when describing this year’s conference and all of the workshops out there addressing much-needed advocacy in order not only to empower survivors to rebuild their lives but also to bring to light an issue that does have a long-term impact on everyone who has ever experienced a painful experience as a child or as an adult.

“To anyone that still has love in their heart after being mistreated, I empathize with you, and to anyone fighting to keep their family happy and safe, I empathize with you,” said Donte.

“Also, when things are taken from you, you find out how much love is in your heart; with the amount of anger and hurt you feel, you still find love.”

The Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services (ETTS), an organization that assists new arrivals from over 50 countries with establishing residency in Central Ohio, is among several organizations that attended the 31st annual Two Days in May Conference on Victim Assistance, taking place May 8-9, 2023, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

The two-day event, which included over 1500 people from across the state, including the Ohio Attorney General’s office, Court Appointed Special Advocates, and others, began in 1991.

Keynote Speakers

This year’s keynote speakers used positive psychology to promote service to others, promote healthy choices, educate young men to respect their partners, speak up when they witness violence against their peers or any discrimination based on religion, etc. 

One of the featured speakers was Tony Porter, an author, educator, and CEO of A Call to Men, known for promoting healthy, productive moods and preventing violence against women. In policy consultation, player engagement, violence prevention, and healthy masculinity, he has also provided consulting services to professional sports leagues, such as the National Football League and the National Basketball Association. The work is vital because too many professional athletes get wrongfully accused of sexual assault. However, some who found themselves on the wrong side of the law have become activists combating such practices.

A survivor of domestic violence herself, Ruth Bowdish speaks to over 1500 attendees about her experiences and work as a chemical dependency counselor and life coach.

ETSS

Amy Harcar, the program manager for several ETSS programs, and three other employees represented the organization at the event. This conference provides a wealth of resources to help the organization continue assisting victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, especially in the immigrants and refugee community.

For more than twenty years, ETSS has helped thousands of new arrivals adapt and navigate resources to function in a high-demand society in Central Ohio. ETSS had the opportunity of sharing some of the experiences of assisting the refugee and immigrant residents who are survivors on the second day of the conference on May 9.

“As part of our collaborative advocacy with legal services and other organizations, we get to share the stories of survivors we work with,” Amy Harcar said. Three other employees joined Harcar and will learn about additional opportunities and programs to help ETSS improve its services.

The ETSS team and other agencies attending the conference also help them to gain information, work with the legal team, and understand the client’s needs. Such information is vital to help the client understand expectations versus reality during this process.

Office of Attorney General

On May 8, current attorney Dave Yost helped kick off the 31st two-day conference on victim assistance at the Columbus Convention by recognizing individuals doing exceptional work to combat, address, and provide up-to-date resources to assist victims and those advocating against the epidemic. This initiative aims to ensure that victims and witnesses of federal crimes receive assistance and protection, in addition to knowing their rights through the legal process.

Several other Attorney General’s offices across the country hold similar conferences, which are part of the National Organization for Victim Assistance, which provides crisis response, training, advocacy, and credentialing to advocacy professionals and survivors.

Awards

New Leaf Justice won the Promising Practice Award; Brenda Glass, founder and executive director of the Brenda Glass Multipurpose Trauma Recovery Center won the Special Courage Award; David L Yoth, former executive director of Crime Victim, won the Robert Denton Special Achievement Award.

Ohio Lawmakers

“In the course of their lives, one in every 13 boys experiences child sexual abuse, and one in five women experiences rape before the age of eighteen,” Ohio Step Rep Jessica Miranda said during the Ohio HJR One bill hearing.

Sixty percent of Ohio’s Republican voters approve, and lawmakers propose to make it harder to amend Ohio’s Constitution on the upcoming August special election ballot. Democrats, such as State Rep Jessica Miranda, oppose this bill, especially since the party still fights to protect reproductive rights and abortion access in Ohio.

Due to Roe v. Wade’s Supreme Court, abortion is now ban in most states and, of course, on the federal level. Such a discussion is necessary since it may affect sexual assault or rape victims who get pregnant.

In March of 2023, State Representative Michele Grim, a Democrat from Toledo, introduced House Bill 143, Ohio Safe Homes Act, hoping to strengthen protections for Domestic Violence survivors. The bill is awaiting a hearing before the Criminal Justice Committee as of 4/18/2023, and if it passes, survivors can terminate their lease early.

Healthcare Systems

By putting together this type of conference and partnering with so many agencies across the state, the office of the Attorney General says it will empower survivors to rebuild their lives and combat this century-old epidemic. Health institutions, like Ohio Health and Mount Carmel East, also do their part by working with the office of the Attorney General to advocate for victims and survivors.

Workshops/Sessions

The two conferences will include thirty-five workshops on trauma response, advocacy, male survivors of sexual assault, Marsy’s Law, credentialing, and wellness tips. 

In one of the sessions, survivors received vital information on how to avoid scammers who use tragic stories to get victims to send money.

Day Two

Day two included a session about Isam in America: Shattering the Myths and Misconceptions in Advocacy, focusing on the Middle Eastern culture, whose population is growing in Central Ohio. Resources did include information on the Muslim religion, Middle Eastern culture, interviewing, and interrogation techniques, effective advocacy, recruitment, negotiating with challenging personalities, and implicit and explicit bias.

More than sixteen agencies are sponsoring this year’s event, including the Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center, Ohio Department of Health, Parents of Murdered Children, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Legal Ramification

Don Roberts, who has his own Law practice, attends the conference regularly and has worked with both the defendant and the accused in court. Roberts stated that during his time with Legal Aide, some immigrants, and refugee victims did not know what they were asking for or realized what was inappropriate here and what was acceptable back home when it came to these types of cases.

Approximately 90% of New Americans use Legal Aides, which provides free legal advice. Attorney Roberts shares that learning about a client’s cultural background helped tackle such cases.

“There are some cases that I work on that Legal Aid could not assist with because such a high-profile case requires funding to proceed. Legal ramifications of big cases that small agencies may not handle include protection orders and connecting civil and criminal courts to bring the case to trial,” which are sometimes handled by a small law firm or private practice.

The court proceedings can take years when you are a victim, but thanks to this type of conference, all the agencies here, and all the resources shared today, advocates and survivors can find a safe path to help themselves and their colleagues in the future.

Support the New Americans magazine to continue to serve our community with precise news that affect the new American, immigrant and refugee community. https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8LHFS78NRNJJY&source=url