News

By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
Friday, April 10, 2009

EDWARDSBURG - The intersection of poverty and sexual violence cannot be denied, Cass County Probate Judge Susan Dobrich said Thursday night at American Legion Post 365 as keynote speaker for the third annual Domestic and Sexual Abuse Services (DASAS) Take Back the Night march.

In Michigan, more than 1 million people "are in a terrible struggle with poverty," said Dobrich, an Edwardsburg graduate who lives in Dowagiac with her husband, Police Chief Tom Atkinson. "The staggering 46.2 percent of families with a female household, or no
husband present, and with related children under 5 years of age, are living below the poverty level. Research shows an undeniable, complex connection between sexual violence and poverty," she said. "In turn, poverty increases the risk of sexual violence. It can make women and children more dependent on others for survival and therefore less able to control sexual safety,
to consent to sex and to meaningfully address their own victimization." Persons with household incomes under $7,500 are twice as likely to be sexually assaulted.

Sexual violence also increases the risk of poverty by undermining employment and interrupting education. In the aftermath of sexual violence, Dobrich said, many victims struggle on the job due to trauma, persistent fear, physical complications, health concerns, court dates, depression and anxiety. Therefore, the risk of poverty and unemployment becomes even worse by increases use of alcohol and drugs.

"There is considerable evidence that without intervention, victims of sexual violence may self-medicate with alcohol and drugs to cope with the aftermath of sexual assault," she said. "For women, drug use in particular is correlated with economic deprivation, loss of child custody and long-term health and mental health risks." Dobrich said sexual violence is also a direct or indirect cause of teen
pregnancy and the economic vulnerability that results from it. Adolescents who are victimized prior to their first pregnancy are more likely to have intercourse early, have sexual partners who are older, have second or third pregnancies and experience repeated victimizations. In addition, there is a likelihood that these same adolescents will engage in high-risk behaviors, such as alcohol and drug abuse. "As a Family Court judge," she said, "the statistics are very important to understand. Parents perpetrating abuse and neglect most often are prior victims of sexual assault. Eighty percent of all the cases petitioned to court in this country, children are either abused or neglected and involve the use of alcohol and drugs. Sexual assault has to be a community
problem the community has to address."

It's important to understand that rape and sexual assault are violent crimes about control, the judge said. "They stem from aggression, rage, sexism and a desire to control ... many sexual assaults occur in our institutions, including workplaces and public and private schools. It is a crime that affects women, men and children. Most rapes are perpetrated by men against women, anyone can be a victim or perpetrator, regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, appearance, education, race, socio-economic
background or religion."

Sexual assault is known as the "silent crime" because few people want to share their shame with friends or family. "As a community, we should bring about change and create a new social norm ... to speak up and be heard, like victims who made those (Clothesline Project) shirts." Rape or sexual assault can stem from "women-hating," discrimination, economic status and class, educational background and relationships with significant others. "Unfortunately," Dobrich said, "the burden is often shifted to the victim. For instance, the reality of sexual assault is obscured by questions, often by a community."

What was she wearing?
Why was she there?
Why didn't she complain earlier?
How drunk was she?
What did she do to provoke him?

These types of questions elicited an international protest now called "Denim Day." Denim Day will be celebrated Wednesday, April 22. The protest responded to the Italian Supreme Court overruling a rape conviction in 1999.

An Italian woman was raped. When the case went to trial, the jury found the defendant guilty. The Italian high court then overturned the verdict, stating that jeans are so difficult to remove that the assailant could not have done so without
the victim's help. In honor of Denim Day, people are encouraged to wear jeans to work or school to promote awareness of the "improper burden of placing the blame upon the victim," Dobrich said.

Although there is clear evidence that sexual assault occurs in all social economic groups, it is also clear by a substantial body of research indicating the fragile relationship between poverty and sexual assault. "Unfortunately," Dobrich said, "those living in poverty are at higher risk for sexual assault. Conversely, sexual assault survivors are at higher
risk for struggling in poverty."

Although rape and other sexually-based crimes are among the most frequently committed offenses, because victims feel unable or too frightened to report, it remains one of the most under-reported crimes nationally. The judge painted this statistical picture of the national struggle against sexual violence:

One study estimates that in a 12-month period, 302,091 adult American women and 92,748 adult American men experience a completed or attempted rape.

One in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually assaulted by age 18.

Using the Michigan sexual assault definition that excludes contact assault, there were 5,347 victims reporting rape in 2006.
On average, only 31 percent of all rapes and sexual victimization are reported to police.

Seven in 10 rape and sexual assault victims know their attacker prior to the assault.

Of female Americans who are raped, 54 experienced their first rape before age 18.

Women with a childhood history of sexual abuse are 4.7 times more likely to be subsequently raped.

Chances that a woman will develop post-traumatic stress disorder after being raped are between 50 percent and 95 percent.
"She has the heart for this work," said Cathy Brown, Domestic and Sexual Abuse Services (DASAS) program manager. "If you go up to the State Capitol, everybody knows her. She's well known for her work with domestic violence and children. We're blessed to have her in Cass County."

April is Sexual Assault Month. Theme for Take Back the Night 2009 was "It Takes a Community to Stop Sexual Assault." Elender Sykes, Cass County personal protection order (PPO) advocate, DASAS, said Take Back the Night originated in New York City and California in 1978. "From the youngest ages," Sykes said, "women are told how to dress, how to walk, how to talk and how to act so that we do not 'invite' sexual violence. The reality is that not only does a woman invite an assault, the vast majority of sexual assaults are perpetrated by acquaintances - not strangers." Leigh Feldman, attorney/referee for Dobrich in Cass County Family Court, introduced her, saying, "Dobrich graduated from Kalamazoo College and earned her law degree from Cooley Law School in Lansing. She was a Cass County assistant prosecutor in 1983 when she became the first female prosecutor. She was a partner in City Attorney Mark Westrate's Dowagiac law firm from 1987 until 1994, specializing in family and municipal law. She was elected probate judge in 1995. "Working for her has been an opportunity to learn and grow," Feldman said, "to be a strong woman and learn the law. I really appreciate, Judge, everything you've done for me and taught me to be the person I am today." "I like the strong woman part," Dobrich said.