MCASA Newsletter : Frontline

90 days of great strides and tremendous success. This year’s legislative session has truly been a whirlwind of monumental progress as several pieces of legislation passed that will provide justice to survivors and hold offenders accountable in Maryland. In this quarter’s issue of Frontline, we reflect on this progress as Marylanders embraced their voices and advocated on behalf of survivors in our state. We kicked off this year’s session with a major victory as the Rape Survivor Family Protection Act passed within the first month of session and was signed into law as an emergency

It seems that everywhere we turn lately, people are talking about sexual assault.  That is very exciting, but it is not enough. Talk is cheap.  It is time to turn the national conversation about sexual harassment and assault with the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements into action and policy change. January marked the beginning of a new legislative session here in Maryland and we’re determined to make progress for sexual assault survivors. Over the course of the next 90 days, we will be working tirelessly in Annapolis to advocate for survivors and push for policies that help end

Harvey Weinstein… Kevin Spacey… Al Franken… Roy Moore… The list of powerful men accused of sexual violence seems to grow longer every day. Everyone is talking about sexual harassment and assault right now, but MCASA has been fighting for survivors for over 40 years, and we couldn’t do what we do without your help and support. It is truly an amazing moment in history that so many survivors feel comfortable coming forward and saying ‘Enough!’ We owe it to these brave survivors, and to every survivor, to seize this moment and

Students from kindergarten through college have returned to school throughout the state of Maryland. According to an Associated Press investigation, there were approximately 17,000 reports of sexual assaults by students in school between 2011 and 2015. Because sexual assault is widely underreported, there are likely many more incidents taking place in schools.  It is vitally important that we invest in prevention and response efforts in all schools, from kindergarten through higher education. Prevention strategies to help protect students come in many different forms. In this quarter’s Prevention Corner feature, we examine the many parallels between healthy sexuality and sexual violence

Progress.  Not in every way, but in many ways.  That’s what happened this legislative session in Maryland’s General Assembly.  MCASA’s advocacy helped pass bills that fundamentally change how Maryland responds to rape. Delegate Kathleen Dumais and Senator Delores Kelley sponsored the “No Means No” bill that modernizes Maryland’s sexual assault statutes and makes it clear that survivors never have to physically resist sexual assault.  This will mean that more sexual assault survivors will have access to the criminal justice system and that when someone says &ldquo

As we move into the New Year, a new legislative session begins in the state of Maryland.  Throughout this legislative session, MCASA will be in Annapolis standing up for sexual assault survivors and pushing for policies that will help end sexual violence in our state. During this legislative session, we will fight for bills that expand funding for rape crisis centers, enabling them to provide crucial services to survivors.  This is one of MCASA’s top priorities this legislative session in order to respond to the elevated need for services across the state of Maryland.  Another

Sexual assault is in headlines across the country. We have the chance to talk to more people about sexual assault, remind our communities about the importance of believing survivors who have the courage to come forward, and shine light on the crucial work of local programs. Our national discussion reminds us that it is crucial to include men and boys in our prevention efforts. In this issue’s Prevention Corner article, we discuss the importance of understanding what toxic masculinity looks like in our society and how it is important to address it in our work to prevent sexual

6 months. That’s the maximum time that convicted “Stanford Rapist” Brock Turner can expect to spend in jail after brutally raping an unconscious woman behind a dumpster. This is not what justice looks like. Turner’s lenient sentence has sparked national outrage. Beginning with the survivor’s courageous impact statement, the national dialogue surrounding this case has shown the steep price that survivors are forced to pay for rape apologism. We are reminded once again that our culture must change, that sexual assault survivors do not yet have access to justice, and that