By Lisa Turngren, President, Frank and Ruth E. Caruso Foundation
As philanthropists, we are many times faced with finding ways to fill a funding gap with our grant dollars. What we may oftentimes overlook is that beyond the gap lies a chasm—a deeper underlying societal issue that affects each and every one of us. Certainly during these tough economic times we are seeing numerous instances where state and federal funding is being partially or completely cut, thus widening the already existing gaps.
Violence against women and girls continues unabated in every continent, country, and culture. It takes a devastating toll on women’s lives, on their families, and on society as a whole. Most societies prohibit such violence—yet the reality is that too often, it is covered up or tacitly condoned.
One such gap that has come to my attention results from the New York City Council’s elimination of funding for sexual assault services. This cut affects several providers: the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault ($275,000) and rape crisis centers in the Bronx (Kingsbridge Heights Community Center, $52,500); in Queens (Mount Sinai Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Program, $52,500); and in Manhattan (St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Crime Victims Treatment Center, $52,500). This represents a mere .001 percent of the total council budget but 33 percent of the Alliance’s operating budget, and it will affect numerous programs the city needs even more given the rise in hate crimes, sexual assault, and rape. Sexual Violence services, addressing both intervention and prevention, have historically operated in a funding hollow despite the fact that nearly every day we read an article in the newspaper that has some mention, if not a headline, concerning Sexual Violence. The lost funding dollar amount of $432,500 seems almost minor, and it’s plausible that the philanthropic community will fill it.
Every two minutes, somewhere in America, someone is sexually assaulted.
But addressing this issue from the stance of patching it over, we all know, does not address the real problem. What comes to mind is dental work (another unpleasant subject). If we are faced with a cavity, a dentist will not merely fill the gap with amalgam. Rather the tooth will be excavated in an attempt to remove all decay, which if left untreated for a long period of time may reach far down into the root. When this happens, we undergo a root canal, and the tooth is then posted for strength and capped for protection. From experience, we know it does not end here. The tooth is still vulnerable to further decay and so prophylactics, i.e., preventatives must be put in place in order to keep that tooth and others healthy.
Globally, at least one in three women and girls is beaten or sexually abused in her lifetime.
Like tooth decay, Sexual Violence is a universal issue that affects all people regardless of class, race, ethnicity, age, or gender. It does not exist on a single point but rather on a spectrum and “encompasses a continuum of acts ranging from unworthy sexual comments or advances to completed rape.” Violence against women and girls is a problem of pandemic proportions. It is perhaps the most pervasive human-rights violation that we know today; it devastates lives, fractures communities, and stalls development. Although women and girls account for the overwhelming majority of victims, about 3 percent of American men—or 1 in 33—have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime. Children under age 12 account for 15 percent of sexual assault and rape victims. Sexual assault victims (many may prefer to be called survivors) are 3 times more likely to suffer from depression, 6 times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol, 26 times more likely to abuse drugs, and 4 times more likely to contemplate suicide.
About half of all rape victims are in the lowest third of income distribution; half are in the upper two thirds.
Furthermore, Sexual Violence is often an underlying issue in areas that are more commonly funded, such as Mental Health, Domestic Violence, Child Abuse, Substance Abuse, HIV/AIDS, Criminal Justice, and Suicide Prevention. This list should also include areas with wide gaps in funding, such as Sex Trafficking, Homeless Youth, and LGBTQ Domestic and Hate Crimes. Although sexual assault may be acknowledged in these funding areas, there is oftentimes a lack of grant monies to fully address the issue.
If the world were to open its mouth, we would see that it’s losing its teeth. Now is the time for us, as change makers, to go down into the roots, remove decay, build restoratives, and put prevention into place. None of which can be done until we open our eyes wide enough to look into this deep dark chasm.
If you were unable to see the small type between the paragraphs, please, look again:
Violence against women and girls continues unabated in every continent, country, and culture. It takes a devastating toll on women’s lives, on their families, and on society as a whole. Most societies prohibit such violence—yet the reality is that too often, it is covered up or tacitly condoned.
Every two minutes, somewhere in America, someone is sexually assaulted.
Globally, at least one in three women and girls is beaten or sexually abused in her lifetime.
About half of all rape victims are in the lowest third of income distribution; half are in the upper two thirds.
Get involved with Sexual Violence prevention and treatment today—visit the NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault at http://www.svfreenyc.org/getinvolved_crisis.html to join a letter writing campaign, call the NYC Council, make a donation, and read press on the Council’s budget cuts.
The quotation, statistics, and facts in this piece were compiled from the NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault; the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN); the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM); and feminist.com.
Lisa Turngren (laturngren at netscape dot net) is President of the Frank and Ruth E. Caruso Foundation, a small family foundation whose grants fall under the umbrella of mental health. More specifically, the Caruso Foundation has taken an interest in funding organizations working to prevent and treat sexual violence as well as those that integrate creative and art therapies in their work with vulnerable populations. Before becoming a philanthropist, Ms. Turngren received an MSW from Fordham University and continues to practice as a psychotherapist and Licensed Clinical Social Worker in a Brooklyn clinic that serves low-income families. Ms. Turngren specializes in children and adolescents, which gives her greater opportunity to work with clients non-verbally by utilizing play and art therapies. Through her years of practice she has found these methods to be effective in treating many issues, and oftentimes most helpful in treating trauma due to sexual abuse. Having experience in direct service gives Ms. Turngren a unique perspective from which to understand the complexities that service providers and nonprofits contend with in addition to their financial challenges. Ms. Turngren’s interest in creative and art therapies stems from being a practicing artist—she holds a BFA in Painting from the Tyler School of Art. Although Ms. Turngren has branched out into many areas with her life and work, she remains deeply rooted in the creative processes that led her to art school and continues to produce works of art in many mediums. In pursuing all three disciplines (philanthropy, psychotherapy, and art), it became clear to her that these interests could not only co-exist but could be interwoven and strengthened by one another to effectively improve the lives of others, while allowing her to maintain a cohesive, satisfying, and well-rounded sense of self. This past April, the Caruso Foundation was the lead sponsor of what Ms. Turngren envisions as the first in a series of members briefings at Philanthropy New York. The briefing, which focused on sexual violence prevention, featured speakers from the New York City Anti-Violence Project, the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault, and RightRides for Women’s Safety.