S1: It's time for Midday Edition on KPBS. Today we are sharing the stories of sexual assault survivors and talking with local organizations offering support. I'm Jade Hindman with conversations that keep you informed , inspired , and make you think. Some local research on intimate partner violence comes to a halt after federal cuts. I think research is a really powerful tool of making invisible things visible. Meanwhile , local organizations are working to let survivors of sexual assault know they are seen and not alone. That's ahead on midday Edition. The National Institutes of Health , which funds much of the medical research across the country , continues to make cuts. UC San Diego professor Rebecca Fielding Miller is one of many researchers impacted by these cuts. She studies infectious disease and gender based violence , and just last month , the NIH defunded one of her projects. The money would have been used to teach young researchers how to study intimate partner violence or IPV during pregnancy. She joins me now to talk about her research and what this could mean for similar studies going forward. Professor Fielding Miller , it's good to have you back on the show. Thanks.
S2: Thanks. It's good to be here.
S1:
S2: So when I say intimate partner violence , what I mean is a romantic partner who is physically or sexually or emotionally abusive. It could mean that they are controlling your finances so you can't move or be independent. It could mean they're physically harming you or badgering you constantly for sex that you don't want to have , so it's pretty all inclusive. Hmm.
S1: Hmm. Tell me more about the project and what you would have been training researchers on. Yeah.
S2: Yeah. So one thing that I think a lot of people don't realize is one of the leading causes of death for pregnant people , um , and people who have just given birth is actually not obstetric complications. It's not , um , preeclampsia or anything like that. It's it's being murdered by their partners. Um , and so we had , uh , developed a training program for , uh , early career clinicians and researchers who wanted to find ways to better measure and address this problem. Um , our plan was to recruit 12 early career researchers , pair them with a senior mentor and develop some really high quality and rigorous research to address the problem. Unfortunately , even though the NIH had said that that was something they wanted because it is chronically underfunded , um , under the current administration , that appears to no longer be a priority. And so our grant was terminated a couple weeks ago.
S1: And as you mentioned , this is an area of research that has been underfunded. Um , so at this point , do you know how many people even are impacted by IPV or intimate partner violence ? Yeah.
S2: So globally , about 1 in 3 women around the world will experience violence from a partner or sexual violence. Um , here in the United States , it's about the same , actually , on college campuses. Um , about 1 in 4 women will experience sexual violence during their time in college. And we know that about 3000 women a year are are murdered by their partners just in the United States. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Why is this specific field so understudied ? Yeah.
S2: You know , even before the current grant termination , violence has not historically been seen as a high priority , as a high priority public health problem. Um , in particular , uh , gender based violence , violence against women. And my hunch is that has a lot to do with sort of who makes up the academy , sort of the demographics of researchers broadly. So even before the current moment , um , I've had research applications returned saying that they are less significant because they include a focus on gendered violence. But I think it's really important when I say that to be clear that that's within the last couple of decades , in the past. So in the 1970s , for example , the NIH had a center on , um , sexual violence and rape prevention , and that was a result of social pressure and social movements , um , that that demanded that Congress and the NIH do consider this a high priority and they were responsive to that.
S1: I mean , and with those movements , you know , IPV also affects sexual and gender minorities differently. Tell me more about that. Yeah.
S2: Yeah. So , you know , it's not exactly a precise or transparent process , but I think one of the reasons that our grant was targeted is in sort of a background statement. We made the very true fact that violence is worse for people who are transgender , for people who are gender nonconforming , um , transgender women in particular are at incredibly high risk of partner violence. And what we think happened is we made that statement of fact in the grant and said that because we are taking a data driven approach , of course , we would strongly encourage and welcome research on that. And we think that's one of the reasons that our grant was targeted.
S1: So you think so that that being one of the reasons , you know , how do you feel about this list circulating of of banned words that that researchers are having to sort of navigate.
S2: Like I said this , there's already a sort of implicit bias that this issue that affects thousands and thousands of women is not actually an important public health problem. Um , and I think it's going to scare some people off of doing this kind of research , and there's just going to be less of it. And then , you know , the really big picture , I , I worry a lot about what it means that our government is trying to censor certain topics and certain language. I worry about the implications of that for our country broadly , not just the scientific research enterprise. Right.
S1: Right. And so for listeners who don't know , you know , we're talking about words like gender and equity and health disparity. Words that are women. Oh , yes. Women. I mean , you know , words , basic words that would be necessary to research a number of things. And that's something that you all are having to navigate. How have researchers in the reproductive health field been been hit with similar cuts ? Yeah.
S2: You know , it's it's hard to know exactly because it hasn't been , like I said , a really transparent field , um , a really transparent process. But we have seen differentially people who do research on issues around gender , around , um , around sex hormones , around , um , public health issues that differentially affect people who are sexual and gender minorities , like HIV and STIs. We have seen that these have basically just been gutted in the last few weeks in a way that is really scary and concerning. Mhm.
S1: Mhm. I want to segue into policy now.
S2: A lot of us who do work on violence also sort of do research on HIV or mental health or adverse childhood effects. Um , because it's hard to study violence as an issue in and of itself. So we're always kind of tacking on to something else. Um , and I think what's happening now is when there is a systematic defunding of research that focuses on women's health issues , that focuses on gender minority issues , that focuses on racial and ethnic health disparities. The people who do that work tend to be women , tend to be sexual and gender minorities tend to be racial , and ethnic minorities tend to be all three at once. And so the real long term effect is they are systematically removing from the pool of researchers , people who are from these communities. And the impact is going to be an academic research enterprise that is more male , more white , more cisgendered , um , more able to rely on family wealth. Um , and that's going to have impacts on what we think is important to study , um , including violence for generations.
S1:
S2: Um , I think that we as a field should also have an end goal. And I think that people who are paying attention should really be thinking about what comes next. There will be a rebuilding phase , I hope. Um , things that are being dismantled will start getting put back together. And my end goal is that we recognize that the things that were dismantled first are probably largely being dismantled because they're vital to a functional democracy. And so , to me , it's incredibly important to think about pouring funds and resources into these topics that have been historically under-resourced and under-researched because they are clearly so important. And so I don't want to call this an opportunity because it's devastating and I wish it wasn't happening. But I think it's really important to look to the rebuilding phase and think about how we can make sure that things that are clearly this important are supported in that way. Moving forward.
S1: I've been speaking with Rebecca Fielding Miller , associate professor of public health at UCSD. Thank you so much for joining us. Yeah.
S2: Yeah. Thank you.
S1: Coming up , we speak with San Diego organizations that support survivors of sexual violence.
S3: When somebody is sexually violated. It is not just that one person's problem , it is the problem of the whole community.
S1: Hear more and what it means to prevent violence in our communities when KPBS Midday Edition returns. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman. April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month , and that provides an opportunity to shine a light on how sexual violence impacts different communities here in San Diego. And to honor the stories of survivors. Midday edition producer Andrew Bracken sat down with local groups that support survivors of sexual violence. That includes Jessica Valencia , a training and education specialist at UC San Diego's Sexual Assault Resource Center on campus , and valet Magana , a school based coordinator , along with Andrea McCullough , an advocate for sexual assault services and a justice specialist. They both work at the center for Community Solutions , or CSS. And before we start a warning to our listeners that this conversation may include references to sexual violence and abuse. Here's that conversation. Andrea.
S4: Andrea. People's understanding of sexual assault can vary quite a bit , so I'm wondering if you can break down.
S5: So sexual assault happens when someone either touches another person in a sexual matter without consent , or makes another person touch them in a sexual manner without consent. Um , it can include any unwanted touching , any unwanted kissing of someone's genitals , breasts or bottom.
S4: Jessica , we , you know , obviously conversations around sexual assault , we've seen them change over the years. You know. How would you.
S6: I think really most often we're really looking at the violation of a boundary , especially when we're thinking of bodily autonomy and the explicit touching or demonstration of private parts. Um , it could also be , you know , the distribution of explicit photos. Um , and then beyond that , what I always mention is , depending on what definition you're looking at , the different things may be covered. So I always want to highlight that there are many definitions out there. Depending on what purpose that definition serves , it's going to be a little bit differently. This can be different from a prevention education standpoint. And you know , service provision standpoint , right. At our organizations it can differ from what , you know , California legal law might indicate. It might be different than what university policies may cover.
S4: And you work with a lot of school aged kids. How are you explaining sexual assault and what that can look like to young people today. Yeah.
S3: Yeah. Well , definitely I mention or I define sexual assault in the same way that Andrea and Jessica define it. Um , but when I talk with the youth , something that we try to emphasize is the role of technology and the role of AI as that's becoming more popular and mainstream. So something that we highlight in our existing curriculum is actually tech facilitated sexual abuse. And we try to bring awareness around the dangers of undressing apps , where it allows users to select clothes , um , from a photograph. And within seconds I will generate a hyperrealistic and sexually explicit nude image. I say that because I want youth to know that sexual assault is physical , but it can also happen digitally. Italy.
S4: Italy. So , you know , all of you are involved in this critical work to support survivors , all ages , all walks of life.
S5: And I think that just , you know , really shows how much outreach we need to , you know , do further. Right. Because how is it that , you know , I am a woman of age , right. And I had no idea that any of these services were available to me. And this can happen to anybody at any given moment. Right. So this is valuable , valuable information to know that this is services. Here locally in San Diego.
S4: So sexual assault , you know , obviously affects all communities , all all types of people. But there are certain groups that are disproportionately affected in certain communities more than others , right ? Jessica , can you talk more about that ? Absolutely.
S6: Um , one thing that I always make sure I clarify when we're talking about sexual violence is that it does not exist in a vacuum , and that it is impacted and so interconnected to other forms of oppression , which can be why we see disproportionate impacts to different folks with different identities. And so one thing that I know that we think about and are mindful of , especially , you know , in San Diego , is just how do we support folks who may be immigrant or refugee communities , and how do we ensure that we are talking about accessing services in a way that makes sense ? And some of those barriers , right , may look like and sound like not speaking the languages that they speak , being aware that they may be a part of a small , close knit community , not knowing what access to legal protections or support they're eligible for. And so we always want to be aware of how can we work with folks and be prepared to work with people who are impacted and have different identities ? I know we're also really mindful of , you know , ensuring that we're talking about our services that are inclusive and encompassing of all people. So part of our work , too , is making sure that those folks are represented in our work. And so something that we do too is , you know , being aware of how LGBTQIA+ folks may be impacted and working to put on programming and trainings at specific to their needs , and that we are training our staff as well to ensure that they are able to provide trauma informed care in a way that is validating to them , and that we are not making any assumptions about their experiences or about their identities and really being mindful of that. Of course , there are many , many communities that we can chat about. I'm sure Andrea and Val can chime in about some others that I didn't include , but there are ways that we need to be mindful of how there are additional support systems or resources we might need to connect with to ensure that we're providing the best possible care.
S4: You know , I think over the past decade or so , conversations around sexual assault have changed quite a bit. But there does seem to be an enduring stigma around sexual assault , even with these , you know , these kind of shifts in culture.
S6: And so I think there is still continued conversations around blame and shame for survivors of sexual violence , um , even when there may be a lot of evidence , um , folks are questioned and doubted and not taken seriously. I think there are ways in which , you know , the rise of the MeToo movement , um , in 20 tens and a lot of activism that has come out from that really helped to push this conversation into a more a broader conversation to enrich more people , I think , than ever before. However , I think there has not been enough changes to how we're talking about sexual violence and the normalization of , um , harm and jokes and stereotyping and just the sexism and misogyny that folks are experiencing on a regular basis. And so I think one thing that , um , I have reflected on and chatted with some of my colleagues is how there continue to be gaps in communication skills and navigating conflict and understanding consent. There's this lack of understanding of how the history of this country and the way that systems of oppressions all work together , really create conditions that people have to navigate and experience harm and violence as a result of. And there's a lack of understanding of how that directly impacts how someone may cross a boundary or , you know , great harm or violence towards another person. And so I think we still continue to hear conversations around that person is lying there making it up , or you know , that person deserved it or XYZ thing led them to , you know , be in that situation. And so there's continued conversations around victim blaming and the normalization of violence to specific groups and being , okay , that that's what's happening to specific folks with different identities.
S3: Actually , I would like to add to that question , if that's okay. Oh , please. Okay. Thank you. I think when we think about the changing landscape in larger conversations about sexual assaults , especially in the recent years , we can think the rise of the MeToo movement. Um , for helping. I think sexual assault service providers and beyond. Recognize the growing emphasis on intersectionality and the way that intersectional identities play a role in servicing , uh , victims and survivors of sexual and dating violence. And also , I think there's been a larger recognition of toxic masculinity and the manosphere as that continues to grow and really shape young boys into hurtful people. And in these larger conversations around sexual assault , I think it has helped bring more recognition to the dangers of tech facilitated sexual abuse , such as like deepfakes or non-consensual image sharing that , unfortunately , the manosphere sphere helps to perpetuate.
S4: So , you know , a huge focus of this being Sexual Assault Awareness Month. You know , it's building community resilience.
S6: I think really being mindful of the experiences of survivors and how much they're navigating and how much resilience they're building and processing that experience , and also the experiences of service providers and working really closely with folks who have been impacted and the care that they have to put into themselves , into their relationships with their clients to really ensure that there are opportunities for healing and for growth and for support. Um , this theme really He tries to normalize that. Our life is very chaotic , especially in this moment in time , that there are a lot of challenges that we're navigating and a lot of needs that we are having to meet as individuals. And so how do we really think about and consider how we can integrate activities , relationships and care into those really hectic and chaotic lives ? How do we really make space to really try to find opportunities of joy , opportunities for creativity , opportunities for healing , opportunities for rest , opportunities for napping ? You know , I'm really thinking about what it means to cultivate resilience , not just as an individual , but on a community wide level. And I think a lot of that is having these conversations. It's talking about skill building and also being really intentional about how we structure or unstructured time to really integrate play into our day to day lives.
S4: Andrea , I'm sure you know the work you all do. You know , it's not easy. It's difficult work.
S5: I think my clients give me a lot of hope. They are all so , so smart and so strong and resilient in their own ways. And they give me a lot of hope. Honestly , they're just a part of my job is going and accompanying them to detective interviews or accompanying them to corps , or accompanying them in the Da meetings , and or to participate in a pretext phone call , which is to call the suspect and try to get a confession. All of that is extremely , extremely , extremely difficult , right ? And they really , really make me step back and , you know , leave myself in awe of the the strength that they have , the strength that they hold within themselves. Because it's not it's not not easy at all. But they really do give me hope.
S4: And well , it's kind of same question for you.
S3: So I think a lot about restorative and transformative justice processes and how we can apply them in a situations where sexual harm has occurred. Like Jessica was saying earlier , sometimes the crossing of a boundary , um , results in sexually violating another person. And I think when there are those Standings. That's where restorative and transformative justice approaches can come into play and be really useful , because these approaches are community based , and they are designed to help address the root harms of the violence. And when communities can really turn together and come out of another situation stronger , you really see them enhance their own community resiliency through this promotion of healing , accountability and transparent dialogue after a harm or conflict has occurred. And that's really important because when somebody is sexually violated , it is not just that one person's problem , it is the problem of the whole community. Um , so when folks can come together by focusing on repairing those relationships and addressing those root causes of harm , then it helps build and foster the sense of shared responsibility and social cohesion that can be really effective in creating a supportive and violence free environment.
S4:
S5: This can happen to a friend. A friend of a friend. Right. And so just holding space for empathy and for some compassion goes a long way. I think giving someone the space to talk , having you listen without any interruptions and letting them , just letting them know that you're there for them. Right. I think that just goes a long way. It really does. I tell the recruits that we do sexual assault services with is that , you know , you are there in probably the most horrifying moments of their life , right ? This is the most one of the most difficult moments of their life. What you can do is just be kind. That's just what you can do. You just be kind. That goes such a such a long way.
S4: And being open , right.
S5: Being open for that conversation , that it could be a very hard conversation and it could be something that it could be an uncomfortable a conversation to have with someone. Right. And just navigate in a way that is , you know , open and and not closed off and safe , a safe space for someone to disclose.
S4: Jessica , same question to you. I mean , what do you think people can do better to support survivors ? Absolutely.
S6: I always start with believing them. Um , it may sound very simple and basic. Straightforward. And unfortunately , that disproportionate amount of survivors who disclose to someone and they're not taken seriously or believed is way too high , and so simply believing them and repeating that to them , saying thank you for trusting me , I believe you can really go a long way. Um , and then definitely , along with what um , Andrea was saying about offering an empathetic response , like me being sure that you can hold space for that conversation and be empathetic to it. Um , I know some of us , um , might want to know details and be curious and ask questions because we're curious and want to learn more. Um , but being really mindful of how we ask those questions so that we're not , you know , asking questions that may make that person feel any blame or shame that we , you know , let them know that we want to better understand how we can support them , and we want to ensure that we , you know , know whatever might be helpful for us to connect them to resources. And that's the last piece I always tell people , you know , ask them , ask the person , what is it that I can do to support you ? You know , would you like to be connected to resources ? What can I do in this moment ? And if they don't have answers , that's okay. Just letting them know , you know , we can sit in this space together. And when and if you're ready for support and help. I'm happy to do that. But just being really open about what they might say. Being aware that they may not respond in a way that you think a survivor will respond , um , that they might , you know , experience many emotions. They might laugh , they might cry , they might be angry , they might say hurtful things because they are processing something that's been very difficult. So being mindful that people's responses are going to vary is really important.
S4: And same question to you.
S3: I try to get them to engage in education and advocate for a consent culture on their campuses , um , because that is ultimately there for them and their own safety. But then , of course , I'm having a consent. Culture is much more than consent. It's also about creating a culture that values empathy , respect , accountability for when mistakes are made. And , um , when young people can recognize their harmful behaviors and address them and genuinely find a way to repair that harm with the person that they've heard. Um , it provides a really powerful opportunity for that campus climate to shift into one where now we can help promote a collective responsibility. And that cultural shift , like again , also helps encourage open dialogue and then normalising conversations about consent , violence and healing.
S4: I've been speaking with Jessica Valencia from care at Sarc on the campus of UC San Diego , along with Val Magana and Andrea McCullough from the center for Community Solutions. I just want to thank you all again for the work you're doing and for helping bring to light this issue. We really appreciate your time today.
S3: Of course. Thanks for having us.
S5: Thank you so much. Thanks.
S6: Thanks.
S1: That's our show for today. I'm your host , Jade Hindman. Thanks for tuning in to Midday Edition. Be sure to have a great day on purpose , everyone.
