Comments Off on Emerging Data on Preventing Gender-Based Violence Event
Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and Southwest PA Says NO MORE present Making Research Relevant: Researchers & Practitioners Dialogue About Emerging Data on Gender-Based Violence. The field of prevention is continuing to evolve. Practitioners are in the field every day, working to shift attitudes and behaviors to prevent the perpetration of abuse and to increase bystander intervention, but are often navigating by instinct and anecdotal feedback. In southwest PA, we are fortunate that Children’s Hospital of UPMC is conducting multiple research studies related to the prevention of sexual harassment, assault and relationship abuse. The CHP Adolescent Medicine research team will present preliminary, unpublished findings from ongoing studies and …
Comments Off on What do men in SWPA think about #MeToo?
The #MeToo movement has exposed the scope and scale of harassment and abuse in the lives of women. We wanted to know what men think about this, a year into the #MeToo movement. So, we asked them. The public poll was conducted Sept. 24 – 29 by Change Research, a public benefit corporation. More than 1,300 men, 671 in a 10-county area of Southwestern Pennsylvania and 633 nationally, were interviewed. Here’s a look at some of the findings: 81% of men in southwest PA say it’s important to believe women who speak publicly about their experience with harassment and abuse. 77% believe that “expectations for men’s behavior towards women have changed.” 38% of …
Comments Off on Aaron Smetanka – Greensburg Central Catholic
Head football coach, Aaron Smetanka, at Greensburg Central Catholic High School has been working on and off the field to teach the boys on his team about respect. Coaching Boys Into Men allowed his players to recognize when aggression crosses the line and also discuss how to be respectful toward women on social media. According to Aaron, “I think this opportunity is all about molding them and building them up for the future, and the time to do it is now.” Many of the boys are talking about what they’ve learned not just when they’re in the room together, but in the days and weeks …
Comments Off on Zachary Benedek – Elizabeth Forward
Zach is a rising senior at Elizabeth Forward High School, and he’s the starting quarterback for the school’s football team. He’s also a participant of Coaching Boys Into Men, an evidence-based program designed to empower athletes as leaders in school culture to model healthy, respectful behaviors for their peers. CBIM provides coaches with helpful tools to discuss critical topics with their players such as respectful relationships, communications, boundaries and more. The program recognizes that coaches are uniquely positioned to teach life lessons that their student athletes carry into adulthood. “This has had a huge impact on my life and the lives of my teammates,” Zach …
“It’s not easy to talk about violence against women. But our kids need more guidance than simply being told that we don’t want to see them in the paper for the wrong reasons. Kids understand the importance of these messages, and, in this day and age, they can’t hear them enough.” Mike Collodi, head coach of the Elizabeth Forward Warriors, is proud of his football team’s performance on and off the field. With many competing priorities, he says, “Sometimes coaches can be pressed for time and lose sight of what’s important with these kids. It’s about more than the X’s and O’s.” Mike’s playbook includes …
Comments Off on Oakland Says NO MORE at Pitt’s Arrival Survival Event
OBID and PAAR proudly welcomed the Class of 2022 in this year’s Arrival Survival at the University of Pittsburgh, where they talked to hundreds of incoming students about the importance of healthy relationships and communication. This important knowledge was spread in creative and inviting ways using trivia games and information cards, giving a more lasting impact on the students as they enter their freshman year with Pitt.
Comments Off on Coaching Boys Into Men Summit held at Steelers Training Camp
Over 70 area high school coaches, athletic directors, school administrators and students gathered for the 2nd annual Coaching Boys Into Men Summit at Steelers Training Camp on Wednesday, August 1. The event was hosted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, United Way of Southwestern PA and FISA Foundation. Coaching Boys Into Men (CBIM) is an evidence-based program that gives high school coaches the tools to talk to their athletes about building safe, healthy relationships. Through interactive training sessions, CBIM engages athletes to model respectful behaviors for their peers. Local implementing coaches and athletes provided testimonials about how they have used CBIM to make a difference. “We should …
Comments Off on 2nd Annual CBIM Summit at Pittsburgh Steelers Training Camp
Coaches, athletic directors, superintendents and area high school students will gather for the 2nd annual Coaching Boys Into Men Summit at Steelers Training Camp on August 1. The event is hosted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, United Way of Southwestern PA and FISA Foundation. Coaching Boys Into Men (CBIM) is an evidence-based program that gives high school coaches the tools to talk to their athletes about building safe, healthy relationships. Through interactive training sessions, CBIM engages athletes to model respectful behaviors for their peers. Local coaches and athletes will talk about how they have used CBIM to make a difference. In 2017, more than 250 coaches …
Comments Off on Fourth Annual Father’s Day Pledge Event Recap
Southwest PA Says No More hosted its fourth annual Father’s Day Pledge Public Signing Ceremony to end gender violence at the U.S. Steel Tower plaza. Prominent business, civic and community leaders and public officials demonstrated their united commitment to prevent domestic violence and sexual assault at the pledge signing event, an inspiring call to action for our region. During the rally, the leaders recited and signed The Father’s Day Pledge before a crowd of hundreds. Groups of employees from several companies, including Koppers and Ernst & Young LLP and UPMC, participated in the ceremony. “The Father’s Day Pledge is an opportunity to renew our commitment, to …
Comments Off on Pittsburgh Says “No More” to Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
Fourth Annual Public Signing Ceremony will take place at U.S. Steel Tower Plaza on June 14 Thursday, June 14, prominent business, civic and community leaders and public officials will lend their voices to the prevention of domestic violence and sexual assault at the fourth annual pledge signing ceremony in downtown Pittsburgh. During the rally, these leaders will recite and sign a pledge to end gender violence at U.S. Steel Tower plaza, a new location for the annual observance. Groups of employees from several companies, including UPMC, Koppers and Ernst & Young, will also participate in the ceremony. The public event is hosted by Southwest PA …
FISA Foundation introduced a new video campaign, NO MORE K-12, featuring local high school students on Tuesday, May 8. The series debuted at Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR), located in the south side of Pittsburgh, with partners, advocates and students in attendance. The four-part video series amplifies the voices of girls, describing serious and pervasive sexual harassment they witness at school. The series was filmed and produced by award-winning artist Njaimeh Njie, photographer, filmmaker and multimedia producer. During the briefing, the girls featured in the videos spoke about how important the issue of sexual harassment in schools is and described what they were asked during …
Comments Off on Louder Together: NO MORE Week 2018
NO MORE Week (March 4-10th) is a time for folks around the world to come together to show their commitment to ending domestic violence and sexual assault. This year’s theme was “Louder together.” Here’s how our region turned up the volume: March 6: More than 150 convened at Rodef Shalom for Men and Women Working Together: Confronting Sexual Harassment and Promoting Respect, a workshop led by national expert Dr. Jackson Katz. Dr. Katz is an internationally recognized educator, author, filmmaker and activist and a founding architect of the bystander approach to prevention. This session focused on ending sexual harassment and promoting respect in the workplace …
Comments Off on Coaching Boys Into Men Yearbook: 2017
Coaching Boys into Men (CBIM) is an evidence-based program that provides high school athletic coaches with the tools they need to address critical topics with their players: respectful relationships with dating partners, consent and what to do if a player witnesses harassment or sexual assault. This year alone, we’ve accomplished a lot: 255 coaches implemented the program for 2,096 athletes on 70 teams in 40 schools in 34 districts in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Please take a minute to review our progress in the Coaching Boys Into Men 2017 Yearbook.
We rounded out another year of progress and are excited to share our achievements. Please take a moment to view our year-end report flipbook. As you read through these pages, we hope you are inspired: every one of us has a role to play in ending cycles of violence. We’ll continue to change policies and systems, but we also know the most powerful changes are always in individual relationships. You can make a difference by reaching out to a survivor and saying “I believe you. I’m sorry that happened to you. How can I support you right now?” And you can begin to change the culture by …
Comments Off on Coaching Boys Into Men Summit at PNC Park
Coaches and athletic directors are invited to attend a Coaching Boys Into Men (CBIM) half-day informational session or a full-day training session on April 7 at PNC Park. The full-day session will prepare coaches to implement CBIM. Coaches currently implementing the program will lead attendees through hands-on training exercises and role play. Five Act 48 credits are available for the full-day training. Tony Porter, an author, educator and activist, will deliver the keynote. As the co-founder of A CALL TO MEN, Mr. Porter is internationally recognized for his efforts to promote healthy respectful expressions of manhood and to prevent violence against women and girls. Attendees will …
Comments Off on Coaching Boys Into Men Implementation Highest in Nation
Area high school coaches and athletes convened at the Coaching Boys Into Men Showcase where it was announced that implementation of the dating violence prevention program in our region is the highest in the nation. During the program at Westinghouse Academy, high school coaches and athletes shared how the Coaching Boys Into Men (CBIM) program has helped their teams. The Showcase was hosted by FISA Foundation and United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Coaching Boys Into Men is an evidence-based program that gives high school coaches the tools to talk to their athletes about building safe and healthy relationships. CBIM engages athletes as leaders in schools …
Comments Off on Dr. Jackson Katz Coming to Pittsburgh to Address #MeToo
Beyond Compliance: Ending Sexual Harassment Through Culture Change with Dr. Jackson Katz Join us for two exciting upcoming programs in our region to build upon the national #MeToo conversation. Both sessions will be led by Dr. Jackson Katz, an internationally recognized educator, author, filmmaker and activist, and a founding architect of the bystander approach to prevention. Confronting Sexual Harassment: A Workshop with Dr. Jackson Katz: Tuesday, March 6, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. #MeToo has exposed the pervasiveness of sexual harassment and abuse in the lives of women across all sectors. Traditional sexual harassment training is not sufficient to create a culture of respect for women …
Comments Off on Attend Coaching Boys Into Men Showcase
Sexual assault and harassment are being addressed like never before. We know abuse is preventable, but it requires a culture change from the top down. Coaching Boys Into Men can be part of the solution. Join us to learn more about the impact this program is having in local schools at the Coaching Boys Into Men Showcase on February 22. You’ll hear from coaches who go the extra mile to teach their athletes to demonstrate good character as leaders. Coaching Boys Into Men is an evidence-based program that helps high school athletic coaches prepare their athletes to have healthy relationships and respect for all. When: Thursday, February 22, 2018 …
Comments Off on #MeToo: What’s Next for Pittsburgh?
Join us for three exciting upcoming programs in our region to build upon the national #MeToo conversation. Evening with Tarana Burke, founder of #MeToo movement: Tuesday, February 6, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Join PublicSource for an evening with Tarana Burke, founder of the #MeToo movement. The simple yet courageous #MeToo campaign has emerged as a rallying cry for people everywhere who have survived sexual assault and sexual harassment. Tarana’s powerful and poignant story behind creating what is now an international movement that supports survivors will move, uplift and inspire you. Lecture and panel Q&A begin at 7:00 p.m. at Calvary Episcopal Church, followed by book …
Comments Off on Zach Just – Laurel Highlands High School
“All the guys admitted that they’d been involved in locker room talk at some point. They weren’t aware of the damage they were doing. They were just trying to be cool.” Coaching Boys Into Men (CBIM) meshed well with the team building meetings Zach Just held every Thursday during his tenure as head football coach at Laurel Highlands High School. His players were already comfortable with the discussion format, and the CBIM materials made it easy to include more serious content. “We couldn’t have talked about those heavy topics without the flip cards. They are just outstanding,” Zach says. “They guide you and help you …
