Cultural Critique

On Naming Things

By Bethany Feret, The Blue Bench Volunteer Coordinator & CCASA Blogger The other week, I was scrolling through my facebook feed (as you do when you cannot concentrate) and came across a link titled "The Strangest…

What the Pope Doesn’t Understand About the Catholic Sexual Abuse Scandal

By Zach Rawlings, CCASA Guest Blogger Last week, Pope Francis was praised for making history by addressing a mixed session of Congress and confronting them on controversial issues like climate change, poverty, and the Syrian…

“Eye for an Eye Makes the Whole World Blind:” What Happens Next?

The struggle of a woman who sought retribution after a man blinded her with acid. By Samantha Wickramasinghe, CCASA Blogger Imagine how you would feel if someone threw acid on your face because you did…

What We Must Learn From the Perpetrators of Sexual Violence : “India’s Daughter” discusses gender-based sexual violence by presenting perpetrators’ views

By Samantha Wickramasinghe, CCASA Guest Blogger The government of India has turned its back to survivors of sexual violence by banning a documentary that investigates the culture of rape. Made by the British filmmaker Leslee Udwin,…

50 Shades of Grey: Not Safe, Sane, or Consensual

By Kristy Garry, CCASA Guest Blogger   With the Fifty Shades of Grey series becoming so popular I have heard quite a lot of talk about BDSM (Bondage, Domination, Sadism, Masochism).  I actually just started…

“Compliance” and Cultural Acceptance of Violence Against Women

By Meghann McCluskey, CCASA Blogger   Nursing a cold this weekend, I cuddled on the couch and watched Netflix with abandon. When I came across Compliance – a 2012 film by Craig Zobel – my…

Bad Advice from DatingAdvice.com

By Alexa Priddy, CCASA Blogger I’ll admit, when I first saw the headline “24 Most Sexually Violent Cities in America,” my interest was piqued. What cities are these? What do they mean “sexually violent”? I…

83%, 50%, 10x, 63,000, 97%, 32%, 44%: An Epidemic Thriving Among Us

Sexual assault occurs in epidemic proportions among the population of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD): 83% of women with developmental disabilities will be sexually assaulted in their lifetimes, and of that group, for…

Taking Back Choice: “You Have Options” Program for Sexual Assault Survivors to Come to Brighton, CO

You Have Options Comes from Oregon to Brighton, Colorado By Michelle Wolff, CCASA Blogger There is a lot of buzz about the You Have Options (YHO) program, developed by Detective Carrie Hull with the Ashland…

What Do Cyber Bullying and a Woman’s Right to Consent Have In Common? Everything.

Fighting cyber bullies to protect women’s right to privacy and consent   By Samantha Wickramasinghe, CCASA Blogger   Hacking personal accounts of female celebrities and posting their nude pictures online has become an unfortunate, common…