[NIFL-WOMENLIT:2719] RE: Adult literacy and domestic violence

From: Thomas, Catherine (CThomas@uws.org)
Date: Tue Sep 30 2003 - 14:10:09 EDT


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From: "Thomas, Catherine" <CThomas@uws.org>
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Subject: [NIFL-WOMENLIT:2719] RE: Adult literacy and domestic violence
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Andrea, You deserve the highest level of respect and admiration for having
the integrity to tell us what we must know and understand. 
Catherine  

-----Original Message-----
From: nifl-womenlit@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-womenlit@nifl.gov]On Behalf Of
AWilder106@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2003 1:30 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [NIFL-WOMENLIT:2718] RE: Adult literacy and domestic violence,


Daphne,

I feel I must make a comment  here.  I live in the Boston area and have been
interested and somewhat involved in work around teaching and violence
towards women.  2 years ago I went  to a workshop with teachers and
administrators, mostly women, who worked in this field.  At one point we had
an exercise in going around a table and talking about our associations with
the topic, and I mentioned my personal experience  with incest.  I  could
feel the other 3 women at my table draw back from me, emotionally; there was
quite a silence. Then one of them said now she saw me as two people, one an
ordinary person, the other with a different face.  (Whose face, I should
have asked.)  This was a  professional group, adult educators. Obviously I
am bringing this up as a consciousness-raising  topic, the incident was grim
and I don't like to write about it, BUT I think there may need to be some
educating out there of those who work in this field.

Sexual violence is not a social science "add-on"  to a core personality, it
changes the  person's whole being, biochemical to social  to spiritual.  I
have known 2 people, 2 friends, who  have not raised that wall of
incomprehension and  fear when I brought up the topic, they have my
blesssing for eternity.

I don't talk about my experience in "normal" company, this list is the only
place I have every gone  very  public, but for the sake of other  women I
had to say this about educating  teachers and administrators, it has to be
done.

I follow news about sexual vioolence quite closely in the  newspaper, I  am
thinking here about the Air Force Academy.

1)  No one thought to train those young women AHEAD of time so they would be
prepared for what they might encounter.
2)  In war,rape is a war crime.

In civilian life,  it is also a crime, and women should know how to deal
with it as this level.

Andrea



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