Dear Editor: People in the community are wondering what is being done to prevent assaults like the one that was reported in the Plaindealer last week. At Ridgway Secondary School we have instituted a nationally recognized program called “Coaching Boys into Men” (coachescorner. org) and “Athletes As Leaders” (athletesasleaders. org). In both programs staff work with junior and senior boys and girls on being inclusive, respectful, nonviolent, understanding consent, among other principles. At Ridgway, we have a full-time mental health counselor that spends time with all grades on healthy relationships, appropriate to the age level. Most of our upperclassmen have watched “Consent Tea.” I recommend you watch it on the internet. The Ouray County Sheriff’s Office visits every year to discuss a variety of topics with our students, the most recent being “understanding consent and the law” with our seniors. San Miguel Resource Center talks to our junior and seventh grade classes about healthy relationships (very different information), and we have Deputy Marshal Rachel DeFrancesco teach self defense to some of our students. That is some of what the school is doing. Now, let’s talk about what you can do.
As parents: 1. Talk to your kids, talk about their relationships and find out what they are thinking or possible misconceptions they hold and 2. Be parents! There are far too many instances when kids are left to their own devices. Do not be the parent that allows the party on your watch and then goes off and leaves the house or cranks the TV/music/ etc. to drown it all out, and pretends that if you don’t see or hear it, it is not happening. It’s very possible you are allowing drinking and drugs to be consumed at your home and possibly even worse. Be present.
As community members: 1. You can donate to OCSAP.org (Ouray County Support & Advocacy Project), they are raising funds to bring a community-based victim’s advocate to Ouray County.
They will also be hosting a fundraiser on May 2 at the Wright Opera House to raise money for this goal.
Buy a ticket. But mostly, talk and reflect, end the rape culture by creating the mindset that you don’t blame the victim, you blame the perpetrator(s).
It doesn’t matter what they were wearing, if they were drinking, where they were — it’s not their fault!
Jen Donovan Ouray
