ABOUT CHRISTINE WATSON:
Christine Watson is the Executive Director at SafeHouse Center. She has been working with survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault for more than 18 years. She started her human services work in England upon her graduation with a master’s degree in English Literature but since 2004 has lived and worked in Washtenaw County, Michigan. Christine joined SafeHouse Center in 2006 serving first as a Legal Advocate before taking over as the supervisor for the Response Team and Legal Advocacy program.
In 2022, Christine stepped into the role as Executive Director where she continues to be a support to all staff and the survivors served by SafeHouse Center. As the Executive Director, Christine also acts as a liaison with our community and engages on a local and statewide level to promote awareness, education and policy change for the direct benefit of survivors. Christine also serves as a trainer for the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) and is FETI certified. Born and raised in Denmark, Christine is bilingual and is passionate about uplifting and strengthening all voices.
RESOURCES:
TRANSCRIPTION:
David Fair: This is 89.1 WEMU, and I'm David Fair. Now, I know digesting a bunch of statistics can be burdensome, but sometimes, it's absolutely necessary. Sometimes, it's shocking. Here in the United States, a woman is sexually assaulted every 98 seconds. During the time I've been talking, another sexual assault has taken place. One in every three females in our country is going to experience a sexual assault in their lifetime. Over 33% of the women in your life have had to live through this experience, and that's just the reported cases--the actual number likely much higher. Since 2001, every April has been designated Sexual Assault Awareness Month. In those 24 years, the statistics i just gave you haven't changed much. Serving survivors--well, that's at the heart of the work of our guest today. Christine Watson is executive director of SafeHouse Center in Ann Arbor, and thanks for coming in today, Christine! I appreciate it!
Christine Watson: Good morning, David! Thank you for having me!
David Fair: Well, what factors play into the fact that numbers aren't changing, that we lack significant progress in reducing the sheer number of incidents?
Christine Watson: I think that's a very complicated and layered question to answer, David, but thank you for asking it because I think one way that we can change the numbers is by continuing to have these conversations to highlight that sexual assaults do happen and the frequency with which we do see them, unfortunately. I think, over the years, the one thing that we have been very successful in is making sure that people are aware that we're here. And I think that has led to more sexual assault survivors feeling comfortable coming forward and even reporting and talking about the fact of what happened to them. So, I think we should be focusing on that success, making sure that people are aware that there are resources available to them, and also making sure that they are aware that there are confidential safe places where they can receive services, where they receive the support that they need and talk about the trauma and the experiences that they've had.
David Fair: I'm glad you brought up the importance of conversation. I've always regarded a rape or a sexual assault to be an act of violence, but I still hear a lot of people refer to it as a sex act. How much of how we talk about this issue plays into how we deal with it in our homes, schools, workplaces and court system?
Christine Watson: I think words matter. I think how we define things absolutely matter, because I think, in our definitions, we can be exclusionary, but we can also be inclusionary. We need to make sure that survivors understand that we are here for all of them and that survivorship can look different. The definition of a survivorship should sit with the survivor. Who am I to tell you what you have experienced? You know what you experienced, and you should be able to speak about that freely and in a way that makes sense to you.
David Fair: When a person is sexually assaulted, it is deeply personal. The abuser has done more than commit an act of violence. They've committed a deeply personal larceny. They've stolen a lot from the spirit, the soul, the sense of place and belonging and sense of safety. In your work with survivors, how difficult a process is it to get that back?
Christine Watson: I think that can be extremely difficult, and I think it's something that we need to work really hard at. At SafeHouse, we ensure that people can come in in a non-judgmental and empowerment-filled space where they can feel safe to discuss at their own time and at their pace what has happened to them. I think it's important, like I said, that people get to define what it is that they've experienced on their own and then can seek guidance and help towards healing. But we need to meet survivors where they're at and when they're ready to speak to us. A lot of times people will report a traumatic experience to somebody that they trust. How we receive that report is so crucial to their healing process. We need to sit with them in a space where they don't feel judged, where they can talk about it, like I said, at their leisure and at their own pace. If we don't do that, we turn people away. We need to speak about the stigma that still surrounds sexual assault. We need talk about the victim blaming that still occurs. We need be careful asking the why, because the why can infer that somehow they did something wrong, that somehow they were in control of what happened to them, and that is so far from the truth.
David Fair: This is 89.1 WEMU, and April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. And we're talking about the work being done to address it here in Washtenaw County with Christine Watson from SafeHouse Center. From immediate emergency services to shelter services to therapeutic offerings and legal aid, SafeHouse Center is a great resource for survivors. It does come at a cost, and the cost of everything seems to be going up. Has your bottom line, or will your bottom line, be impacted by the changing nature of federal spending priorities?
Christine Watson: That is obviously the biggest concern that we're facing right now. There's a lot of uncertainties as it relates to our funding. Currently, 54% of our funding comes from the feds. And we're watching very vigilantly. We're watching closely. And I think it's also important for people to understand how all of these things are connected. We work closely with a community of service providers, and if they're impacted, so are we. So, yes, we are concerned. and we are doing everything that we can to ensure that we maintain a financial stability, so that we continue to provide all the vital services that you just mentioned.
David Fair: Obviously, you have to not only plan for the realities of the moment, but the possibilities of future moments. Might you have to look at service or program cuts in the near future some of that 54% of your budget disappear?
Christine Watson: We try not to center ourselves in the fear of the uncertainty. We try to center ourselves in what do we know today. And what I know today is that we're open and we're available. We're gonna do everything that we can to maintain our services levels. But, yes, ultimately, if services are impacted by financial constraints, you will see an impact in what we can do for our community.
David Fair: We talk about this organizationally and structurally. But obviously, as you pointed out, all of the decisions have human impacts, but those individual human impacts also have community impacts. What do we lose if we can't provide these services?
Christine Watson: I think we lose exactly that community. We are a community of caring and passionate people. We want to make sure that we take care of our neighbors and of the vulnerable people in our community. And I think the uncertainties that a lot of these service providers are facing right now, ourselves included, jeopardizes that. We want to make sure we are a community where people can find safety, where people can find resources or people can find compassion. But unfortunately, there is a price tag that comes with that. That's the reality.
David Fair: Once again, our Sexual Assault Awareness Month conversation with SafeHouse Center Executive Director Christine Watson continues on 89.1 WEMU. Now, there are a number of ways to learn more and to be a part of Sexual Assult Awareness Month. In fact, in just a couple of days, you're going to be holding a breakfast. And it is an opportunity to hear stories and to learn about the services and the importance of the impact it makes.
Christine Watson: Yes! So, on Thursday, April the 10th at 8 AM, we are hosting our annual Fresh Start Breakfast, which is exactly that. It's an opportunity for the community to come out hear more about what it is that SafeHouse is working on and the services that we provide. It is a space for us to uplift survivor stories and talk about their experiences and really showcase that, yes, sexual assault is very real. It happens in our community. But this is also how, as a community, we can respond to it in a way that's going to be helpful to survivors and also maintain the service levels that we currently have.
David Fair: There is response to sexual assault, and then there is sexual assault prevention. On April 16th, there's going to be a virtual educational discussion on the matter and issue of consent. It seems like consent should be easy to define and understand. What are we missing in our homes and schools today when we teach consent?
Christine Watson: I agree with you. I think it should be very simple. Do you have consent to do what it is that you're doing right now, and how do you ask for consent? I think this goes back to what we were talking about in terms of definition and words mattering. I think it's important that we have these conversations with not just our sexual partner but also the people around us to empower people to lean into conversations about what are they comfortable with and what are they not comfortable with.
David Fair: At the end of the month, there's going to be a ringing of the bells in Ann Arbor, and that is also going to an opportunity for people to directly engage with members of the SafeHouse Center staff over at the Farmers' Market.
Christine Watson: It's a great event! We've been doing it on and off for years now. We always hope for nice, warm weather. We don't always get it. But rain or shine, we will be there! But I think it's a great opportunity for you to come out, say hello to the staff and the volunteers who do this work every single day, and show your support for the mission of SafeHouse Center and the support that we provide to survivors. So, please do stop by. When you hear the bells ringing, basically, that signifies the number of people who are sexually assaulted, as you mentioned at the top of this segment, and it's a powerful message to show that, yes, every bell signifies that somebody has had a traumatic experience. But the fact that we are there, the fact that we're able to be visible in the community, also shows that this is a community that doesn't shy away from the courageous conversations that we need to have.
David Fair: Well, I'd like to thank you for the conversation we've had today and the information you've shared, Christine! I always appreciate your time!
Christine Watson: And if I may just add, we talk about statistics, but people need to really remember that behind all of those statistics is a person. It's somebody in your life. We walk among survivors every single day, and I am proud to carry them with me as I do this work! So, thank you so much!
David Fair: That is Christine Watson. She's the executive director of SafeHouse Center in Ann Arbor and has been our guest as we mark Sexual Assault Awareness Month. If you are in need of immediate assistance, call 911. SafeHouse Center also has a 24-7 helpline at 734-995-5444. For more information on SafeHouse Center and the resources available, stop by our website, and we'll get you linked up. I'm David Fair, and this is your community NPR station, 89.1 WEMU FM Ypsilanti.
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