2015 Association for Women in Psychology Conference

Objectification theory posits the objectification of women by their culture leads to a mental separation of the woman from her body, creating self-valuation tied closely to societal ideals (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997; Stratemeyer, 2012). A variety of mental health issues have arisen from women's experience of objectification (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997). Objectification also negatively impacts women's interpersonal relationships (Daniels & Zurbriggen, 2014) and leads to increased violence against women (Stratemeyer, 2014). This symposium presents three perspectives on the application of restorative justice to women’s objectification. A restorative justice approach is more humanistic in nature focusing on victim-centered reparations and often includes community involvement (van Wormer, 2009). Several considerations will be reviewed regarding the way objectification of women has been perpetuated through US culture. These considerations may provide a pathway to social justice by deconstructing women's objectification experiences and initiating opportunities for community healing. The current considerations include objectification of women in Christian purity culture, social media as perpetuating objectification and sister relationships as a potential mitigating factor for adolescent girls’ experience of objectification. We intend to focus on the way women are impacted by objectification as it intersects with religiosity, social media, and sibling relationships separately. Our presentation will focus on literature surrounding these topics and the ways current research can be applied to working with women dealing with intrapersonal and interpersonal consequences of objectification. The purpose of this symposium is to initiate a conversation regarding contemporary factors related to objectification of women with a focus on restorative justice. References Daniels, E.A., & Zurbriggen, E.L. (2014). The price of sexy: Viewers' perceptions of a sexualized versus nonsexualized Facebook profile photograph. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, advanced online publication. doi: 10.1037/ppmm0000048 Fredrickson, B.L., & Roberts, T.A. (1997). Objectification theory: Toward understanding women’s lived experiences and mental health risks. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21, 173-206. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-6402.1997.tb00108.x Stratemeyer, M. (2014). "Here's looking at you": Psychological perspectives on sexual objectification. Issues, 107, 24-26. van Wormer, K. (2009). Restorative justice as social justice for victims of gendered violence: A standpoint feminist perspective. Social Work, 54(2), 107-116.

Dramatic episodes of violence, such as the school shootings at Sandy Hook elementary, and the shootings of 17 year-old Trayvon Martin and 17 year-old Jordan Davis in 2012 instigate an immediate burst of interest in restorative justice and violence prevention that disappears as quickly as it appeared. A stable community network dedicated to ending interpersonal violence is needed across the USA. This symposium consists of three presentations describing different forms of community building to engender grass roots support for restorative justice. Each effort integrates violence education so that potential community members understand the reality of violence and the need to become an advocate for change in support of victims. The first presentation covers building grassroots support for victims of violence through a four day, campus and community conference. Building a network amongst the interdisciplinary attendees was an overt goal of the conference. The second presentation covers community building through transformational curricula that integrate violence education and advocacy into the classroom experience. The final presentation covers how the “We Can Prevent Violence” Facebook group was used to build an on-line, violence prevention community. Each of these presentations will include the goals of the initiative, the types of communities that were developed, the successes and failures that were experienced, and any gender effects that were noted. Key to restorative justice is building many different types of communities nationwide that have no tolerance for acts of violence and who strongly believe in the power of nonviolence to transform communities into safe places (Veith, 2014). Community wellness could be substantially improved if restorative justice was available to support victim’s healing and if interpersonal violence was eradicated to prevent further victimization (Brown et. al 2009; Felitti, 2002; WHO 2006).

Over the last 20 years the United States has witnessed the arrival of 8.5 million Latino immigrants (PEW Hispanic Center, 2013). College education can be a platform for leadership and social change. However, in 2012 only 14.5% of U.S. Latinos ages 25 and older had earned a college degree. In this symposium, we focus on particularly vulnerable groups within the Latino community: women, and undocumented youth. The presentations describe the experience of people who reach out beyond the constriction of laws, customs, roles and risks, toward a better future. In two qualitative studies, these minorities –within-a- minority are given voice, and their subjective experience is made visible, so that advocates, clinicians and scholars can work effectively in their behalf. The first interview study compares Latinas who hold a college degree with those who never attended college. Strengths include self-efficacy, a collectivist approach, and resistamce to stereotype threat and the pressure of traditional gender roles. The researcher’s own experiences inform the study. The second interview study shows how immigration policy affects the daily functioning and mental health of undocumented Latino/as. Undocumented students are vulnerable to anti-immigration views, institutional restrictions on legal employment both during and after college, marginalization, discrimination, acculturation stress, fear of deportation and financial struggles. These stressors cumulatively contribute to anxiety, depression, and alienation Findings provide a knowledge base for college counselors and others who seek to address these mental health concerns and to provide comprehensive and knowledgeable service. In the discussion, we use this information, together with the history of advocacy and support , to brainstorm about what teachers, family members, school counselors, and psychologists can do to further the dreams of these young people, now and in the years ahead, while they are prevented from access to the American dream. Dr,Kuba will chair.

The Be Present Empowerment Model® provides tools for constructive dialogue and collaborative problem-solving among people with diverse viewpoints, values and needs. It supports individuals, families and institutions to sustain transformative change. Presenters will describe how the Model supports restorative justice work in the courts, the prison system, and after release.

Sexual assault represents a significant problem on college campuses in the U.S. but many incidences are unreported or are mishandled by authorities (Bradley et. al., 2009, Jervis, 2008). Prevention programs address the growing phenomenon of sexual assault on college campuses; however, many interventions result in a victim-blaming approach, have minimal to non-significant results, and/or are limited in their participants’ demographics (e.g., Gidycz et al., 2001; Bradley et al., 2009). In most approaches, the issue of consent is not taken into account. The Yes Means Yes (YMY) approach to sexual assault prevention recently legislated in California has heightened the issue of sexual assault prevention in the public consciousness and defined consent for sexual activities as an explicit yes, or “affirmative consent” rather than an absence of “no” (SB-967 Student Safety: Sexual Assault, 2014). This novel approach to sexual assault prevention education warrants research into its effectiveness. The first presentation reflects the conceptual process behind the design of the pilot intervention, including a review of existing programs and literature, choice of measures, and the creation of the YMY pilot intervention. The second presentation will address the analysis of qualitative questionnaires completed by participants in the pilot study. These questionnaires focused on ways the intervention could be improved in future studies. Analysis procedures included open coding on the questionnaires and finding emergent patterns among participants’ responses (Given, 2008). Results indicated a need for more discussion and inclusion of male issues. Quantitative and qualitative data collected during the pilot study allowed for implementation of additional components to strengthen the framework for YMY. The final presentation will focus on how the project was modified to incorporate the feedback and improve the intervention. Our ultimate goal is to develop, implement, and test an effective sexual assault prevention program in colleges.