A legal shift in looking at the men who pay for sex is a new focus for anti-sex trafficking activists. The strategy has led to changes in state legislation and educational programs at a growing number of "john schools."
Today, approximately 40 john schools serving 50 communities exist nationwide. Though "john school" is the generic term for educational programs for men who engage in transactional sex, each course has its own formal title, such as Chicago's Ammend Program.
By educating men on the consequences of soliciting sex--both for themselves and for sex workers--advocates say these programs raise awareness on the ramifications of sex trafficking and reduce recidivism. The reason behind educating men who pay for sex, says Hatcher, is simple: if there were no customers, there'd be no prostitution. - Women's eNews article excerpt
In September 2010, syndicated columnist and author Dan Savage created a YouTube video with his partner Terry to inspire hope for young people facing harassment. In response to a number of students taking their own lives after being bullied in school, they wanted to create a personal way for supporters everywhere to tell LGBT youth that, yes, it does indeed get better.
Two months later, the It Gets Better Project (TM) has turned into a worldwide movement, inspiring over 10,000 user-created videos viewed over 35 million times. To date, the project has received submissions from celebrities, organizations, activists, politicians and media personalities, including President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Adam Lambert, Anne Hathaway, Colin Farrell, Matthew Morrison of "Glee", Joe Jonas, Joel Madden, Ke$ha, Sarah Silverman, Tim Gunn, Ellen DeGeneres, Suze Orman, the staffs of The Gap, Google, Facebook, Pixar, the Broadway community, and many more. For us, every video changes a life. It doesn’t matter who makes it. - From www.itgetsbetter.org
Galia Slayen recently blogged on The Huffington Post's HuffPost College site about the life-size Barbie she built in 2007. "I was frustrated after quitting the cheerleading squad, frustrated with pressures to look and act a certain way and most of all frustrated with the eating disorder controlling my life. I wanted to do something that would turn others' apathy into action."
Some people have skeletons in their closet. I have an enormous Barbie in mine.
She stands about six feet tall with a 39" bust, 18" waist, and 33" hips. These are the supposed measurements of Barbie if she were a real person. I built her as a part of the first National Eating Disorder Awareness Week (NEDAW) at my high school, later introducing her to Hamilton College during its first NEDAW in 2011.
When I was a little girl, I played with my Barbie in her playhouse, sending her and Ken on dates that always ended with a goodnight kiss. I had fond times with my Barbie, and I admired her perfect blonde locks and slim figure. Barbie represented beauty, perfection and the ideal for young girls around the world. At least, as a seven-year-old, that is what she was to me. - Blog excerpt
JBMI Director of Advanced Study Amy Banks, M.D. was recently interviewed by Joan Brunwasser for OpEdNews.com. The article, "Dr. Amy Banks on How to Keep Those Grey Cells Fit as We Age," focuses on in importance of brain health.
Not only does exercise keep your body fit, but it contributes to keeping your brain flexible and adaptable. One of the issues, particularly with advanced aging, is a sense of isolation as friends and family may be dying.I think people need to be able to maintain community and connections, opportunities to interact.The physiology of healthy relationship contributes to building a brain that is continuing to grow. - Article excerpt
A recent editorial in the New York Times makes the case for the Supreme Court to listen to the women of Wal-Mart. Ms. Betty Dukes (pictured right) is the lead plaintiff in the sex discrimination class-action lawsuit Dukes vs. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
The employment discrimination lawsuit against Wal-Mart, which the Supreme Court heard last week, is the largest in American history. If the court rejects this suit, it will send a chilling message that some companies are too big to be held accountable.
It began in 1999 after Stephanie Odle was fired when she complained of sex discrimination. As Ms. Odle recounted in sworn testimony, as an assistant manager she discovered that a male employee with the same title and less experience was making $10,000 a year more than her.
She complained to her boss, who defended the disparity by saying the male had a family to support. When she replied that she was having a baby that she needed to support, the supervisor made her provide a personal budget and then gave her a raise closing just one-fifth the gap. - Editorial excerpt (Photo credit: AP Images)
The Jean Baker Miller Institute sent out a flyer this week asking RCT practitioners in our current database to update their email addresses. We are in the midst of upgrading our database, and want to make sure we have the most accurate contact information for RCT community members. The flyer is also full of upcoming program information, new publications, and RCT resources, so make sure to check it out and spread the word to colleagues and friends.
Thank you for your consideration and participation.
Dr. Banks will be presenting a webinar Love and PTSD: Understanding the Devastating Impact of Interpersonal Violence on Friday, April 29, 2011 from 11am-12:30pm EST. Using an interactive format, she will explore brain changes seen in people diagnosed with PTSD. Participants will also discuss the "five bad things" of an abusive relationship and the process of amplification seen in PTSD. Pre-registration at www.jbmti.org is required. Learn more.
A legal shift in looking at the men who pay for sex is a new focus for anti-sex trafficking activists. The strategy has led to changes in state legislation and educational programs at a growing number of "john schools."
Galia Slayen recently blogged on The Huffington Post's 
JBMI Director of Advanced Study Amy Banks, M.D. was recently interviewed by Joan Brunwasser for
A recent editorial in the New York Times makes the case for the Supreme Court to listen to the women of Wal-Mart. Ms. Betty Dukes (pictured right) is the lead plaintiff in the sex discrimination class-action lawsuit Dukes vs. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
The Jean Baker Miller Institute sent out a flyer this week asking RCT practitioners in our current database to update their email addresses. We are in the midst of upgrading our database, and want to make sure we have the most accurate contact information for RCT community members. The flyer is also full of upcoming program information, new publications, and RCT resources, so make sure to check it out and spread the word to colleagues and friends.
JBMI Associate Director of Advanced Training, Amy Banks, M.D., has spoken and published extensively on the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in relationship, particularly interpersonal violence. She authored 