| RAINN Collaborates with Fox's Hit Show Bones
This month Fox's hit crime show, Bones, collaborated with RAINN for an important episode that involved drug-facilitated sexual assault. Fox also aired a PSA, by Bones star Emily Deschanel, encouraging viewers to contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline.
In the episode, "The Friend in Need," the death of a teenager leads the Bones team to investigate a high-school party involving drugs and alcohol. In their quest to catch the killer, the FBI learns that murder was not the only crime committed that night.
The writer of this Bones episode, Dean Lopata, conducted extensive research for the development of the episode. He worked closely with Kate Hull, RAINN's vice president for communications, to develop an understanding of the aftermath of a sexual assault in order to create an accurate portrayal of the crime.
"The support and encouragement from RAINN was vital to the writing of this episode," said Lopata. "Considering a major segment of the Bones audience fits squarely in the most at-risk group — girls fifteen to nineteen years old — we all felt compelled to tell this story. If one girl who has been sexually assaulted sees the episode and gets help, the episode was worth it."
Read more about RAINN's collaboration with Bones.
Ricki Lake Show Partners with RAINN,
Profiles Survivors
In a special two-part series on sexual violence earlier this month, The Ricki Lake Show profiled four courageous members of RAINN's Speakers Bureau, highlighting how they survived — and thrived — in the years following their assaults.
In a special two-part series on sexual violence earlier this month, The Ricki Lake Show profiled four courageous members of RAINN's Speakers Bureau, highlighting how they survived — and thrived — in the years following their assaults.
Lake showed how each woman devoted time and energy to help her community and fight violence, from opening local rape crisis centers to working on national legislation to helping television shows accurately depict the crime.
RAINN spokesperson and actress KaDee Strickland also appeared, along with the survivor who inspired her portrayal of rape survivor Dr. Charlotte King on ABC's Private Practice, Joanie Stewart.
In PSAs aired during the shows, people who have been sexually assaulted were urged to contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE or online.rainn.org.
Watch clips from the episodes here and here.
Read more about The Ricki Lake Show's two-part series on sexual violence.
RAINN Joins GLAAD to Counter Misinformation Before Boy Scouts' Decision
RAINN this month joined GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) and dozens of leaders in the mental health field to correct misinformation about the risk of gay men sexually abusing children. In an open letter to parents and educators, the experts noted that there is no link between gay people and the sexual abuse of minors.
The joint letter was released just before the Boy Scouts of America was set to announce a decision on whether to change its policy banning gay scout leaders; the Boy Scouts subsequently delayed that decision until May.
“Sexual orientation is not an indicator of whether or not someone will be a perpetrator. Research has shown, and experts agree, that there is no scientific basis for linking homosexuality with pedophilia. Gay people are no more likely to abuse or pose a threat to children than the general population,” said Scott Berkowitz, RAINN’s president.
Sexual abuse is a crime that affects tens of thousands of children each year. About one out of every six victims of sexual violence is under age 12, and nearly half are under 18.
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