Thursday, February 4, 2016

"Community Conditions" and How They Influence Your Ability to Make Healthy Choices

Have you ever tried to walk somewhere only to find out the sidewalk doesn't connect? Or isn't in the best shape? Or isn't there at all!? 

Have you ever been looking for a "healthy option" at your favorite restaurant and couldn't find any of them labeled? Then you chose the cobb salad because you thought, "well, there's lettuce, so its gotta be close," only to find out later it had more calories and fat than the cheeseburger? 

Have you quit smoking because you couldn't smoke inside your favorite bar or restaurant anymore and had to go out in the cold? How inconvenient!

These are all examples of how "community conditions" influence your ability to make healthy decisions for yourself. re:TH!NK's partners have been working over the last seven years to try to create an environment that enables healthy choices (its part of our mission statement). And that's REALLY important to understand in our work, in public health. 

Sometimes, the environment makes it easy to make healthy choices, like for example, the state smoke-free air law. Hundreds of people quit smoking because it just became too difficult to keep smoking. A big win for public health and the health of every one of those quitters!


However, sometimes its hard for people to make healthy choices because they aren't able to find them, or they don't exist at all. Individual responsibility for making healthy choices is only half of the picture. 

The conditions of our surroundings (our environment) is the other half. How we are able to interact with where we live impacts which healthy choices we can make, or what choices are even available. 

That's why we're trying to re-frame the conversation about the health of our communities from a portrait to a landscape. By seeing the whole picture, not just the people in the picture, we can work together to make it easier for people to make healthy choices.


Monday, February 1, 2016

#loveisrespect: Oshkosh Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month Event


February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month and organizations and individuals across the country are coming together to raise awareness and educate their communities about dating violence and what it means to be in healthy relationships.

Organizers of the Winnebago County Teen CCR (Coordinated Community Response) team plan to do just that on Tuesday, February 9 in Oshkosh at their second annual "It's Time to Talk: Share Your Voice" event showcasing 8th grade students' ideas about healthy relationships and a panel discussion from local experts and advocates. The mission of the Winnebago County Teen CCR team is to help teens secure safe and violence-free lives.

According to Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services in Oshkosh, “dating violence is a pattern of behaviors used in a relationship to gain or maintain power and control over another person.” Dating violence includes any type of physical, verbal, emotional, psychological, and sexual abuse, unequal power in the relationship, and abuse that occurs online. Any person can experience dating violence and abuse or unhealthy relationship behaviors regardless of gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, religion, or culture.

And dating violence occurs right here in Winnebago County. The 2014 Youth Risk Behavioral Survey (YRBS) showed that 6.7% of Winnebago County high school students, or about 354 students, have been hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose by a girlfriend or boyfriend in the past 12 months. Additionally, 10.4% of Winnebago County high school students, or about 550 students, indicated that they have been forced, either verbally or physically, to take part in a sexual activity, which exceeds to state average of 9.6%.

Winnebago County Teen CCR’s event will be held on Tuesday, February 9, 2016 from 6:00pm-7:30pm at Oshkosh North High School. The public is welcome to view the silhouettes created by local students and vote for their favorites. Following the contest, a presentation on dating violence, local resources and a panel discussion of local experts and advocates on dating violence trends in our community will begin.  The event is free and open to the public; however, the event will address teen dating violence and contain sensitive topics, so discretion is advised with young children.



Need Help?

If you or a loved one is in an abusive relationship, please get help.

  • Call Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services’ 24-hour helpline at 920.235.5998 or 800.261.5998. Christine Ann is fortunate to have a Youth Services Team that has the right advocate to support children and teens.
  • Reach Counseling provides many support services and counseling programs, some free of charge.
  • UW Oshkosh has partnered with Reach Counseling to provide the Campus Violence Prevention Program (CVPP). CVPP is a campus and community partnership that provides free and confidential legal, medical, and personal advocacy to students, staff, and faculty of the University who have experienced sexual abuse, dating violence, sexual harassment and/or stalking. CVPP educates students, staff, and faculty about intimate violence, its impact on the community, and healthy relationships.
    • 24-hour sexual assault crisis line: 920-722-8150
    • 24-hour dating/domestic violence crisis line: 920-235-5998
    • E-mail: huskeyk@uwosh.edu, (Katie Huskey, Campus Victim Advocate)
  • Aurora Medical Center's S.A.N.E. (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) program provides medical evaluations, emotional support, and assistance in reporting the crime and testifying in court. Help in Oshkosh is available 24-hours a day at 920-456-7420.
  • Text “loveis” to 22522, Love is Respect’s confidential texting service.