Unfortunately, sexual assault in Rideshares is all too common.

"Uber’s 2019 safety report noted that 3,045 sexual assaults, 58 fatalities, and 9 fatal physical assaults were reported out of the 1.3 billion total rides completed in the prior year, 2018." (HelpingSurvivors)

Additionally, assaults are happening during rides to both passengers and drivers.  (Forbes)

While rape or sexual assault are never the survivor's fault, we'd like to share this guide containing strategies to use rideshares more safely, as well as what to do if a situation does occur. This safety guide is written by the organization Helping Survivors of Sexual Abuse & Assault - a group that is doing amazing work.  Not only do they have the rideshare safety resources, their resources cover a wide range of topics including childhood sexual abuse, sexual abuse within the Catholic church, and more.  Thank you Helping Survivors for all that you do! 

If you do choose to use ride sharing services, such as Uber or Lyft, we also suggest sharing your location with a friend on your smartphone for the duration of the ride.  It doesn't help that often, riders choose to take Uber or Lyft when they have been drinking which can decrease their awareness of the situation.  We urge readers who may become drunk during a night out to call a trusted sober friend or family member to pick them up, rather than ride with someone they don't know.

Remember that if something does happen to you - either as the driver or passenger - in a rideshare, you do have legal recourse.  Tell someone immediately what happened.  Document the details immediately by writing them down and emailing them to yourself - this way there is a time and date stamp on the event should you need it for future legal action.  Screenshot the driver's information (or passenger's if you are the driver) and screenshot all the details of your ride.  Include these in your email to yourself.  If you have been raped, you may wish to visit a local hospital to have a rape kit performed - this can legally document the assault as well as potentially collect DNA from the perpetrator.  
Of course we hope that these events decrease in frequency and that all of our readers stay safe.  But know that in the unfortunate event that something does happen, help is available.  You are not alone.

We were recently contacted by an organization working to end domestic violence and substance abuse. 
In this post we will be sharing some of what we learned from this organization about the ways in which domestic violence, substance abuse, and sexual abuse can be interconnected.  To go directly to the resources, click the buttons below.  We will be explaining a bit more about these organizations in the post.  If you are experiencing domestic abuse, abuse involving drugs or alcohol, abuse from someone with addiction problems, or struggling with addictions as a result of abuse or trauma, please know that there is help available!

This week we were made aware of a resource that lists hotlines for Domestic Violence survivors around the globe.  The list is organized by country so you can search your area and get yourself - or someone you know - the necessary assistance in a way that is safe and discreet.  **TRIGGER WARNING: Please note this website does mention specific types of Domestic Violence along with statistics.  If this information will be triggering for you, we encourage you to skip over the first few paragraphs of the article and go straight to the list.  

Paper Crane premieres on YouTube today!!  Tune in at 12PM ET/11AM CT, to live chat with us, or if you miss the premiere, stream the film anytime via YouTube or here on our website!

*The film can be triggering for survivors of sexual assault, so if you need a gentleness break during the film, we encourage you to take one.  We also invite you to visit the new Resources for Trauma Survivors section of our website for some helpful information and support.

To DOWNLOAD a copy of the film, visit our Vimeo. You'll see a "Download" button on the right side, under the video. It will be available to download for one entire year from today.
We look forward to hearing what you think here on Kickstarter, in the YouTube comments, on our IMDB, or via email!

We hope that you enjoy the film, and that it sparks some important conversations about rape and sexual assault in your families or communities.  It feels perfect to release this film on the day of the Winter Solstice (in the Northern Hemisphere) - as a friend put it, "The darkest day can lead to the emergence of more light." Thanks for watching :)
Happy holidays, 

with love from the Paper Crane Team!

In this video, Writer/Director Christine Sciortino shares an update on what's next for Paper Crane, and for our social media pages.  Video shot by Alfie Alcántara, edited by M. Garrett Garcia.  

That brings me to my final announcement here today.  I have decided to create a Resources for Trauma Survivors section here on our website that will include videos of me discussing my favorite resources and my own trauma healing journey, downloadable PDFs with more information, and hotline info for those in crisis.  I will ALSO be releasing the film, Paper Crane publicly online for the first time - here on the website, as well as on our Vimeo and Youtube channels.  I welcome comments and thoughts on the film on both channels as well as on the Paper Crane IMDB profile - I made this film to open up a more honest dialogue about rape and sexual assault, and I hope that inspires all of you to do the same.
Stay tuned for more updates soon.
With love and gratitude,
Christine

​ I’m here in Mexico City, one of my favorite places, as an invitee of the Lens for Change Short Film Festival. Paper Crane is one of the top three finalists in the festival competition, so my entire trip was covered by them and I will be attending their masterclass this week. What is even more exciting to me, is that the organization has asked me to speak, not only about our film but about sexual assault and violence against  women as it’s portrayed in the media - a topic which you all know is very important to me. 
This is why we made the film - to open up dialogue about rape culture. I could not be doing this without all of you!!! Your donations years ago are helping educate people from all over the world in rape and sexual assault awareness - my original goal for making the film! Thank you again and stay tuned for photos and updates from the screening next week! 
Oh and keep those fingers crossed we take home first place! 
Lots of love, 
Christine

You've probably already heard about this case.  It is gaining tons and tons of media coverage.  Just about everyone on Facebook is posting about it - even more so than today's Democratic Primary.
So what have we learned so far?  We've gathered some of what we think are the most important articles and videos about this for you to check out.

Probably the most powerful thing out there is the rape survivor's letter which started circulating on Friday. WARNING, this letter is a *TRIGGER ALERT*  She details events of the night when Turner sexually assaulted her behind a dumpster before two Swedish PhD students on bicycles stopped him, tackled him, called the police and got her to the hospital.  She writes about all the struggled and horrors of the aftermath of rape.  She asks for an apology - which she was not given - and speaks out against Turner's blaming of "campus drinking culture."
She writes:
"Alcohol is not an excuse. Is it a factor? Yes. But alcohol was not the one who stripped me, fingered me, had my head dragging against the ground, with me almost fully naked."

Read the whole letter here on The Guardian:
Stanford sexual assault case: victim impact statement in full

You can watch CNN Anchor Ashleigh Banfield read the letter out loud on air - an incredibly emotional and important moment for the news.
WATCH: CNN anchor reads gut-wrenching letter from Stanford rape survivor on air

Next, we thought it was powerful and insightful to hear from the graduate students who are the heroes in this story on BuzzFeed.
In Their Words: The Swedish Heroes Who Caught The Stanford Attacker

We really liked Yahoo News'
10 Reasons Why the Brock Turner Rape Case Is Even More Awful Than It Looks (spoiler: #1 is the media!)

And finally, you can petition to recall the judge Aaron Persky who gave the pitiful six-month sentence to Turner.
Remove Judge Aaron Persky from the Bench For Decision in Brock Turner rape case.
 
Often professional and college athletes are not found guilty of any crime.  We see these battles of the victim's word against the "athlete's" (AKA rapist's) and so often, the survivor is invalidated.  While the six-month sentence is ridiculous, it's progress that at least he has been convicted - Tiny tiny progress, but progress none the less.  The question is - would Turner even have been convicted if there were not the two people as witnesses?  Just something to ponder as we try to change rape culture and end victim-blaming.

We applaud the courage and strength of this rape survivor (we prefer "survivor," not "victim") to share her story and feelings.  We hope this continues to open up dialogue and create space for survivors everywhere!
​