On February 3rd, one of our Victim Advocates was a featured guest on Radio La Bomba CT 97.1 during the Morning Show with DJ Metrix. The program was conducted entirely in Spanish and discussed sexual violence issues within Latinx communities across Connecticut. Listeners were able to call in to the show live on the air with any questions they had for Nina, the Victim Advocate. For those who do not speak Spanish or were unable to tune-in, we interviewed Nina to get her feedback on the experience. Since the session was a success, Radio La Bomba will be providing more opportunities for us to discuss sexual violence on the Morning Show with DJ Metrix. Upcoming sessions with Nina are tentatively scheduled for the first Wednesday of each month, 9-10am on radio station 97.1. We hope you can listen in!
What were some of the topics you discussed?
During the show, I was able to talk about affirmative consent, services for victims and their loved ones, and the new changes on legislation regarding prevention programs for K-12. Both hotline numbers were also mentioned several times throughout the show, with an overview of the services that can be provided.
How do you think the talk show went?
It was such a great opportunity and experience. Overall, it was a good introduction but it was too short of a timeslot. We will begin having 1-hour segments starting in March.
Did this experience exceed your expectations?
Most definitely! The DJ did some research about sexual assault prior to my interview and he asked good questions. Same as the radio listeners: we had two callers with good questions. One person asked about street harassment and one person asked about prevention in the schools starting at an early age.
What were some areas you would have liked to discuss further?
There was so much information that I wanted to share, but we didn’t have enough time. I would have liked to speak more about consent, and go further into details about the services we provide to all those affected by sexual violence and abuse. I would have liked to discuss more statistics too, such as how many clients we have served and how many of them identified as Latinx.
Do you think the radio talk show format, being broadcast live and with the public able to call-in with questions or comments, was an effective way to discuss these issues?
In my opinion, I liked the fact that we had interaction with the callers. I was able to answer their questions right away, rather than letting the DJ obtain their questions to be screened beforehand so I could answer them at a later time.
What parts of the talk show were you most surprised by, troubled by or impressed by?
I was impressed that we actually had two callers. Discussing sexual violence within the Latinx community is still considered as a taboo, we do not speak about this with anyone. The fact that these callers felt comfortable enough to call on-air was impressive. I am looking forward to more calls in the near future.
What are some resources specific for members of the Latinx community?
Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence offers a Spanish hotline and has bilingual advocates available. We also work with a Latinx Advisory Committee, which helps to guide and inform the development of short-term and long-term collaborations with Spanish-speaking communities. Additionally, we have various resource materials available in both English and Spanish—in print and on the website.
What would you suggest to people who want to continue this discussion or get more involved with these topics?
I have been invited to come in once a month in order to keep providing the Latinx community with the right information, resources and support. People are encouraged to tune in and call if they have questions. For those who are interested in other ways of getting involved or giving back to the community, I would refer them to the member centers where they can learn about the “Men Can Stop Rape” Campaign, the Counselor Advocacy Training, upcoming Sexual Assault Awareness Month events, and so on. More information is available at our website: EndSexualViolenceCT.org