Youth Summit 2023 - “He said, She said, They said.”

Written by: Vatauomalotetele V. Fanene
 
​The American Samoa Alliance against Domestic and Sexual Violence Youth Summit is an event focused on raising awareness and addressing the issues of domestic and sexual violence in American Samoa. The summit aims to bring together young people from different backgrounds to discuss these important topics, share experiences, and develop strategies for prevention and intervention.

Within 7 weeks, our interns had worked to develop and promote a collaborative project centered on a real-world problem. For this project, the interns were encouraged to plan, implement and organize a virtual Youth Summit, which was conducted on Thursday, 27th of July, 2023. This summit served as a platform for our youth and everyone to speak up and be heard. The discussion focused on “Victim Blaming”, and our goal was to promote awareness for all victims. The theme of this Summit was, “He said…She said…They said.”

The phrase, “He said, she said, they said” is often used to describe situations where conflicting accounts or testimonies are presented. In the context of a youth summit, it could refer to the importance of listening to and considering the perspectives and stories of all parties involved. It highlights the complexity of these issues and the need for open dialogue and understanding.
When a person falls victim to a crime or experiences harm, it is unfortunate that our society often resorts to victim blaming. This destructive behavior places the burden of responsibility on the victim rather than holding the perpetrator accountable. It is crucial that we break free from this harmful cycle and foster a culture of empathy, support, and understanding for victims. Victim blaming is a heavily ingrained norm in our Samoan Culture. By changing mindsets, victims can be better supported and help prevent further instances from happening.
Throughout this summit, we were enlightened to hear from Keynote speakers- Patrick Ti’a Reid, Dr. Kuini Tua’au, Jayleen Chun and Mary Anne Peck.
Mr. Reid went on to share about “What is victim blaming?” He shared that victim blaming can be defined as someone saying, implying, or treating a person who has experienced harmful or abusive behavior (such as survival of sexual violence) like it was a result of something they did or said, instead of placing the responsibility where it belongs: on the person who harmed them. Mr. Reid raised the question, “Why? Why do we place the blame on victims?” One psychology theory could be of the positive assumptive world view- the general belief that world is generally a good place- only good things happen to good people. Unfortunately, the reality of today is that sometimes bad things happen to good people too.
Dr. Kuini Tua’au went on to sharing of the cultural lens of victim blaming. Dr Tua’au shared that it is important to understand the cultural factors that contribute to the shame and stigma surrounding victim blaming. “In the Samoan culture, there is a strong emphasis on communal harmony, maintaining reputation, and preserving family honor. This can create a societal pressure to protect the family’s reputation by silencing victims and blaming them for the abuse they have experienced.” She states, “to address this, interventions should involve culturally sensitive approaches that aim to challenge harmful beliefs, provide education, and foster supportive environments that prioritize the well-being of survivors while respecting cultural values and practices.”

Following the cultural lens perspective, we heard from Jayleen Chun whom shared insight of her perspective lens of a fa’afafine. We learned of how fa’afafines become victims in different swarms of discrimination, oppression, neglect and mistreatment by society. We learned of how fa’afafines are also victims of sexual violence. With discrimination, this leads them to being in a vulnerable position. To avoid feeling vulnerable, their natural instincts is to be more feminine through their behavior, actions, and movements with the hopes of being acknowledged and accepted. Unfortunately, their sense of femininity are often times seen as sexual objects to be used. Many fa’fafaines are victims of sexual assault such as molestation and rape at a young age. Many of these incidents go unreported due to the fear of shame and embarrassment. Partial reason is because of the gender identity. They have a lot of stigmas facing their gender identity, they fear of being blamed more because they are simply “fa’afafine”.
So, how can we as a community prevent victim blaming? How can we show our support and be more understanding to victims? Here a few ways we can empower others to become agents of change in our community-

1. Expand your knowledge – (read, listen and learn from stories of victims.)
2. Be conscious of your own action- (show compassion and empathy, identify and unlearn ways that you may be victim blaming)
3. Culturally Sensitive Dialogue- (Engage in open and respectful dialogue with Samoan communities is crucial.)
4. Empower survivors
5. Acknowledge fa’afafine issues
6. Include fa’afafine language and rhetoric in our language dialogue.
7. Stop abusing and using fa’afafines.
8. Gender equality and gender equity.
9. Volunteer at the Alliance
In closing of our summit, Mrs. Mary Anne Peck shared a coping mechanism for victims. Mrs. Peck is the founder of Malaga Creative Co. We were fortunate to experience a live workshop of healing through writing. It is important that we find coping mechanisms to either move on or at least move through the emotions after a trauma. Journaling is a way to tell your story. The writing is for you. Whether you read it out loud, have someone else read it out for you or it is meant to remain silent on paper, it’s entirely up to you. Writing can help you gain insight of what you’ve been through. It could help you find meaning in certain experiences. It can allow you to explore different points of view, help practice how you talk to yourself, or help foster a habit of self-talk and become a sort of self-care practice. “Never underestimate the power that one person’s story can make.”
If you are a victim of domestic and/or sexual violence, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
I AM WITH YOU!