A webinar with Teresa M. Stafford (Cleveland Rape Crisis Center).
Sexual assault against Women of Color has historically been an attack not only against their identities as women but their racial identity as well. Research indicates that Women of Color are often at elevated risks for sexual assault and that their experience of sexual assault is usually made more complex by factors such as race, socioeconomic status and lack of culturally appropriate services. This presentation connects the historical sexual assault of Women of Color and its implications for how society responds to Women of Color survivors today. Teresa M. Stafford is the Senior Director of Victim Services and Outreach at Cleveland Rape Crisis Center (CRCC).
Teresa oversees the agency’s 24-hour response to survivors, criminal justice advocacy, Project STAR (sex trafficking, advocacy and recovery), Hogar Conseulo and administers professional development trainings across the state and on a national level. Teresa has over 20 years of experience providing direct service to both offenders and victims of crime, with a specialization in sexual violence, domestic violence and families of homicide victims. Teresa attended Tiffin University majoring in Criminal Justice Administration. Prior to joining CRCC she held the position of Witness-Victim Coordinator for Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, where she oversaw the creation of the Witness Victim Unit.