Service providers generally view sexual assault victims in rural areas as an underserved population, mostly because of a well-recognized, low rate of reporting and because of the often dispersed nature of services. Rural populations are often marginalized from mainstream power structures, which hold more opportunities for assistance, services, and resources.
Barriers for survivors in rural areas include:
The Faith Trust Institute created this healthy relationship and violence prevention curriculum comprised of
Teens are given skills to combat violence and develop healthy relationships.
Planned Parenthood of New England has created cognitively accessible curriculum, which includes:
Participants will learn about:
Washington State law includes sex offenses and other related crimes, as well as benefits and protections for victims. The following list is adapted from the Sexual Violence Law Center:
The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape created this curriculum with the goal of empowering youth to make healthy decisions. Each of the 11 sessions includes planning and facilitation notes.
Curriculum themes:
Commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) and youth, commonly known as sex trafficking, is a type of sexual violence that occurs when minors are forced, tricked or coerced into sexual activity for commercial exchange. Commercial exchange could include payment in the form of money, or anything of value to the youth (food, drugs, clothes, a place to sleep, social acceptance). Commercial sexual exploitation affects youth of all genders, sexual orientations, economic classes, races, and…
The MVP Model was created by Northeastern University’s Center for the Study of Sport in Society and Jackson Katz. Approaches youth as potential bystanders, not victims or perpetrators, to sexual violence, bullying, and harassment. Playbooks use scenarios in order to build bystander response skills. Official training of trainers is available.
Originally designed to engage student-athletes and student leaders to use their social influence over peers however can be used to engage a wide…
Shifting Boundaries is an intervention designed to reduce the incidence and prevalence of dating violence and sexual harassment among adolescents. The intervention consists of two parts:
Intimate Partner Sexual Violence (IPSV) can be defined as any unwanted sexual contact or activity by an intimate partner with the purpose of controlling an individual through fear, threats or violence. It can affect anyone from teens to elders.
A question often posed to us is, "how much do I try to get a child to talk about their sexual abuse?"
We are all operating under the mandate of "do no harm." When working with a child who is not spontaneously engaging in trauma exposure, how do we know when trauma exposure is indicated and how do we go about engaging the child? What about the possibility we may further traumatize, further ingrain trauma responses, or create new trauma pathways? What about colluding with trauma…
WCSAP provides technical assistance on nonprofit management and organizational development issues to WCSAP member programs, other allied organizations, and statewide sexual assault coalitions across the nation. WCSAP strives to build the capacity of organizations to operate effectively to prevent sexual violence and to serve all victims. We provide specific technical assistance to help Community Sexual Assault Programs in Washington State to meet the accreditation requirements of the Office…
The King County Public Health Department created this comprehensive sexuality education and violence prevention curriculum. Students are exposed to developmentally appropriate and medically accurate information.
Addresses:
Toolkit developed in South Africa focused on ending different forms of violence in their communities, including domestic and sexual violence and the spread of HIV/AIDS.
This campaign engages men as
Step UP! is a prosocial behavior and bystander intervention program that educates students to be proactive in helping others.
A sexual assault protection order is a civil order issued by the court on behalf of a sexual assault victim. The order can require the alleged perpetrator to stay away from the victim or place(s) where the victim lives or works and to have no further contact with the victim.
Any person 16 or older who is a victim of sexual assault - including a single incident - may petition the court to obtain the order. Victims under…
Community Sexual Assault Programs (CSAPs) in Washington State receive their funding through the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy (OCVA). Every four years, each CSAP undergoes a rigorous accreditation process, whereby they are audited by an outside agency to ensure that sexual assault survivors have access to quality services across the state.
OCVA is responsible…
Please review these organizations' websites and inform yourself about their specific services, to ensure that the referrals you provide to survivors are appropriate. If a survivor you are working with has a legal need that cannot be addressed by these organizations, please contact WCSAP for technical assistance and to connect with other legal service providers and technical assistance providers.
This program, created by Jewish Women International, explores issues
of:
within a Jewish context.
Are you an inmate calling from a Washington prison, jail, or work release program or calling on behalf of an inmate?
In Washington State, there is a Sexual Assault Support and Information Line that is operated by an independent agency outside of the Department of Corrections.
…The Unitarian Universalist Association created this secular curriculum to help participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. It equips participants with accurate, age-appropriate information in six subject areas:
Each volume contains different…
Jewish Women International created a 6-session, 12-hour program to promote a healthy sense of dating, friendship, and self-esteem for young women within a Jewish context.
Participants are encouraged to explore these concepts through group discussions and individual writing exercises.
One way that we can continue to ensure that our work with survivors continues to build momentum throughout our lifespan is to offer information, resources and support that centers on all the ways survivorship can complicate tending to a survivor’s health or moving through the healthcare system. Annual exams, dentist appointments, abortions, STI testing and childbirth can be triggering and a supportive advocate can make a huge difference.
Advocates can work with survivors to create…
Over the last few years The White House has taken actions to call attention to the scope of campus sexual violence, provide guidance to schools on how to effectively respond when violence has occurred, improve Title IX enforcement, and prevent campus sexual assault.
The White House and partners have used many avenues such as launching a resource website and large-scale public awareness campaigns to start the conversation in communities. Additionally, The White House worked with the…
