Advocacy

In this workshop, we will cover the basics about the neurobiology of trauma, how trauma stores in the body, and how bodywork can be an important part of ongoing care after the initial crisis. Specifically, we will discuss the “freeze” response: a nearly universal trauma response that saves us in the short term, and can also create long term physical holding and chronic pain. Bodywork can be an incredibly effective modality for addressing the freeze response, healing trauma in general, and…

Our mental and physical health are interwoven and connected and as such trauma is stored in both our brains and our bodies. Both can be impacted by healing touch. These recourse are created to be shared with survivors. The following packet includes:

• A guide to recognizing trauma in the body
• A guide to self care for trauma stored in the body
• A guide for finding a trauma-informed practitioner of body work
• A zip file with Instagram (4) and Facebook (4…

In this discussion guide, we examine the Netflix limited series “Unbelievable.” We hope this guide can assist programs in facilitating conversations about the experience of sexual assault survivors interacting with the criminal justice systems and the aftermath of sexual trauma. 

After the 2019 legislative session, the Statute of Limitations (SOL) law was updated to eliminate the SOL for specific sexual assault crimes, and modify it for others. This law is not retroactive, meaning sexual assault crimes committed prior to this law’s effective date (July 28, 2019) cannot be prosecuted according to this new law. RCW…

During the 2019 legislative session, legislation specific to the work of child sexual assault multi-disciplinary teams, or MDTs, was included. House Bill 5465: a law to direct multi-disciplinary teams to develop and implement protocols for online and commercial sexual exploitation was successfully passed. Included in this law is language clarification regarding information sharing between MDT…

The Adverse Childhood Experiences study (ACEs) is a longitudinal study; a research method in which the data was gathered about ACEs over a long period of time. This study also serves as an ongoing tool for measuring the relationship between early life trauma and later life health and wellbeing. This Advocacy Station explores the survey and research findings of the original Kaiser-CDC study.

We will also examine the ways in which the study has been useful to our understanding of early…

Shared Language

Commercial sexual exploitation of children, or human trafficking, is when a commercial sex act is exchanged for something of value with a minor, and/or when force, fraud, or coercion are present. The legal and cultural language around what we refer to as “commercial sexual exploitation” has evolved over time. We’ve shifted the use of our language to match our current understanding of the power dynamics, legalities, and the lived experience of young people that…

This Advocacy Station explores interpersonal strategies and individual approaches to compassion satisfaction and resilience building.

Confidentiality: a Core Value

Children and teens experience power disparity as they navigate a world created by adults, and this socialization is compounded in the powerlessness caused by sexual violence. As advocates practice confidentiality with child and teen survivors of sexual violence, we challenge the inherent power adults have over children and youth. Advocates can constantly check personal bias about children and teens, and avoid assumptions that we know what is best for…

Faith communities can be both a place of healing and a place of pain for survivors. As is true with all institutions, there are structures and practices that can both protect and harm individuals.

It is important to emphasize that specific religions do not cause abuse to happen; rather we must examine the ways in which people play a part in creating an environment of silence within religious institutions. Silence becomes embedded in the organizational practices of institutions but…

Adultism: Power and Control

Power is not inherently good nor bad, but it is used to benefit or target individuals along a spectrum of accessibility. We can easily identify ways in which racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, etc., manifest in our society, and how they might intersect with each other. We can also see how individuals and groups of people who have less access to power, or who are targets of power, are more vulnerable to sexual violence. Sexual violence is indeed about…

Sexual assault often goes unreported and this can be especially true for assaults committed against men and boys. We know that sexual assault against men and boys is not new but rather has remained invisible as a result of the societal myths about men's sexuality and the cultural norms around masculinity. These influences can be extremely harmful to male survivors' healing.

Addressing the misconceptions and stereotypes that have served to silence male survivors, both within our…

Therapists can be a critical component of a child's support system and healing process following abuse. However, many children are reluctant to participate in counseling because they don't want to talk about what happened or they may believe that going to therapy means something is wrong with them. While there are significant areas of overlap between a therapist and an advocate, it is because of their differences that they are both important members of a child's professional team after a…

For many survivors, coming forward and accessing resources also includes the pursuit of justice. However, personal feelings of justice do not always align with the traditional models of punishment-based responses that are seen as the only pathway to justice. In cases of child sexual abuse these models of justice can be even trickier to navigate due to the complicated contexts and relationships involved.

For these reasons, the framework of Transformative Justice can be helpful in…

In studies of adults who were sexually abused as children, two out of three said they never told anyone about the abuse during childhood (London, Bruck, Ceci & Shuman). Accordingly, we can expect survivors may not seek help until they are adults. As advocates, we should feel prepared to work with adult survivors who may no longer be in an immediate danger of assault and meet these survivors in varied places along the healing spectrum. Here are some considerations in your advocacy with…

Sex and sexuality are important and integral parts of most young people’s lives, and survivors of sexual abuse and assault are no exception. In fact, survivors may find it more necessary to explore their sexual identity and more complex to navigate engaging in sexual activity. This may be due to real, projected, or feared impacts of sexual assault on aspects of sexuality, including sexual identity, sexual relationships, and sexual experiences. As advocates, it’s crucial we provide space for…

Attention to commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) in the U.S. has increased significantly with passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) and its subsequent reauthorizations. Understandably, most of the focus of law enforcement, government, media, policy makers, service providers, researchers, and funders has been on commercial sexual exploitation of girls (CSEG).

Commercially sexually exploited boys (CSEB), on the other hand, who may be considered too few…

In this informational session, participants will gain:

• Understanding of the methods and types of exploitation.
• Knowledge of common red flags and risk factors of Commercial Sexual Exploitation
• Over view of the basic steps of response to CSEC (Reporting & Exit Process)

The intent of this presentation is to provide a starting place or a template for your program when responding to requests, typically from corrections agencies, for presentations for staff or incarcerated people about advocacy services. The concept of advocacy may be a new one for corrections staff and for incarcerated people. We have included the key points and best practice approaches to discussing the topic and expect you may customize some aspects of the slides to meet your community’s…

Often in advocacy we are asked by survivors “why didn’t I fight? Why am I not a fighter?” This information can be useful to share with survivors and help them be able to think more kindly about their body/brain’s reaction to the violence they experienced.

The Amygdala's Role in Stress Response

The brain’s job is to take care of the body. The brain is divided into four key areas: the neocortex/cerebrum, the cerebellum, the limbic system, and the brainstem. Each area focuses…

Advocates and therapists have important roles in promoting the healing of survivors of childhood and teen sexual abuse, as well as survivors' nonoffending family members. When we work together, we can develop strong partnerships that ensure survivors have therapy options that are relevant to their needs. This offers survivors and their families a continuum of care that can help ease, and possibly hasten, the path of healing.

This booklet was developed for advocates and aims to…

As sexual assault advocates, we seek to provide thoughtful, client-centered services to a survivor left vulnerable and traumatized after they have experienced sexual violence.

But what do you do when the client may feel difficult to work with because of their own personality or background?
How do you advocate for a nonresponsive client, a client with cognitive disabilities, or a client who is in constant chaos?

In this webinar, we will look at common client scenarios…

As advocates in the Anti-Sexual Violence Movement, we are all too familiar with the term and impacts of vicarious trauma. How then do we relieve ourselves of the imprints that a survivor’s story leaves on us? An important way of coping with the intensity of the work is to first acknowledge that it WILL affect you.

In an organization plagued with policies and procedures sometimes we forget to implement “practices.” A few practices to consider are:

• …

Many young people feel being pressured into having sex or participating in a sexual act before one feels entirely ready is a normal part of growing up; this is especially true if they have received little to no healthy relationship and sex education. However, we know this is a form of sexual violence and advocates working with youth have a unique opportunity to debunk this myth. Every person has complete control over their body and choice with whom and when they decide to hug, kiss, have sex…