This issue of "Connections" presents relevant information and dialogue on the parallels of racism and a rape culture for those of us who work in the anti-rape community and who advocate on behalf of victims and survivors.
It is important that we break the silence and begin and continue dialoguing about these parallels to ensure that we continue to strengthen and cultivate a path that leads to social change and social justice.
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This documentary is an adaptation of Jessica Valenti's 2009 bestselling book "The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity is Hurting Young Women." The documentary, which Valenti co-wrote the documentary with director Jeremy Earp, brings to life her argument by allowing the audience to see the pop-culture examples of the American media's problematical portrayal of women's sexuality.
The book and documentary both build upon Valenti's concept of the "purity myth," which she…
According to a wave of recent new reports and high-profile books, "hookup" culture is in the process of replacing traditional dating on college campuses — radically altering how young people think about intimacy and sex, and liberating young women from patriarchal rituals and norms. But for anyone looking to get a handle on these allegedly transformative changes, there's been little beyond speculation and anecdotal evidence. This presentation by Stanford University's Paula England, a leading…
Sexual violence can be viewed many ways. Some of the more common perspectives are mental health, criminal justice, medical, social and political. In the 1970’s the anti-rape movement clearly operated from a socio-political analysis of the issue. As service delivery structures were created our analysis expanded to accommodate the collaborations taking place in the criminal justice, mental health and medical systems.
Over the past decade there has been a push to incorporate the public…
Statistics can help people who are not familiar with an issue to understand it better. In the case of statistics about sexual violence, they can help community members, allied professional partners, and funders understand
It is important to use statistics correctly…
While we do have an emerging evidence base for effective prevention programs, it is still relatively limited and may not be appropriate for the community you are working with. Sometimes we hear that a research evidence-base is the most important factor in programming. However here in Washington State, and many other places too, we also prioritize community specific, community-driven prevention initiatives and these do not always have an evidence-base established. This tip shares resources to…
