Healthy sexuality is an important component of preventing sexual violence. Therefore there are several resources that can be incorporated into prevention programs. We know that it is important to deliver prevention programming that is socio-culturally relevant and developmental appropriate. So when working with youth or adults with developmental or cognitive disabilities, finding resources that are tailored to this community may be helpful.
Here are three curricula that focus on…
Mientras seguimos avanzando con este “nuevo normal” que nos ha dejado la pandemia, es natural y esperado que ambos niños y padres sientan un aumento en su ansiedad. Esto es frecuentemente empeorado por la falta de privacidad generada por tener a toda la familia en casa- trabajando desde el hogar, o haciendo estudios escolares en línea. En situaciones como estas, es importante tener estrategias adicionales para poder facilitar este nuevo desafío. En esta serie nos estaremos enfocando en…
We are trying to prevent a social problem: sexual violence is epidemic. Since we are tackling such a large issue, our efforts can draw disagreements or resistance. It is easy to fall into the argument trap, and try to fight fire with fire. After all, if they only understood, how could they possibly disagree?
Statistics are a natural thing to reach for when justifying arguments or preparing presentations. For you and me, statistics might tell a rich…
Prevention work can be rewarding but also challenging. We want to help to facilitate positive social change within our communities but sometimes we run into obstacles or aren't sure we're making an impact. How can we stay motivated to do this work?
We know that our community members receive a lot of information about health, wellness, safety, and other public health issues. How do we make our message about the importance of sexual violence prevention really stick? How do we motivate them to choose the healthy, non-violent attitudes and behaviors? The way in which we convey our messages in person, through resource materials, and with media are all important.
There are many approaches…
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…
This tip is about consent-now I know you might be thinking, again? But hear me out.
Yes, consent is a fairly common topic area in sexual assault prevention, and there are good reasons for that. Far too often though we come up with reasons why we CANNOT teach consent. Things like the kids I'm working with are too young for that, or the school doesn't let us talk about sex. And this is why this Tip is about consent... without sex.
A recent…
This Guide is a supplement to the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs' (WCSAP) general guide to psychoeducational support groups, Circle of Hope. Circle of Hope provides information about the nature of psychoeducational groups and how they differ from self-help and therapy groups. In addition, there is general…
The bystander approach is a promising approach to sexual violence prevention as it encourages the community to take ownership of sexual violence as a problem and speak up when they witness potentially dangerous situations or sexist language. Other benefits of this approach include reducing victim blaming, includes everyone (gets men involved in a community issue, not a women's issue), and gives the community an opportunity it foster social change. Even so, it can be intimidating to become an…
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 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…
