Resources

This issue of "Partners in Social Change" explores the ecological model of health behavior. As the word "ecological" implies, this structural model explores the relationship between human behavior and the environment. The beauty of the model lies in its assertion that our natural environment includes not only our corporeal surroundings, but also social and cultural forces, making the model particularly useful in program planning. It gives us a systematic approach to determine the appropriate…

The criminal legal system is designed to punish the wrongdoer. This is a process that involves multiple steps that can take up to a year or more to complete.

Reporting

A police report is made or child/adult protective services report is made. Reports to police are reviewed by detectives. Sometimes they will want more information, other times they will conclude there is enough information. On both occasions they may want to interview the victim.…

The information gathered from this survey highlighted those areas that require further attention and additional resources. It also identified that programs have been adaptive and innovative in responding to this problem despite existing resource and knowledge gaps. Some of the practices that are already being implemented, such as system coordination, have proven to be quite valuable in this context but we must also continue to expand our thinking and relationship-building efforts beyond…

The criminal justice system is not the only way for survivors of sexual assault to get their legal needs met. Because most victims never report to the police, most sexual assault victims are never involved in the criminal justice system. However, survivors may still have many legal needs that arise from being sexually assaulted.

Some issues that survivors may be concerned about, but do not necessarily think of as legal issues, are things such as:

• …

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…

Utilizing creative and concrete tools in this fun and interactive workshop by Queery, participants can enhance their school-based and organizational primary violence prevention projects. Although Queery's art-based education programs are designed by and for the LGBTQ+ BIPOC communities, the underlying concepts can be used across a variety of violence prevention platforms.

Queery's name comes from the combination of the sociological critical lens called "Queer Theory. " Queer theories…

How do you craft a psychoeducational support group for teen survivors of sexual abuse and assault that addresses their unique needs and acknowledges the effects of sexual violence in their lives? What practical steps do you need to take in forming and facilitating these support groups to keep them securely anchored in the values of our field? This webinar focuses on facilitator-tested steps to use empowerment-based advocacy principles, an anti-oppression framework, and trauma-informed…

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…

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.

It's About So Much More

A recent…

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…