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…
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a complex issue. The diagnosis was first acknowledged as a disorder of individuals experiencing the extreme stress of combat situations.
PTSD has now become a term familiar to the general public as well as a common diagnosis. This issue attempts to provide an overview of recent research on PTSD, particularly those aspects most directly related to victims of sexual assault.
…
Community development and social change strategies - something new? As the old song lyric says, "Everything old is new again."
When the state Sexual Assault Prevention Advisory Committee was convened by the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy in 1997 to explore and discuss sexual assault prevention approaches, it was a committee representative of the entire sexual assault prevention community. There were key representatives from the Department of Health, from the Office of the…
At WCSAP, we receive a lot of questions from advocates about the "ins and outs" of mandated reporting. Although Washington's law about mandated reporting is pretty straightforward, it can feel much more complex in practice. Here are some quick answers (that do not constitute legal advice) to some of the recent questions we have received on this topic:
WholeSomeBodies is a curriculum for adults who have children and youth in their lives. Includes a guide for facilitators and a participant workbook with activities and materials to support workshops that address topics such as:
Additional material addresses how to have difficult…
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:
There is a great deal of information related to the responsibility of colleges and universities to protect students and address sexual violence on campus. This information can be overwhelming to advocates and survivors alike. As advocates, our role is to focus on empowerment and choice with survivors and to know where to find information and resources related to campus systems, rather than memorizing the depth of federal law and policy.
Like…
Agent of Change is an online game which allows users to choose their reactions, creating pathways and customizing situations to the specific questions and needs of the student. Agent of Change addresses many forms of violence, and includes diverse characters. Continuously updated with student pre- and post- test data.
Intended to reduce instances of violence among diverse groups of youth by focusing on healthy relationship skills and bystander accountability. Developed and implemented in Los Angeles by Peace Over Violence.
Public awareness campaign created by the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance. Encourages bystanders to intervene when they witness peers in dating or sexual violence situations. The posters address:
Posters represent diversity of racial/ethnic backgrounds and both…
