Washington State has embarked on the implementation of a contemplative, systematic plan focused on moving us toward our ultimate goal. Prevention, and more specifically, social change work were identified as essential components to include in our range of activities.
All of us together have designed service structures, implemented new strategies (community development) and provided services to survivors in addition to educating ourselves and communities about the multi-faceted issue…
The publication is organized into five sections in addition to the appendix:
Each section consists of a brief overview of the supporting community development concept and a first person narrative from the facilitator of the community development process. It is our hope that information in this…
The purpose of this guide is to help a survivor or guardian of a child survivor understand the advantages and disadvantages of suing the perpetrator or other responsible parties in civil court. It is not legal advice and should not be substituted for the advice of an attorney. Consulting with an attorney can help a survivor determine what laws apply to their situation and what claims they may have against the perpetrator or other parties.
This guide was last updated in 2004, so…
"Is feminism still valid?" is the question that became the basis of this issue of Connections. As we began to contemplate that question it came became clear that the question has always been, "Is feminism valid?" First wave feminism, the women's suffrage movement 1860-1920, was viewed as a radical doctrine, focused on dividing the genders. It was thought to be a construct of white, middle class, heterosexual, educated women. Second wave feminism, the women's liberation movement 1960 - 1982,…
Prevalence statistics consistently show a high incidence of sexual victimization among people with disabilities. In spite of this fact, people with disabilities are not significantly represented as clientele of traditional sexual assault delivery systems.
This issue of the "Research and Advocacy Digest" provides specific information about sexual violence within various communities of people with disabilities. Furthermore, this digest highlights resources that explore socio-political…
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.
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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:
Planned Parenthood of New England has created cognitively accessible curriculum, which includes:
Participants will learn about:
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…
Program created by Safe Place in Austin, TX. The youth leadership and school-wide components offer a chance to work across the social-ecological model on the primary prevention of
The Faith Trust Institute created this healthy relationship and violence prevention curriculum comprised of
Teens are given skills to combat violence and develop healthy relationships.
Shifting Boundaries is an intervention designed to reduce the incidence and prevalence of dating violence and sexual harassment among adolescents. The intervention consists of two parts:
The intent of these presentations is to provide a starting place or a template for your program when responding to requests, typically from schools, for basic information or awareness raising presentations. 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’…
Sexual violence is an endemic social problem in the U.S. The victim blaming attitudes of the civilian world often spill into military service, and those attitudes carry over into tours of duty. While the military has been in the spotlight for failing to support victims and respond to and prevent sexual assault, civilian criminal justice systems regularly and systematically fail victims too, and leaders in all forms of institutions fall short of adequately understanding and addressing the…
The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape created this curriculum with the goal of empowering youth to make healthy decisions. Each of the 11 sessions includes planning and facilitation notes.
Curriculum themes:
Limited Release of Information Forms - These forms were created by Julie Field, founder of The Confidentiality Institute and the Safety Net Project, National Network of Domestic Violence. (2008, last revised 2010). They can be downloaded and modified to include your agency information.
The MVP Model was created by Northeastern University’s Center for the Study of Sport in Society and Jackson Katz. Approaches youth as potential bystanders, not victims or perpetrators, to sexual violence, bullying, and harassment. Playbooks use scenarios in order to build bystander response skills. Official training of trainers is available.
Originally designed to engage student-athletes and student leaders to use their social influence over peers however can be used to engage a wide…
Step UP! is a prosocial behavior and bystander intervention program that educates students to be proactive in helping others.
The intent of these presentations is to provide a starting place or a template for your program when responding to requests, typically from schools, for basic information or awareness raising presentations. 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 needs, experiences, and resources. The slides contain detailed notes and considerations for the trainer.
…Service providers generally view sexual assault victims in rural areas as an underserved population, mostly because of a well-recognized, low rate of reporting and because of the often dispersed nature of services. Rural populations are often marginalized from mainstream power structures, which hold more opportunities for assistance, services, and resources.
Barriers for survivors in rural areas include:
Washington State law includes sex offenses and other related crimes, as well as benefits and protections for victims. The following list is adapted from the Sexual Violence Law Center:
