Culturally Specific

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…

In this informational session, participants will gain:

• Understanding of the methods and types of exploitation.
• Knowledge of common red flags and risk factors of Commercial Sexual Exploitation
• Over view of the basic steps of response to CSEC (Reporting & Exit Process)

"Making Out Like a Virgin: Sex, Desire, and Intimacy After Sexual Trauma" is a collection of essays by survivors who have experienced many different kinds of sexual violence. This book fills an important gap in literature by and for survivors about healing from sexual violence across the lifespan.

Many of the essays explore the experiences survivors have with their sexuality decades after the assault. The authors write about sexuality from a variety of perspectives including essays…

Vision and mission statements are often used interchangeably, but differences do exist. A mission statement describes what an organization or business does and a vision statement describes what an organization or business hopes to achieve as a result of specific actions. Mission statements focus on the present and vision statements look into the future.

Recently rape crisis centers nationally and statewide have been tweaking aspects of their mission, vision, branding, and even agency…

The intent of this presentation is to provide a starting place or a template for your program when responding to requests, typically from corrections agencies, for presentations for staff or incarcerated people about advocacy services. The concept of advocacy may be a new one for corrections staff and for incarcerated people. 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…

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 Amygdala's Role in Stress Response

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…

The purpose of this tip is to help begin social justice conversations with kids (ages 10+) in the context of the film “Zootopia”. Often when looking for teaching tools to discuss social justice and violence, we go to educationally produced media. While these are often more intentional with their message, there is also a lot to be gained from utilizing pop-culture media. Although the film Zootopia remains true to the standard storytelling of Disney with the purpose of a feel good entertaining…

Advocates and therapists have important roles in promoting the healing of survivors of childhood and teen sexual abuse, as well as survivors' nonoffending family members. When we work together, we can develop strong partnerships that ensure survivors have therapy options that are relevant to their needs. This offers survivors and their families a continuum of care that can help ease, and possibly hasten, the path of healing.

This booklet was developed for advocates and aims to…

As sexual assault advocates, we seek to provide thoughtful, client-centered services to a survivor left vulnerable and traumatized after they have experienced sexual violence.

But what do you do when the client may feel difficult to work with because of their own personality or background?
How do you advocate for a nonresponsive client, a client with cognitive disabilities, or a client who is in constant chaos?

In this webinar, we will look at common client scenarios…

The Circle of Hope "Latin@ Support Group Guide" is intended to provide a basic outline for support group facilitators that are seeking to establish or enhance sexual assault support groups for adult Latin@ survivors in Washington State.

Recognizing the expertise current facilitators have working with Latin@ survivors and also acknowledging the need for new facilitators to obtain a basic foundation to build upon, this guide provides generalized guidelines for structuring, marketing,…

Sometimes taking over a new position can be overwhelming. There is a lot to learn and new directors often have to hit the ground running. Developing a personalized training plan can be an excellent way to identify your strengths as well as areas where you would benefit from additional training, support, or resources.

WCSAP has developed a Personal Assessment Tool…

As advocates in the Anti-Sexual Violence Movement, we are all too familiar with the term and impacts of vicarious trauma. How then do we relieve ourselves of the imprints that a survivor’s story leaves on us? An important way of coping with the intensity of the work is to first acknowledge that it WILL affect you.

In an organization plagued with policies and procedures sometimes we forget to implement “practices.” A few practices to consider are:

• …

Washington State has 37 accredited community based advocacy agencies serving each county, as well as many community based by and for community specific advocacy agencies. Some counties also have system based advocacy; many ask why have both and what are the differences? It is crucial for system partners, advocates and communities to understand the importance of the differences, and it is our role as community based sexual assault advocacy agencies to be able to clearly communicate this to…

Exploring Shared Risk and Protective Factors Across Multiple Forms of Violence

Connecting the Dots: An Overview of the Links Among Multiple Forms of Violence is a new resource co-developed by CDC's Division of Violence Prevention and the Prevention Institute. In this resource you will find the latest research on connections between different forms of violence and how these connections affect…

The Office for Victims of Crimes (OVC) has recently released two free resources that should be helpful to community sexual assault program managers:

• A downloadable publication called Strengthening Sexual Assault Victims' Right to Privacy that focuses on maintaining victim confidentiality. It contains key principles, information on challenges, and tips for advocates (…

The Office for Victims of Crimes (OVC) has recently released two free resources that should be helpful to community sexual assault program managers:

• A downloadable publication called Strengthening Sexual Assault Victims' Right to Privacy that focuses on maintaining victim confidentiality. It contains key principles, information on challenges, and tips for advocates (…

Many young people feel being pressured into having sex or participating in a sexual act before one feels entirely ready is a normal part of growing up; this is especially true if they have received little to no healthy relationship and sex education. However, we know this is a form of sexual violence and advocates working with youth have a unique opportunity to debunk this myth. Every person has complete control over their body and choice with whom and when they decide to hug, kiss, have sex…

At WCSAP we are always working to support programs. Sometimes that means taking time to stop and recognize the amazing work that’s being done and the strength, compassion, and drive it takes for advocates to provide ongoing services.

Recognizing Staff

Programs are generally really good at recognizing volunteers and contributors but sometimes they lose sight of those providing the services. Taking the time to genuinely show appreciation has proven to increase productivity,…

What are some of the unique considerations in working with trans and gender non-binary youth who have experienced sexual assault? Join this webinar to gain practical skills in working with trans/gender non-binary survivors who are pre-teens and teens.

Content will address unique issues and strategies of working with both trans youth from supportive family structures and youth who do not have stable home or school environments. Topics will include: barriers to accessing services,…

Diversity, non-discrimination, cultural competency, anti-oppression, & social justice are not synonyms — they are not words that replace one another, nor are they words that connote the same meaning or the same type of interaction.

As advocates and preventionists, it is vital that we take into account power relations and oppression. Advocating on behalf of survivors and being an ally includes thinking about services, survivors, and yourself in terms of diversity, non-…

All people need to be able to use the restroom that corresponds to their gender identity. This is a safety issue that arises for transgender people in places that are open to the public like gyms, restaurants, and retail stores. A unique issue for transgender youth is safe access to restrooms and locker rooms at school. According to the National Center for Transgender Equality:

…59% of trans students have…

In WCSAP's 2006 issue of Connections, Sexual Assault: Not Part of the Penalty, we explored the issue of sexual assault in correctional facilities. A lot has changed since then. Although the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) was passed in 2003 to address sexual assault and abuse in prison, it was not until 2012 and 2014 that the final PREA standards that govern implementation of this law took effect.

One thing that has not changed since our last exploration of the issue of…

Working with young people who have been sexually assaulted can often be a daunting task for advocates and volunteers. Often, sexual assault advocates are tasked with "specializing" in so many areas of victimization, that it becomes overwhelming. How can one use the expertise that they already have to their benefit when working with young people? What barriers stand in the way of serving youth in a relevant and empowering way? In this webinar, participants will get an overview of what makes…

For many of us music can have an important and influential role in our lives. It's more than just a means of enjoyment though, it can also be a platform for communicating social norms. That's why a lot of prevention efforts include media literacy skills. As preventionists, one of our biggest roles is to facilitate meaningful conversations that will help lead communities towards prevention that is personal and more likely to be effective. Therefore before diving right into the fun of…

Over the last several years, sexual assault service providers in our state have been working to enhance their response and accessibility to minor survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA). Ideally, we want to create communities that offer safety for young survivors to disclose abuse and agencies that are prepared to provide early intervention services. However, we know that for many reasons, CSA survivors may not disclose their abuse for years. Thus, we want to also be ready to meet the unique…