Culturally Specific

When youth in one study were asked if they knew "where to find resources for GLBT youth experiencing dating violence," only 10% identified domestic violence or sexual assault services (Freedner et al., 2002). Many sexual assault programs struggle to reduce barriers for teens to access their services; in the case of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning) youth, the barriers may be even more substantial. It's important to note that the term "teen dating violence,"…

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…

Have you ever wondered whether it was okay to include a portion of someone else's work on your website, in your training curriculum, in a community presentation, or in a publication? Have you had concerns about protecting work that your organization has developed? These are important issues, and a little basic knowledge about intellectual property rights will be helpful to any manager in the nonprofit field. As a manager, you will want to ensure that you inform others about policies and laws…

"For someone to heal from PTSD, one must learn how to control bodily reflexes. PTSD causes memory to be stored at a sensory level-in the body. Yoga offers a way to reprogram automatic physical responses…What is beautiful about Yoga is that it teaches us—and this is a critical point for those who feel trapped in their memory sensations—that things come to an end."

—Bessel van der Kolk, MD, Trauma Specialist

As therapists working with sexual abuse…

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…

We've all heard the phrase "break the silence" and it has been an important part of raising awareness of sexual violence and giving survivors a chance to speak out. We must remember that if sexual violence occurs on a continuum then our prevention efforts must also. Taking a stand against gender-based street harassment is a good opportunity to reinforce the message that we are working to create social change and live in a world free of language, attitudes, and actions that support sexual…

It's almost back to school time so let's really talk about what we can do to help protect youth from some of the dangers associated with sexting.

Let's Talk Data

Check out the report Interdisciplinary Responses to Youth Sexting: Recommendations from the Youth Online Safety Working Group (YOSWG), which synthesizes current research findings and gives recommendations to respond and prevent to sexting as…

There's a lot of prevention work happening all over the place. There's lots of ways to get "plugged in" to find out what is being done out there.

Google News Alerts

Google News is constantly crawling the web to index and deliver news and blog posts. You can setup custom news alerts and get things delivered right to your inbox.

I suggest a couple generic phrases like "sexual violence prevention" and "sexual assault…

Your work with parents is invaluable to the healing of child and teen survivors, families, and communities. Many programs have contacted WCSAP to inquire about resources and curricula for facilitating psychoeducational support groups for nonoffending parents and caregivers of children who have been sexually abused.

This guide includes:

• considerations for facilitators,
• a complete 8-week curriculum,…

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…

As a Community Sexual Assault Program manager, you are subject to a formal evaluation process by your supervisor, whether that is the Board, an Executive Director (if you do not also fill that role), or someone else. However, most of us really want to know how we are doing at our jobs — and for managers, that means getting feedback from those who are supervised as well as those who supervise us. How do you get feedback from your staff in an appropriate manner without having them feel like…

This documentary is an adaptation of Jessica Valenti's 2009 bestselling book "The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity is Hurting Young Women." The documentary, which Valenti co-wrote the documentary with director Jeremy Earp, brings to life her argument by allowing the audience to see the pop-culture examples of the American media's problematical portrayal of women's sexuality.

The book and documentary both build upon Valenti's concept of the "purity myth," which she…

Including siblings in treatment permits families to realize the maximum benefits of therapy for the victim as well as each family member.

—Baker, Tanis, & Rice, 2001

A child can't help being affected in some way by the sexual abuse of a brother or sister, but siblings' needs are often overlooked.

Nonabused children whose siblings have been abused may have to deal with:

• confusion because adults do not…

The annual performance review can be an excellent opportunity to work individually with staff members to enhance their skills and abilities as well as their job satisfaction. Some managers (and some employees) dread performance reviews, seeing them as the venue for telling unwelcome truths. Done properly, however, these meetings can enhance your relationships with staff and volunteers.

• There should not be any surprises. Performance problems should be…

Twitter is a social networking tool that allows people to share short messages instantly. Messages are called Tweets and must be equal to or less than 140 characters. You can easily share information and see what others share.

Read Twitter 101 to get started!

Using Twitter

It's up to each…

This issue of the Digest focuses on research about children and teens that have come into contact with the criminal justice system because they are victims of crime. We know that one in four girls and one in six boys are sexually abused before the age of 18. When these crimes are reported, those individuals typically become involved with the criminal justice system.

As advocates, we recognize that the justice system can be complex, confusing, and often unpredictable. These concerns…

This presentation is designed for sexual assault advocates who work with caregivers of children with a history of sexual abuse and who may be exhibiting sexual behavior problems.  The presentation will include information regarding typical sexual development, as well as how to distinguish typical sexual behavior from problematic sexual behavior for children ages 12 and younger.  Common misconceptions about children with sexual behavior problems will be dispelled.  This presentation will…

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?

Feel enthused, refreshed, and appreciated!

Talk to other prevention folks!

Fight isolation by building relationships with others working to end sexual violence. Chat about…

It's no wonder that many of us spend time working to prevent sexual violence with children and young people. Since the goal is to prevent first-time victimization and perpetration of sexual violence, we need to start giving tools and changing norms early on. Of course we also know that prevention work needs to span individuals, communities, and society and those social change efforts need to continue over the life span.

Young people are immersed in youth culture and can offer…

Ending sexual violence in our communities takes all of us. Involving boys and men in our prevention work can benefit the prevention field, men, and the community. Here are a few considerations and resources to use when engaging men in prevention.

Why engage men in prevention?

These are just a few reasons — challenge yourself to come up with more & then put them to action!

• While the majority of sexual violence is committed by men…

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.

Communication that leads to action

There are many approaches…

Those in the non-profit field work hard to keep or expand funding sources in order to offer more to their community. Expanding primary prevention services can benefit the whole community though! Here are some highlights of funding sources out there and tips for writing those funding requests!

Finding Funding

Close to Home

• A community free of sexual assault benefits everyone, so talk to community organizations about how they can support…

Besides having fun, kids are trying to figure out how to make their way through the social environment and feel accepted. It is our role to help create a change in the social environment that makes it "uncool" to use violence and ultimately to be a bully.

Enhance bullying prevention programs in schools and community organizations:

• Create environments free from violence and hostility in which kids feel safe and can trust adults.…

Service providers from all disciplines — medical and mental health, law enforcement, the courts, education, child welfare, and advocacy — can offer trauma-informed services to those they serve. Trauma-informed services approach people from the standpoint of the question "What has happened to you?" rather than "What is wrong with you?" It is important to note that providing trauma-informed services does not mean service providers must determine exactly what has happened to an individual.…

Inside parents can find out about healthy sexual development for children, why it is important to talk to children about sexuality, and tips for having these conversations. It's a great way to get the conversation started!

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