What is Sexual Violence?
According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s (NSVRC), “Sexual violence occurs when someone is forced or manipulated into unwanted sexual activity without their consent. Consent, by definition, means permission for something to happen or agreement to do something.
What is Primary Prevention?
Primary prevention is “stopping violence BEFORE it starts by creating environments that promote respect, equality, civility, healthy relationships, and healthy sexuality.” For some, an easy way to think of primary prevention is to think of it as social norms change.
What is Healthy Sexuality?
The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) defines healthy sexuality as “having the knowledge and power to express sexuality in ways that enrich one’s life. It includes approaching sexual interactions and relationships from a perspective that is consensual, respectful and informed.
What is Domestic Violence?
Domestic Violence is a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, phycological, or technological actions or threats of actions or other patterns of coercive behavior that influence another person within an intimate partner relationship.
Adolescents and Sexual Violence Prevention
Karen Pittman of The Forum for Youth Investment said, “Youth are resources to cultivate, not problems to fix!” Do you know any teenager that wants to have their way? Allowing teenagers to be their own agents for change engages them to take a stand and is a powerful means to prevent sexual violence.
Tools for Change and Action Steps
The Spectrum of Prevention is a comprehensive strategy tool that can be used to prevent violence. Each of the six (6) strategy levels are considered an intervention, but when used together, the Spectrum becomes a more effective force to prevent sexual violence.
PREA Resources and Information
The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) was enacted in 2003 with strong bipartisan support and signed into law by President George W. Bush. PREA is founded on the guiding principle that “rape is not part of the punishment.”