NSVRC Blogs

(This blog post is the second post written to supplement the Risk and Protective Factors Infographic. You can find the first post here.) When we created this risk and protective factors infographic, everyone kept talking about specific examples we have seen play out in our communities. I really like examples, and find them especially helpful when I’m trying to learn a new theory or concept – like, what does that look like in real life? Show me how it works! Give me some examples that I can put into my brain to mull over. This means that in my own work, I am always incorporating examples –

Recipients include organizer Mariame Kaba, Colorado Senator Faith Winter, Cosby prosecutor Kristen Gibbons Feden, and Star Tribune Reporters   HARRISBURG, PA – The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) announced today 37 recipients of its 2019 Visionary Voice Awards — a diverse group of honorees representing a wide range of disciplines from across the nation who have been selected for their outstanding work toward ending sexual harassment, misconduct and abuse.   This year’s recipients include Mariame Kaba, a New York-based organizer, educator and curator whose work

My work and my passion is ending sexual violence – I’ve been in this movement for over 15 years in various roles, and I feel like one thing I’ve become good at is seeing how all of our different prevention efforts fit together. I can see how campus activists, policy-focused task groups, transformative justice workgroups, and folks who are training all of their church staff and volunteers on healthy boundaries are each important and interlocking pieces of the healthy society we are all creating together. I feel similarly about prevention theories (like the Public Health Model, the Social

This guest blog post is reposted with permission from Sharon M. Wasco, PhD. The original post appeared on Dr. Wasco’s blog at https://www.sharonmwasco.com/home/2019/4/3/i-ask. For more information about tools to help evaluate sexual violence prevention programs, visit the Evaluation Toolkit.   Sharon Wasco April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). I see the existence of SAAM, at the national level, as an indicator of lasting community change resulting from decades of work by activists, advocates, and survivors of sexual assault. April provides opportunities for anyone and everyone to

Sexual Assault Awareness Month– and the I Ask campaign — are now in full swing. Aside from being able to showcase some truly excellent resources on consent, we (in the library world) are also celebrating National Library Week April 7-13th. There is truly so much to be thankful for and to celebrate this month. The Respect Together Libraries have chosen to set up a display to help promote some of our excellent materials regarding consent and I am happy to present you with a couple of the books on display.  C is for Consent by Eleanor Morrison introduces the reader to Finn. While at a party, his

Parents play a critical role in teaching their kids about consent, respect, and boundaries. One of the most impactful ways that parents can teach kids about their bodily autonomy and respecting the boundaries of others is by modeling examples of everyday consent.  It might seem daunting at first to talk to your children about consent, but with the help of these resources, you may find that these are conversations and lessons that can grow and develop along with your child.  Here’s a round-up of resources for parents on how to teach and model consent: I Ask How To Teach Consent Early This

Supporters are Encouraged to Wear Teal on the Day of Action on April 2nd Harrisburg, PA – Inspired by public conversations following the #MeToo movement on how to build understanding and prevent sexual harassment, assault and abuse, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) is proud to launch the start of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) in April. This year’s SAAM campaign, ‘I Ask,’ pushes the conversation forward by championing the message that asking for consent is a healthy, normal and necessary part of everyday interactions.    NSVRC is calling on

I have the honor and privilege to be one of the librarians at Respect Together in charge of ordering books. It’s amazing to me that someone would let me in charge of the books, but they do. I find it a thrilling challenge to purchase new, unique, and quality materials for our library. Women’s history is also a fascinating subject for me. I have always enjoyed learning about those who have come before me and those who continue to work tirelessly so that I and others can have a life closer to what we deserve. In March we celebrate Women’s History Month, but it is also so important that

Inevitably, when an article is shared that shines a light on one group of survivors – such as teen survivors, Native American survivors, or male survivors –  some folks feel left out, confused, or even ignored. But why is that? And what value is there in looking at survivors from the perspective of their group identity? Before we begin to discuss why it is necessary to talk about identity and how this impacts survivors as individuals and in groups, it is necessary to lay groundwork for this important conversation by acknowledging a few key points.  Every survivor’s experience

There are many conversations happening around the opioid epidemic in the national dialogue, and one of those conversations is that this particular addiction mainly impacts white Americans. According to 2017 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as reported by the Kaiser Family Foundation, over 37,000 white Americans overdosed between 1999 and 2017 compared to 5,000 Black and 4,000 Latin@/x Americans. But this assumption is too simple; the issue of race and opioid use is complicated and nuanced.  We know that sexual violence and substance abuse are intertwined in