NSVRC Blogs

“With better information about sexual violence comes the opportunity to know which programs, policies, and practices have the most impact on prevention efforts; knowledge that brings us closer to our common goal of a future built on safety and respect.” Karen Baker, Managing Partner RALIANCE Threats of sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and sexual assault influence the daily choices of people around the world. Understanding the impact of these threats is important to the wellbeing of any company, and critical for any company that wants to develop an effective response. Accurately

Welcome to the first post in our Putting it into Practice: Diversity and Inclusion in Prevention blog series. The goal of this series is to highlight the work that folks are doing in to prioritize diversity and inclusivity in their prevention efforts. Our first blog was written by Mo Lewis, NSVRC’s Prevention Specialist.  I’ve facilitated a lot of trainings over the years, and when I say (as I do in every training) that sexual violence is inextricably linked to oppression – and that we won’t ever end sexual violence without ending all forms of oppression – I sometimes see a raised hand.

By Mira Yusef and Damary Rodriguez Did you know that May is Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month? I have to admit, I only learned this about two years ago. Since then, my colleagues and I have had some debates about whether we should continue to create content for heritage months (like Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month) or whether we should be posting all year round. On the one hand, we want to show-up for our fellow women of color, but on the other hand, we don’t want to just talk about these issues only during a part of the year. Not only that, but how do we talk about the

Mother’s Day is a holiday I’ve celebrated as long as I can remember – picking flowers from the backyard, making hand-drawn cards and construction paper hearts. This year, the day has a new significance for me, as I am forming a new identity as a mother pregnant with my first child who will be born in a few short weeks. This day has never felt as complicated as it does for me this year, and as I anticipate one of the greatest joys of my life, it brings a new appreciation and awareness for the untidy layers of emotion any experience brings. This Mother’s Day, I am reminded of all of the ways

USA Gymnastics alum Rachel Haines did not know that she was a victim (and now survivor) of Larry Nassar until other survivors went public with their descriptions of his abuse. Because of this, she preaches the importance of sharing and uplifting survivor stories because “it’s the stories that serve as lessons for other women.” In other words, by hearing what is considered unacceptable and what is abuse, we can all identify problematic situations where sexual abuse is occurring but doesn’t necessarily fit popular culture's narratives of what it looks like or what type of person

When someone commits sexual abuse over a long period of time, our first instinct may be to question how they were able to keep their crimes hidden. For many of us, it can be difficult to comprehend how red flags could go unnoticed, be explained away, or even be ignored. This can be especially true if there are multiple victims or witnesses and when the abuse takes place over years. Still, this pattern is not uncommon — it’s time to ask ourselves what we are missing.  Perhaps there is no greater example of this than USA Gymnastics national team doctor Larry Nassar, who was found guilty of

(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