NSVRC Blogs

Coming off of the heels of the virtual American Library Association’s 2020 annual conference, I find myself reflecting on the resiliency of libraries as a whole. In a time of turbulence and uncertainty, it was encouraging for me to learn what other libraries and librarians are doing within their states and communities. The virtual platform was certainly not as warm and inviting as attending in person, but I walked away feeling a sense of pride in this profession.  That pride continues as I am eager to let everyone know that the Respect Together Libraries are open and continuing to thrive

Chrystul Kizer is a Black 19-year-old survivor of childhood sexual abuse and assault who was released on bond last week after having been jailed for two years awaiting trial for killing the person who trafficked her for commercial sexual exploitation. Chrystul is a sex trafficking survivor whose self-defense and survival was criminalized. Chrystul is not alone in facing the criminalization of survival. Black women and girls who experience sexual and domestic violence and other forms of abuse are at greater risk for incarceration due to racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression. At a

We know that ending institutionalized and systemic racism is vital to ending sexual violence. The mainstream movement to end sexual violence has historically been tied to working in systems, including the criminal justice system. We know that a lot of people in our movement and beyond are thinking, reading, and taking action to end the racist violence of those systems, including Black women and other advocates who have been doing this work for years and even decades. We also know that advocates may be encountering or taking this work seriously for the first time. Our team has been sharing

Below are reports, studies, articles, and other resources that highlight the intersectionality between LGBTQ issues and racial justice.  LGBTQ Youth of Color 2019 Black and African American LGBTQ youth report — Human Rights Campaign This resource draws on data from the 2018 HRC LGBTQ Youth Report to highlight the experiences of respondents who identified part or all of their ethnoracial identity as either Black or African American. LGBTQ Elders of Color Health Equity and LGBT Elders of Color: Recommendations for Policy and Practice — Services and Advocacy for GLBT

We stand together with all voices affirming Black humanity and dignity. We share the global grief following the murder of George Floyd by Derek Chauvin, as well as the killings of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Dreasjon Reed, David McAtee and the many acts of racist violence perpetrated against Black people over centuries. Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) and National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) denounce police brutality in all its forms and acknowledge the recurrent problem of racial bias in the criminal justice system that cannot be disentangled from our country's

Este blog fue originalmente escrito en inglés e incluye ligas a materiales que pueden no estar disponibles en español. Un día a la vez. Estamos haciendo lo mejor que podemos para ofrecerte el mejor servicio mientras todos enfrentamos este tiempo tan difícil lleno de incertidumbre. Nuestras vidas diarias están cambiando en forma drástica, lo que hace más crítico nuestra habilidad para estar disponibles el uno para el otro mientras respondemos a la pandemia del coronavirus (COVID-19). Al mismo tiempo que aprendemos sobre COVID-19, también descubrimos la manera en que la pandemia afecta

Did you know? The National Sexual Violence Resource Center and the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape have developed dozens of online learning tools, and they are all available to you for free!  With so much content, we have created lists of courses for you to use if you want to learn something new or brush up on old skills. These lists in no way encompass all of the great materials our campus has to offer, so sign up and take whatever looks interesting to you. Here is a video on how to get started: And here is where to sign up. Below are some topics to get you started: Advocacy

PRESS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Honorees include lawmakers, survivor activists, longtime advocates, nurse examiners, law enforcement and more HARRISBURG, PA – The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) announced today 24 recipients of its 2020 Visionary Voice Awards — a diverse group of honorees from across the country who represent a wide range of disciplines and were selected for their outstanding work toward ending sexual harassment, misconduct and abuse.   This year’s recipients include Maine State Senator Erin Herbig, who sponsored bills to increase the statute of

By Laura Palumbo and Susan Sullivan Each of us has a survivor of sexual assault, harassment, or abuse in our lives. In some cases, we know someone identifies as a survivor because they have trusted us with this information. More commonly, we move through our lives and relationships alongside the unspoken reality of those who have experienced the trauma of sexual abuse. Author and survivor Maya Angelou said, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” When someone you know shares their story of sexual trauma with you, it is a sacred gift of honesty, vulnerability, and

I want to say this upfront: I am not a parent. I spent my late teen years and early career working with children as a nanny, classroom assistant, child advocate, and a prevention educator. But I don’t know what it’s like to parent a child 24/7. So, I asked my parenting co-workers to send me some of their thoughts, ideas, tips, and resources for coping as a parent in this crisis — and did they ever come through! I’m honored to bring some of their thoughts and ideas to this post.  We acknowledge that this is a very difficult time for parents. A lot of parents are lacking support for