NSVRC Blogs

Social justice means equal rights and equitable opportunities for all. True social change relies on actions and efforts at multiple levels, and it can begin with introducing youth to social justice books to help them better understand different cultures, people, and situations. Like adults, youth can identify inequity– they understand the world through their own personal interactions that develop over time. These interactions mold their sense of self and how they view others, including those from different racial, ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Teaching youth what equity is

El mes de concientización sobre la agresión sexual (SAAM, por sus siglas en inglés) resalta el hecho de que la violencia sexual es un asunto generalizado y afecta a todas las personas en la comunidad. El SAAM busca concientizar a la población acerca de la violencia sexual e informar a las comunidades sobre cómo prevenirla. El tema central del Mes de concientización sobre la agresión sexual 2023 es “Trazando conexiones: la prevención exige equidad”. La campaña hace un llamado a todas las personas, comunidades, organizaciones e instituciones al cambio: en nosotros mismos, así como en los

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a new report of findings from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The YRBS is a survey conducted every two years of a nationally representative sample of U.S. public and private high school students that monitors health-related behaviors and experiences including social determinants of health and protective factors.   According to the survey data from 2021 and 2022 , the number of teen girls who have reported experiencing sexual violence has increased (from 15% in 2017 to 18% in 2021). This is the first report

This Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, we reached out to One Love Foundation to continue the ongoing conversation about teen dating violence education and prevention. As a nonprofit that facilitates educational workshops from elementary schools to college campuses, they excel in their ability to speak to young people about understanding abusive behaviors in relationships and what healthy behaviors look like. Started in honor of the late Yeardley Love, a college student killed by her abusive boyfriend, One Love Foundation works each day to prevent such tragedies from happening

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM). The theme for this year is “Be About It!” This theme was selected by the love is respect Youth Council and is a continuation of last year’s theme “Talk about it.” Teen dating violence includes physical, emotional, sexual, or digital abuse in a current dating relationship or by a former dating partner. Young people experience violence at alarming rates. According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: Over 71% of women and over 55% of men first experienced intimate partner violence (sexual or physical violence,

Happy Holidays!  The holiday season can be a joyful and happy time but can also come with a ton of stress and anxiety (even if you welcome and enjoy the holiday season).  This time of year can also be a dark time for some especially for those who have lost someone.  Managing our mental health is important regardless of the time of year, but it is also essential during the holidays. Being around family or not being around family, triggers surrounding food, not having enough food,  and a packed holiday schedule can be stressful and sometimes harmful. The stress and pressure

The following list is meant to connect folks with resources that address an array of issues in the Indigenous and Native community.   Survivor & Domestic Violence Resources A Toolkit for Action Tribal Community Response When a Woman Is Missing  from National Indigenous Women's Resource Center   First Nations Sexual Health Toolkit from Native Youth Sexual Health   Indian Country Resource from the US Department of Justice   Indigenizing Love Toolkit from Western States Center   Missing Indigenous Sisters Tools Initiative from National Indigenous Women's

The holiday season is coming at us in full force. Before Halloween was over, stores began putting out anything sparkly, red/green, and Santa like, shoving anything having to do with Thanksgiving to a back corner. For many Americans, Thanksgiving is a time to come together to celebrate, despite what many of us learned in school about Thanksgiving. For many Native Americans, this is not a time of celebration. The entire month of November is dedicated to National Native American Heritage Month. One thing we can do at this time is to uplift the perspective and contributions of Native Americans.

All too often, white Americans mythologize our history to the point where we erase the horrors perpetrated by the leaders of our past. On Thanksgiving, we commonly celebrate the story of Native Americans and Pilgrims coming together while ignoring the centuries of bloodshed and trauma colonizers enacted upon the original inhabitants of this country.  Oppression is a root cause of sexual violence and stems from the violent past committed in the name of white supremacy. Rooted in history, institutional oppression is very much part of the nation today. Native women continue to

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just released a new report, The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2016/2017 Report on Intimate Partner Violence. This report  highlights the most recent findings from the the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Surivey (NISVS) specifically around experiences of intimate partner violence.  NISVS was launched in 2010 as an ongoing survey of sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence against adult women and men in the United States (at this point, CDC does not collect data about