Get Involved. Grow the Solution.
It is estimated that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men will be sexually assaulted in their lifetimes. By recognizing how common sexual violence really is, you can help prevent it by raising awareness among friends, family and your community.

How can the average person help?
By doing your part to establish a social climate where people take action to eliminate sexual violence, you can help create a safer world.

Examine your own knowledge, opinions, and attitudes

• Educate yourself about gender inequality and the root causes of sexual violence
• Know that past sexual contact does not give someone the right to further contact with you, and one kind of contact does not justify another
• Take charge of your actions by controlling your desires

Speak up and reach out

• Challenge jokes that glorify or downplay sexual violence, sexual harassment, or sexism
• Find out how you can join with others to end sexual violence by visiting pcar.org and/or contacting your local rape crisis center

Encourage smart and safe choices

• Trust your gut if you ever feel uncomfortable in a situation
• Be in charge of your own life and decisions
• Be cautious about going into private areas alone with anyone you don’t know and trust
• Make it a double date the first time you go out with someone
• Don’t mix sexual decisions with drugs and/or alcohol
• Protect yourself from date rape drugs by avoiding open containers and closely watching your drink
• Don’t allow anyone to manipulate you or put pressure on you to have sex
• Communicate clearly what you do and do not want
• Avoid individuals who don’t listen to you, ignore your personal space, try to pressure you with guilt or accusations of being “uptight,” express sexist attitudes and jokes, act jealous or possessive

How can the community help?
Community leaders

• Support your local rape crisis center efforts/school programs
• Promote sexual violence prevention strategies that are effective locally
• Honor local heroes who are positive role models
• Work with local artists to create public art that illustrates healthy relationships

Law enforcement

• Participate in community efforts to prevent sexual violence
• Demonstrate healthy uses of power

Health care

• Talk with patients about healthy, consensual sexual activity
• Incorporate sexual violence screening tools into routine examinations
• Provide community referrals to victims of sexual assault

Religious leaders

• Schedule sexual assault awareness training for clergy staff and laypersons
• Invite a survivor of sexual assault to speak at your place of worship
• Promote compassion and appreciation for diversity; teach skills for building nurturing, nonviolent relationships

Family

• Start a dialogue with your children about what a healthy relationship looks like
• Help children critically evaluate TV programs, music lyrics, video games and other forms of pop culture for sexist or gender-degrading messages
• Encourage children to value the uniqueness of all people
• Establish rules about appropriate online usage – explain the dangers of meeting online “friends” in person and the importance of censoring visitors to blogs, personal Web pages, etc.

School teachers and administrators

• Encourage students to surround themselves with positive influences
• Support students in reaching out to at-risk peers
• Invite rape crisis center to educate teachers and students
• Promote healthy activities that encourage inclusion and sportsmanship
• Adopt zero tolerance policies for sexual harassment, bullying and sexual abuse

Employers

• Promote a violence-free workplace
• Enforce policies that guard against sexual harassment and bullying
• Support community programs that benefit employees’ health and well-being

Youth

• Act as a positive role model for peers
• Speak out against inappropriate behavior
• Show respect by valuing others’ decisions