Take a Stand!

20 Things YOU Can Do to Prevent Sexual Violence

1. Raise the profile of sexual violence. Blog, tweet and chat about the issue in your social networking sites.  Let people know violence against women is not okay.  Tell everyone you know about the myths and realities of sexual violence.
2. Talk to one teenager this week about what makes a dating relationship healthy and what behaviors should not be tolerated.
3. Invite a Cleveland Rape Crisis Center educator to your place of work for a lunch-n-learn.
4. Ask administrators in your school district what they are doing to teach students in every grade level about sexual abuse and assault.  Cleveland Rape Crisis Center offers free, age-appropriate programs for preschoolers through adults.
5.  Care enough to reach out for help.  When something doesn’t seem right, say “what should we do first” instead of “should we do something?”  Question what should be done, not whether it should be done.
6. Reject jokes, TV shows, songs and YouTube clips that degrade women.  Violence is never funny.  Be courageous enough to say so.
7. Inquire about volunteering as a hotline advocate.
8. Send a letter or message to Mayor Jackson to thank him for appointing the Special Commission on Missing Persons and Sex Crimes Investigations.  Emphasize the need to follow through on the recommendations.
9. If you live in a suburb, send a message to your mayor inquiring about the municipality’s sexual assault investigation protocol.  Do they have one?  When was the last time it was updated?  What can your city learn from Cleveland’s Commission?
10. Take the time to learn about child sexual abuse.  Encourage a PTO, faith-based group, Boys Scouts leaders, athletic coaches or another group of adults to organize child sexual abuse prevention training, such as Stewards of Children by Cleveland Rape Crisis Center.  Every parent, grandparent, aunt, teacher, coach, adult has something to learn.
11. Ask your employer to implement a zero-tolerance policy towards gender discrimination and harassment in your workplace and promote women’s leadership.
12. Display business cards featuring Cleveland Rape Crisis Center’s hotline number in restrooms at your workplace, religious institution, school, college. 
13. Teach children the proper names for body parts and what to do if someone touches them in a sexual way.  Remind children that secrets are almost never a good thing.
14. Set clear family guidelines for personal privacy and behavior.  Discuss them with all members of your family and model respecting these guidelines.
15. Don’t blame rape victims for the violence perpetrated against them.
16. Do not use alcohol or drugs to get someone to have sex with you.
17. Do not participate in sexist behavior by objectifying or stereotyping women.
18. Help young men understand that their masculinity does not need to be defined by what they see in video games, movies and TV.
19. Start a Men of Strength Club in your community or school.  Encourage young men and boys to be allies in the movement to end violence against women.
20. Support women and men working to end sexual violence by donating your time, talent or treasure.

These tips are brought to you by Cleveland Rape Crisis Center.

24-HOUR HOTLINE – 216-619-6192