TDH Booklet4 - Texas Association Against Sexual Assault

Background Paper - Primary Prevention of Violence Against Women
Engaging Survivors
Thirty-odd years after the anti-violence movement coalesced in
the 1970s, advocates and researchers acknowledge that aspects of
the movement have strayed from its grassroots, woman-positive
origins. Statistics on prevalence of VAW have not decreased
significantly, and studies show that existing intervention services do
not adequately meet the needs of many victims. Advocates worry
that in overlooking the voices of survivors, intervention and
prevention services may not have relevance for the general public.
In response, the movement has begun to re-emphasize the essential
perspectives of those who have survived sexual assault, domestic
violence and/or stalking. TCFV and other coalitions have started
“listening projects” where advocates ask survivors broad questions
about their experiences in order to garner a more complete
understanding of the nature of VAW and what can be done to
prevent it from occurring. 82 Survivors increasingly participate in
focus groups and take leadership on councils, boards and informal
community groups that influence VAW prevention and intervention
efforts. 83
Advocates worry that in
overlooking the voices of
survivors, intervention and
prevention services may
not have relevance for the
general public.
Community Organizing
Effective prevention efforts create networks of community
groups, churches, public sector agencies, and educational settings
in order to strengthen the movement. 84 Increasingly, practitioners,
researchers and advocates acknowledge the need to stimulate
citizen participation in collaborative social change movements to
end VAW. The anti-violence movement generally now recognizes
that those most affected by VAW – individuals, families and
communities – are often left out of efforts to prevent violence.
Traditionally, “experts” develop and implement solutions in a
hierarchical manner, imposing programs and activities on target
populations. Acknowledging that community members are the
ultimate experts on VAW increases effectiveness of prevention
efforts. Long ignored community residents and community-based
organizations can provide critical guidance in developing, testing,
and building public support for prevention programs that consider
the complexity of diverse communities. 85 Citizen participation in
formulating solutions to VAW ensures that prevention activities
address overlapping problems (i.e. poverty and VAW, racism and
VAW, etc.) and are relevant to community members. 86 Successful
community organizing builds collective power to impact policies,
bring about institutional change and eventually change social
Citizen participation in
formulating solutions to
VAW ensures that
prevention activities
address overlapping
problems (i.e. poverty and
VAW, racism and VAW,
etc.) and are relevant to
community members.
A STRATEGIC PLAN TO PREVENT VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN TEXAS
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