Posts Tagged bystander intervention

stand with survivors

Why do we love bystander intervention and fear community consequences for rape?

It looks like it’s going to be The Year of Bystander Intervention.

The White House is pushing it. It’s all the buzz at college administrator conferences. The anti-violence organization I co-direct gets plenty of emails from schools requesting bystander training, despite our very public skepticism of it. 

It looks like it’s going to be The Year of Bystander Intervention.

The White House is pushing it. It’s all the buzz at college administrator conferences. The anti-violence organization I co-direct gets plenty of emails from ...

“Who are you?” Bystander intervention as another means to end sexual violence

Ed. note: I’m off this week. The wonderful Tobias Rodriguez is filling in for me. Tobias originally hails from Texas and now lives in New York where he works in social media at a reproductive health organization.

*Trigger warning for discussion of sexual assault and alluding imagery.*

Since Steubenville, there’s been a lot of discussion of sexual assault, including Zerlina Maxwell’s “5 ways we can teach men not to rape.” Teaching people not to sexually assault and/or harass another person, regardless of the gender of anyone involved, is so incredibly important. It’s the foundation of creating a safer environment for everyone. As Zerlina affirms, when we teach enthusiastic consent, everyone’s sex lives become more fulfilling.

But these messages, that it’s important to ask for consent and to be a responsible sexual ...

Ed. note: I’m off this week. The wonderful Tobias Rodriguez is filling in for me. Tobias originally hails from Texas and now lives in New York where he works in social media at a reproductive health organization.

*Trigger ...