Change Starts with The Community
Everyone wants to end sexual violence, but the big question is, “How?”. The answer is that the whole community has a role to play. Sexual violence has commonly been looked at as an individual issue, and often the responsibility has been placed on the victim. In the past, people were taught to avoid certain situations, wear certain types of clothing, carry whistles, etc. Unfortunately, this approach leads us to conclude that stopping sexual violence is up to the people who may experience it. In reality, though, a community approach is required.
Educating our New Mexico teens on how to have healthy relationships, learning how to communicate, and learning how to speak up when something inappropriate is happening is vital to making the change. Mentors are key to helping teens learn these skills. Becoming a mentor means not just setting a good example but helping teens to understand how to communicate and what is or is not appropriate behavior. ItStartsWithUsNM.org offers resources to mentors to help guide their teens.
As a community, we can work together to prevent sexual violence. If we all stand up and take a role, we have the ability to change perceptions of what has been thought of as acceptable behavior but is really often misconduct being hidden behind jokes and high-pressure situations. Together we can learn to stand up for our friends, and give voice to the people who haven’t found their own voice. The first step is talking.