Blog
Unpacking Reactions
As teachers and mentors trying to prevent sexual violence, you may encounter strong emotional responses from young people in regards to the content about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning (LGBTQ+) people. Evidence shows homophobic...
What Does It Mean to be a Mandated Reporter?
A mandated reporter is someone who, because of their role, is legally required to report any suspicious activity regarding abuse and or neglect. In New Mexico, all citizens are considered mandated reporters. Typically, a mandated reporter is someone that works...
What if Your Friends Say, “I Want to Have Healthy Boundaries, But How Can I Figure Them Out?”
Let’s talk about the different types of boundaries you may want to discuss with friends. We find that having an intentional conversation with your friends & partners helps everyone get on the same page and understand what’s going on. There are multiple types of...
How to Support a Friend that Identifies as Non-gender Conforming and Non-binary?
Supporting a friend that identifies as non-gender conforming and non-binary can start with learning the terminology. Lots of people are still learning new terms and concepts about gender, so let’s start with some terms. Some people use the terms gender non-conforming...
What You Need to Know About Sexting
In 2016, Governor Susana Martinez signed a bill into law that makes it legal for teenagers 14 to 18 to consensually sext each other, according to The Guardian. This means that if young people are “caught” sharing sexually explicit photos, they aren’t at risk of...
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...
What is All This Talk About Consent?
For many people, consent is something they are just now hearing people talk about in the media and in their personal circles. We wish that wasn’t the case, but it is. Mainstream society has failed all of us in this way. But, we would like to commend and support you...
What to Do If Someone Tells You They Experienced Sexual Violence
You may not be an expert on sex, or a professional counselor educated and equipped to deal with a serious issue like sexual assault. That’s perfectly fine. However, you may encounter someone in your life who trusts you and confides in you that they have been violated...
Open Discussions Leads to Enjoyable Boundaries
Teens may find it easier to go to friends or mentors to ask questions about sex than the person they are having sex with. No one wants to feel embarrassed in front of their partner because they are not knowledgeable. But how do you talk to a teen about sex without it...
Celebrities are Working to Prevent Sexual Violence
Over the past couple years, many celebrities have come forward with their own stories of sexual violence. These stories are just as heartbreaking as the ones we hear from our friends who have experienced it as well. Sharing these stories has not been about finding...
Why #MeToo Matters
You have probably seen #MeToo posted on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter recently. You’ve heard it mentioned on the news or in other media. What is #MeToo really all about, and why does it matter so much? #MeToo is a movement that started in 2006 but...
Does No Ever Really Mean Yes?
In relationships, one of the first things a young couple learns is that when it comes to sex, No Means No. Each person engaged in sexual activity has the right to refuse at the start, or to change his or her mind at any time. A sexual encounter can be ended at any...