24-Hour hotline 706.802.0580
building safe relationships and communities
Preventing sexual abuse requires a total cultural shift to relationships, families, and communities that prioritize respect, healthy boundaries, and informed consent. Below are some of our favorite resources to help you make this shift.
"We don’t talk about consent enough. Even though it’s the cornerstone of every interaction between partners, most people are still a little unsure about what consent means — and what it doesn’t."
"Whether you’re casually having sex, just started dating, or are in a committed relationship, setting and respecting boundaries is essential to any and every relationship. It’s important that partners feel comfortable expressing their wants, goals, fears, and limits, and everyone’s boundaries are honored. That means everyone feels comfortable communicating their needs without fear of what another person will do in response."
"Perpetrators of sexual violence often use tactics, such as guilt or intimidation, to pressure a person into something they do not want to do. It can be upsetting, frightening, or uncomfortable if you find yourself in this situation. Remember that it’s not your fault that the other person is acting this way—they are responsible for their own actions. The following tips may help you exit the situation safely."
"The term "sexual violence" is an all-encompassing, non-legal term that refers to crimes like sexual assault, rape, and sexual abuse. Many of these crimes are described below. Please note that the legal definition of crimes vary from state to state. There are often other crimes and forms of violence that arise jointly with crimes like sexual assault, and these are described as well."
"Dating abuse is a pattern of coercive, intimidating, or manipulative behaviors used to exert power and control over a partner. While we define dating violence as a pattern, that doesn’t mean the first instance of abuse isn’t also dating violence; we simply recognize that dating violence tends to involve a series of abusive behaviors over a course of time."
"Child sexual abuse can include sexual contact with a child, but it may also include other actions, like exposing oneself, sharing obscene images, or taking inappropriate photos or videos of a child. These crimes can have a serious impact on the life and development of a child, and often continue to impact them later in life. Learning the warning signs of child sexual abuse is often the first step to protecting a child who is in danger."
"If you are involved in the lives of adolescents, you can learn to recognize warning signs that a teen has been sexually assaulted or abused. Studies show that ages 12-34 are the highest risk years for crimes of sexual violence, and that females ages 16-19 are four times more likely than the general population to be victims of these crimes. If you can learn how to spot sexual assault or abuse, you can do something to help."
"Whether you are a parent, professor, administrator, student, coworker, or friend—you can make a difference in someone’s life by noticing the warning signs of sexual assault and abusive relationships. Sexual violence, like many other crimes, can occur on college campuses and at locations frequented by college students."
"It can be especially difficult to see someone you care about harm others. If you’re close to them, you may not want to admit the person’s behaviors are abusive. Remember that silence and excuses only encourage harmful acts."
"From the definition of rape to a person's ability to consent—the laws about sexual violence vary from state to state. Learn more about laws in Georgia."
"What do we mean by trauma-informed services and why is such an approach important?"