14.10: Sexual Violence is a Public Health Crisis
An editorial featured in the American Journal of Public Health, written by Randall Waechter, explores sexual violence in the U.S. and prevention efforts. In 1996, the World Health Organization declared violence a public health issue, yet despite this, sexual violence is still seen as a criminal justice problem. Rape is among one of the most costly public health issues in the U.S., estimating $1.03 trillion annually, and when factoring in all other forms of sexual violence, it becomes the most costly public health issue. Waechter provides a contrasting comparison between the swiftness and urges into providing a solution for COVID-19, an expensive public health issue as well but considered a “one-time cost,” while sexual violence has maintained prevalence in our society because of slow prevention efforts (Waechter, 2021). Waechter’s claim is that funding needs to be reallocated and increased to limit the occurrence of sexual violence, and while there is currently no set methodological pathway, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers one.
As a teaching and outreach strategy to prevent sexual violence, the CDC offers a combination strategy/approach method which can be remembered eaily with the acronym: STOP SV :
S : Promote Social Norms that Protect Against Violence. Approach: Bystander Approaches; Mobilizing men and boys as allies.
T : Teach Skills to Prevent Sexual Violence. Approach: Social-emotional learning; Teaching healthy, safe dating and intimate relationship skills to adolescents; Promoting healthy sexuality; Empowerment-based training.
O : Provide Opportunities to Empower and Support Girls and Women. Approach: Strengthening economic supports for women and families; Strengthening leadership and opportunities for girls.
P : Creative Protective Environments. Approach: Improving safety and monitoring in schools; Establishing and consistently applying workplace policies; Addressing community-level risks through environmental approaches.
SV : Support Victims / Survivors to Lessen Harms. Approach: Victim-centered services; Treatment for victims of SV; Treatment for at-risk children and families to prevent problem behavior including sex offending (Prevention Strategies, n.d.).
Many of us are fed up with the shame and secrecy around sexual violence, and we understand that it persists precisely because it is shrouded in a cloak of shame. The #MeToo movement began in the United States as a result of this, and it has now reached global populations. Sexual violence happens worldwide, and the world wishes for a place where sexual violence no longer exists. For this to happen, many changes must occur, both systemically and individually. A good start could involve embracing sexual diversity, teaching children to have autonomy over their own bodies, and creating conditions for consensual sex and relationships.