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Prevention 101

Last updated Published
Painted portrait of bell hooks by Will Kasso. bell hooks is painted on an orange background from the shoulders up with her head resting on her hand. She is wearing a black top with red flowers on the collar. She has a large afro and inside her afro is the quote, "The moment we choose to love we begin to move against domination, against oppression. The moment we choose to love we begin to move towards freedom, to act in ways that liberate ourselves and others. That action is the testimony of love and the practice of freedom."
Portrait of bell hooks painted by Will Kasso, as the final portrait at Middlebury College, 2017

What is prevention?

What do a river, a toolbox, and “100%” have to do with Prevention? These links and courses will remind you that domestic and sexual violence are 100% preventable, you have to go upstream in the river to prevent violence and address root causes, and you’ve got lots to work with in your toolbox!

An infographic titled "Preventing Violence Happens at Three Levels." This graphic has an illustration of a river flowing towards the foreground with three text boxes that read: 1. Primary: Stopping Violence Before It Occurs. Strategies like healthy relationships & environments reduce risks & increase buffers. 2. Secondary: Immediate Responses to Violence. Services like emergency and medical care address short-term consequences. 3. Tertiary: Long-term responses to violence. Approaches in aftermath address trauma & rehabilitate perpetrators. At the bottom of the graphic is bold black text that reads "Our goal is to stop violence before it occurs."

What isn’t prevention?

A good question to ask in whatever you are doing is: “To what end?” If the “end” is preventing domestic and sexual violence, then ding ding, it is prevention. If it is not (if it’s building awareness of services or something else), then no problem, it still might be worthwhile, but it is not prevention. The reason this matters is not to assign value to your work but instead to be intentional about how you are using your limited prevention resources.

Prevention methodology

Picture of Prevention toolbox

At WSCADV, we believe that successful prevention efforts seek to bring about change in individuals, relationships, communities, and society through strategies that:

Flow chart of four text boxes with arrows pointing between them from left to right. The boxes read: Address root causes of violence - Shift culture - Build skills - Promote healthy relationships

Take action

Times have changed, and we are all aware of domestic and sexual violence. That’s why we are ready for action. Together we can end domestic and sexual violence.

Stay connected

Reach out to us for support – we are here for you! Follow us on social media to stay connected and participate in our prevention-focused Refuse To Abuse 5k!

Follow these rad orgs for ideas and inspiration to reimagine a world free of violence!

Domestic and sexual violence are 100% preventable!