10 Ways to Invest in Social Change

Sexual violence is preventable. To stop violence before it occurs (primary prevention) requires a diverse approach and an ongoing commitment to social change. Sociologists define social change as changes in human interactions and relationships that transform cultural and social institutions.

STAR is a sexual assault organization with a mission to support survivors of sexual trauma, improve systems response, and create social change to end sexual violence. All of STAR’s staff members are trained sexual assault victim advocates and working to end sexual violence is a critical form of victim advocacy because this work affirms that no one should have to endure the life-altering, traumatic experience of sexual violence in the first place.

You can also invest in social change, starting today.

1. Recognize harmful norms that excuse or condone violence

There are many norms that exist within our society that excuse, condone, and even perpetuate violence. Phrases like “boys will be boys” and “what was she wearing?” are just two examples of things we often hear and accept. Some other norms of which we should be aware include:

• Norms about masculinity: “No means try harder.”
• Norms around femininity: “A woman should be submissive/quiet/etc”
• Supporting abuses of power: “That’s what supervisors do!”
• Victim blaming and tolerating violence/aggression: “Why was he/she there in the first place?”
• Stigmatizing sexual violence and keeping incidents on the DL: “It’s none of my business.”

2. Work with STAR to review your policies, procedures, and training regarding prevention at your workplace/organization

In 2020, STAR expanded its training and technical assistance program to businesses and organizations to create safer and healthier workplace environments. Effectively preventing workplace harm protects both employees and employers. Prevention is protection. We offer:

Training
We provide training to employees and leaders on various topics, including:

• Workplace harassment prevention and intervention
• Building a positive work culture
• The dynamics of sexual violence
• Responding to disclosures of sexual harassment and assault in the workplace
• How trauma impacts individuals in the workplace
• Coping with burnout and compassion fatigue

Technical Assistance
Training is just the first step to preventing workplace harassment. We can take you beyond compliance-based approaches to help you more effectively prevent and address workplace harassment and sexual misconduct.

• Workplace climate and culture assessments
• Policy and procedure audits
• Anti-harassment policy and training development
• Coaching for leaders and managers

If you’d like to chat with a STAR representative about how we could bring these services to meet your organization's needs, please complete a request form.

3. Educate yourself on policy initiatives affecting change.

Policies are constantly changing, and new policies are brought to the table on a consistent basis. It’s important to be aware of what initiatives are in existence and how you can support those initiatives. Since 2014, STAR has worked closely with legislators to improve the rights and protections of sexual trauma survivors and implement prevention initiatives throughout the state of Louisiana. We’ve had many legislative wins in the years since, which you can read more about on our Policy Over Politics medium page and web series.

4. Challenge victim-blaming, bullying, racist, homophobic, or any other hurtful and damaging comments on social media and in real life

Sometimes, we get overwhelmed with the idea of change, and it can feel our efforts are futile against such big problems. However, we can’t neglect the impact we have in our day-to-day interactions and conversations. Challenging harmful ideologies of those we know whether in our personal lives or via the internet, is the first step to making meaningful change. Safe challenging techniques can be helpful to have an impact without bringing harm to yourself or another.

1. Remember you’re challenging the ideas, not the person
2. Back-up your ideas with facts and/or data (at STAR we consider the qualities of both qualitative and quantitative data!)
3. Asking questions that challenge others thinking is the most powerful tool for change
4. Share the importance of this conversation

5. Donate to organizations, like STAR, making change

Social change work is comprised of individual, community and institutional efforts. While there are so many things that we can do as individuals and within our sphere of influence, some changes take broader efforts. Donating, both in time and finances, is how you can partake in these larger efforts. Financially supporting organizations, such as STAR, allows community and institutional change to gain more momentum. Commit to give to STAR today, via a one-time or recurring donation.

6. Support comprehensive sex ed and healthy sexuality ed for youth

STAR provides single and multi-session workshops targeted at building students’ knowledge and understanding of consent, dating, healthy relationships, human trafficking and sexual harassment. Click here to request an educational presentation for your class or organization.

• Consent 101
  This workshop will help students develop an understanding of consent through dialogue, discussion, and scenarios.
• Dating 101
  This workshop educates students about the warning signs and impact of dating violence and explores the positive alternative of healthy relationships.
• Safe Dates
  A ten-session dating abuse prevention program to raise students’ awareness of what constitutes healthy and abusive dating relationships, as well as the causes and consequences of dating abuse.
• Shifting Boundaries
  A six-session evidence-based, multi-level prevention program for middle school students, which addresses sexual harassment and precursors to dating violence.

STAR’s youth education is also conducted via the STARt Here website, which includes resources, information about STI testing, anonymous question submission, an interactive feature (The Talk with Big Bro Dreaux), and an FAQs section.

Another way to support positive sex education changes is by advocating! Siecus provides a snapshot of currently Louisiana sex ed policy:

• Louisiana schools are not required to teach sex education. However, schools are required to teach health education, which includes instruction on sexual risk behaviors, HIV/AIDS, and other STDs.
• Curriculum is not required to be comprehensive.
• If sex education is offered, curriculum must emphasize abstinence as the expected social standard.
• If sex education is offered, curriculum must not include any sexually explicit materials depicting homosexual activity.
• Curriculum is not required to include instruction on consent.
• Parents or guardians may remove their children from sex education classes. This is referred to as an “opt-out” policy.
• Louisiana has no standard regarding medically accurate sex education instruction. However, if a school chooses to teach sex education, instruction must be based on factual biological or pathological information.

7. Be a model for social change in your own circles and embrace accountability, setting healthy boundaries, and normalizing safe spaces for the harder conversations

The words “accountability” and “boundaries” can sometimes bring uneasy feelings, especially for individuals who avoid confrontation. However, by making space in close relationships for accountability, healthy boundaries and safe spaces for tough conversations (that could lead to confrontations or disagreements) we embody what social change is all about. Change is rarely comfortable, it often pushes us beyond our comfort zone, but can be so rewarding. Modeling good communication and healthy disagreements can bring a social circle closer together. If your circle lacks mutual respect, accountability with one another, acceptance for one another’s differences, or disrespect for boundaries, it might be time to re-evaluate these relationships. You can read more about signs of a healthy relationship on our Medium account.

8. Self-reflecting on your own beliefs, where they come from and potential biases or judgements that stem from those beliefs

It’s been said that Aristotle stated, “knowing yourself is the beginning of wisdom.” It is challenging to confirm that he is the one who made that statement, but it holds great truth. When we are self-aware, we are able to learn, grow and change more easily. Meditation is a way that each of us can increase our self-awareness. STAR has worked with yoga instructors throughout Louisiana to bring trauma-informed yoga and meditation, both for survivors and community members, in order to bring healing and self-awareness.

A tool that is helpful in identifying potential biases is the Harvard Implicit Association Test (IAT). This test measures attitudes and beliefs that people may be unwilling or unable to report (aka — biases). There is a wide variety of tests available to measure your attitudes and beliefs about various people groups.

9. Prevention work

STAR’s prevention work includes the aforementioned youth education, as well as involvement with middle schools, high schools, and college campuses for outreach events and empowerment groups. This fall, STAR will be launching a virtual empowerment group, Limitless STARs, which will teach invaluable skills, such as financial literacy, healthy relationships, and promoting self-esteem. Our prevention work also supports the establishment of student groups on college campuses to address sexual assault on campus, originally termed “Collegiate Prevention Action Coalition” (CPAC).

In 2016, the CDC released the STOP SV: A Technical Package to Prevent Sexual Violence to provide evidence-based strategies to assist communities and states with their prevention efforts. STAR follows this model to target our prevention work within the communities we serve.

10. Vote for change

This year will mark the fourth year of STAR releasing a Legislative Scorecard. This scorecard highlights the leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to improving laws and policies to better support and protect survivors of sexual trauma and end sexual violence in Louisiana. The purpose of the scorecard is to educate Louisiana residents on the policies that impact the prevention and response to sexual violence and the legislators that advocated for them. The scorecard should not be used punitively, but more as a guide on where advocates can focus their educational efforts. The 2021 scorecard is available here, and the 2022 scorecard will be released later this year.