The World Health Organization Violence Prevention Alliance’s definition of violence is “the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or […]
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Highlights from Twitter from today’s presentation on prevention through reducing collective violence at the 2021 Freedom Network USA conference, “Learning to Unlearn: Transforming Anti-Trafficking Work.”
On the Super Bowl, Safety, and SolidarityFinding common ground in a time of crisis … and beyond Every year, around this time, the airwaves in whatever city is hosting the Super Bowl are flooded with public service announcements about sex trafficking. Billboards go up. Police officers receive special training. Media […]
When I first began working in the anti-trafficking movement, I had a decade of experience working as a rape crisis center responder. I was familiar with trauma-informed care, non-judgmental provision of services, and the ways in which victim-blaming, rape culture, and sex-negative messaging impact both survivors and our efforts to […]
Christy Croft, a sex-trafficking survivor and activist, was scrolling through social media in July when they came across a debunked conspiracy theory claiming that the furniture company Wayfair was selling kidnapped children. At the time, hundreds of thousands of people on social media were discussing the falsehood. Croft decided to […]
I was interviewed for this New Republic piece by Melissa Gira Grant on the divide in the human trafficking movement between those who see it as a conservative, anti-sex work, criminal justice movement, and those who understand the human rights underpinnings of any effective anti-violence work. This was not a survivor-led movement […]
I love community-based consent and sexuality education and prevention work, and have been engaged in it for years now, in queer, flow arts, and movement communities. Over that time, I’ve also been working in rape crisis centers on hotlines and facilitating support groups, with access to training and professional development […]
Take up space. As the cycle of the seasons moves through mystery and the glow of a new calendar year fills the horizon, know this: you are allowed to take up space. You will have days where you feel broken. Pour tenderness over your missteps and inadequacies. Love them sweetly. […]
This post is an expansion of a post published at the website of the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault. I was at a recent gathering of crisis workers when the topic of conversation switched to self-care. With enthusiasm, each of the attendees began to tell us their favorite activities. […]
Sitting in front of the computer, I slowly and intentionally insert earbuds, click to start my favorite writing playlist, and open up Microsoft Word. I feel the tips of my fingers resting lightly on the keys, and notice the slight give of each printed square, glossy in the middle from […]
This post is part of a resource for flow arts and movement communities to address issues of consent and boundaries. You can access the full resource here. Gender, Sexual Violence, Power, and Control, Part Two: Gender, patriarchy, and sexual violence The movement to end sexual violence is inherently feminist. I say this […]
This post is part of a resource for flow arts and movement communities to address issues of consent and boundaries. You can access the full resource here. Gender, Sexual Violence, Power, and Control, Part One: Why we need to learn about broader trends in gender, sexual violence, power, and control Dance […]