Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • Armed with trumpets, S. African men fight crime against women

    Volunteers patrol Soweto township streets, blowing vuvuzelas – the long, plastic trumpets of World Cup fame – to alert women that it is safe to commute to their train or bus stops. The male-led campaign is a response to high rates of street violence, much of it gender-based, and the failure of the police to respond effectively. Thousands of volunteers work in groups of up to 15 to provide the service, which police credit with lowering robberies and other street crime. The patrols often intervene when they witness violence.

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  • What follows punishment?

    Minnesota’s Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) program takes a restorative, rehabilitative approach to sex offender re-entry and has lowered the risk of recidivism by 88%. The initiative provides participants with a group of volunteers that help them with emotional support, job finding, and challenge and shift the attitudes and behaviors that led to the committed crime. The rise of the #metoo movement has given way to the complexity of sexual assault, restorative justice, and rehabilitation – making programs like CoSA both more necessary and challenging to sustain.

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  • In South Africa, a Call to Punish Rapists

    In Diepsloot, South Africa, a small office called Lawyers Against Abuse offers legal support for sexual assault cases in a violent city that traditionally does little to address the issue. The organization offers lawyers, victim advocates, legal counseling, and therapy as they go through the process. Since 2015, they have helped more than 800 women and secured 28 convictions.

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  • A Unique Military Program Helps Sexual Assault Survivors. But Not All of Them.

    Members of the military who are survivors of sexual assault have access to special victims’ counsels to help guide and protect them throughout the legal process. The efforts are still young, and with that comes issues of ill-trained or over-worked legal representation – a criticism that has been made known by advocates. Furthermore, while the existence of such assistance is extremely beneficial to military personnel, the same sort of protection and support isn’t available to civilians who are alleging violent crimes against military members.

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  • They were raped during Colombia's civil war. Now they want justice for their children.

    Following the Colombian civil war, the country enacted The Victims’ Law, which centered on providing reparations to those affected by violence and war. But since its creation, the law has only provided reparations to less than 11% of those who have applied, and for women survivors, it’s even less. Women, who are disproportionately affected by war because of the use of sexual assault, are coming together under the National Tablle for Victim’s Participation, are demanding more.

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  • Homes to Heal Trafficked Children

    Miami is home to a special type of child welfare program called CHANCE (Citrus Helping Adolescents Negatively Impacted by Commercial Exploitation) that is designed specifically for youth in foster care that have been trafficked. CHANCE has an intensive curriculum that educates foster parents and clinicians about child sex trafficking and child trauma, and families are only allowed to take in one child at a time so that they are prepared for the child's unique health needs. Studies done on the program have found that the youth have significant improvement in many emotional and mental categories.

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  • Sexual assault cases in NC plagued by long lags after arrests made

    In North Carolina, rape cases often sit in the system for an average of close to three years. The system that’s intended to provide justice, protection, and due process for plaintiffs and defendants, has been deeply affected by a lack of funding, delays in evidence testing, and an overwhelmed court system. Moving forward, key actors in the system are hoping for increased funding and capacity to make the process more survivor-focused and expedited for everyone involved.

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  • Sisters support Nigeria's migrants traumatized by trafficking

    Nigeria’s Committee for the Support of Dignity of Women has helped hundreds of human trafficking victims with temporary shelter, economic aid, and reconciliation with their families. The faith-based program visits schools to warn youth of the dangers of trafficking if they migrate to other countries to flee Nigeria’s poverty. For those who have fallen prey to traffickers and returned home, the program gives them the support they need, including the means to start their own businesses, so that they can again live sustainably and safely in their homeland.

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  • Vermont Requires Child Sexual Abuse Prevention. Could Wyoming, Too?

    Vermont is the first state to pass comprehensive legislation that requires schools to include child sexual abuse prevention into their curriculum. Many schools have taken this new legislation and built their prevention curriculum around understanding consent and creating a space where children feel as though they can report their experiences. While Wyoming has similar legislation in place, they’re looking to Vermont as a model for taking a more inclusive, direct approach.

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  • Fighting Sex Trafficking at the Truck Stop

    Truckers Against Trafficking are making an impact in reducing sex trafficking in the US by educating truckers, their companies, and the law enforcement that intersect with commercial drivers on how to spot sex trafficking and how to respond. To date, this 10-year-old organization has trained more than 700,000 truckers, and does further outreach with initiatives like "Man to Man" (which trains truckers to talk to other men about the issue) and "The Freedom Drivers Project" (a mobile museum about sex trafficking that goes to events like trucker conventions).

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