Prevention

Prevention is an action or series of actions focused on stopping something before it starts. Our sexual and intimate partner/domestic violence prevention framework is rooted in feminist theory and public health models such as those from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Community beliefs and social norms are at the core of what is contributing to and perpetuating intimate partner/domestic and sexual violence in ND. To be successful, our prevention efforts call for a whole range of activities and strategies in a continuum of social and cultural contexts.

CAWS North Dakota, the ND Department of Health Division of Injury Prevention and Control (ND DoH), and the Minnesota-based Improve Group are members of ND’s State Capacity Building Team (SCBT) for intimate partner/domestic violence and sexual violence prevention efforts.

These efforts from the SCBT, from local crisis intervention programs, and from individuals and groups in communities around our state are focusing on reducing or eliminating the impact of intimate partner/domestic and sexual violence through age-appropriate skill-building prevention curriculums and social norms awareness campaigns.

Safe Dates

Safe Dates, from Hazelden Publishing is an evidence-based curriculum that prevents dating abuse. Safe Dates helps teens recognize the difference between caring, supportive relationships and controlling, manipulative, or abusive dating relationships.

YMOST

CAWS North Dakota’s Young Men of Strength [YMOST] is an anti-bullying and harassment public service announcement campaign which addresses behaviors common to young men including: gender-based harassment, teasing, bullying and cyber-bullying. YMOST focuses on role modeling bystander intervention. Through behavioral modeling, these materials empower young men to take action when their peers harass and bully.

HeMI

The Engaging Men Healthy Masculinity Initiative (HeMI) is a CAWS North Dakota campaign coordinated with the national organization Men Can Stop Rape that focuses on men’s roles in sexual and domestic violence prevention. Materials available to local crisis intervention programs and community organizations include posters, postcards with bystander action steps, brochures, and a Guide for Employers on creating policies and work environments supporting prevention.

North Dakota Department of Health Toolkit

The ND DoH Sexual Violence & Intimate Partner Violence Prevention Toolkit provides a quick overview of resources for the prevention or elimination of sexual and intimate partner violence that any agency, school, or organization can use in their work.