New Resources on Prevention Communication and Media Messaging

At a time when so much media attention is highlighting sexual violence and its impacts, it is important for prevention practitioners to be well-equipped to engage in prevention-focused messaging. Thankfully, two new resources make prevention messaging accessible to audiences who are not directly involved in the sexual violence prevention field.  Moving Toward Prevention: A guide for framing sexual violence and Where we’re going and where we’ve been: Making the case for preventing sexual violence give prevention practitioners valuable guidance in prevention message development and delivery, best practices for media relationships, and shifting the conversation to uplift and prioritize preventing sexual violence.

Moving Toward Prevention: A guide for framing sexual violence was developed by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center and Berkeley Media Studies Group. This guide introduces prevention practitioners to default frames that audiences are coming from, as well as common misunderstandings they may have about sexual violence and prevention. In order to reframe and correct misconceptions, prevention practitioners should know how to develop strategic, effective prevention messages that any audience can understand. Engaging the media and journalists helps get the message out and leads toward prevention messaging success for future encounters.

RALIANCE and Berkeley Media Studies Group published Where we’re going and where we’ve been: Making the case for preventing sexual violence. This guide covers more than just media messaging for sexual violence prevention, although the same concepts apply to and are echoed in Moving Toward Prevention. Where we’re going and where we’ve been gives practitioners the tools they need to elevate prevention and inspire action when communicating about sexual violence. The guide includes information on developing a communication strategy and effective prevention messaging and how to communicate effectively within time or word limits, as well as concrete examples of messaging success.

Find Moving Toward Prevention: A guide for framing sexual violence here. Find Where we’re going and where we’ve been: Making the case for preventing sexual violence here.

Be sure to add #1Thing to your prevention messaging during October for Domestic Violence Awareness Month!