Understand the Culture of Domestic Abuse

People often say the best way to eliminate a problem is to eliminate its source. Of course, it’s humanly impossible for us to go around and stop every rape, assault or act of abuse when it occurs. But by helping people become more aware of cultural influences and how they can contribute to domestic violence and sexual assault, we can help prevent violence before it starts.

Here are some ways to be mindful of the cultural influences in your day-to-day life:

• Avoid buying entertainment that glorifies sexual violence and the objectification of women and girls.
• Learn how racism, sexism and homophobia are connected.
• Learn about power and control tactics.
• Do a Google search for “rape” and see that most of the results are for pornography, not prevention.
• Understand that putting boys and men down by calling them “ladies” and “girls” hurts everyone.
• Celebrate all aspects of masculinity, including compassion and sensitivity.
• Understand how cultural beliefs contribute to interpersonal violence and support ways to encourage it to stop before it affects another generation.
• Let boys cry.
• Praise women and girls for something other than the way they look.
• Respect every person’s — even a child’s — right to say no.