Prevention of sexual violence

Preventive strategies are developed to reduce the risk factors and enhance the protective factors associated with sexual violence.

Prevention involves interventions focused on influencing factors at all levels of the ecological model, prior to the onset or manifestation of a problem, i.e. at individual, relational, community and societal levels.

Community and societal prevention strategies are designed to create change within a society by modifying the norms, attitudes and beliefs that support sexual violence. 

Individual-level sexual assault prevention strategies involve interventions designed to change skills, beliefs or behaviors that are associated with an increased risk of being victimized or committing sexual assault, while relational-level strategies target the family and friends of the targeted group.