A Health Equity Approach to Preventing Sexual Violence

Sexual harassment, abuse, and assault can have short- and long-term physical, emotional, and psychological effects on a person’s well-being and impact an entire community, from the culture and connections between people to the economic toll. Preventing sexual violence means we all must address deep-rooted abuses of power that contribute to inequities in health, safety, and well-being. A health equity approach to preventing sexual violence means that we need to both understand and address the factors that contribute to violence and safety and factors that expose some communities — especially communities that have been historically oppressed — to higher rates of sexual violence. This publication from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center and Prevention Institute offers insight into how employ a health equity approach to sexual violence prevention.