Make Your Move to Prevent Sexual Violence
# Make Your Move to Prevent Sexual Violence
## Bystander Approaches in Preventing Sexual Violence
Bystander approaches engage individuals in preventing sexual violence by promoting positive social norms in their communities. When people are trained in bystander intervention, they learn the necessary skills to intervene in potentially harmful situations.
## The Make Your Move Council in Missoula, Montana
Brenna Merrill coordinates the Make Your Move Council in Missoula, Montana. This council consists of violence-prevention agencies focused on preventing sexual violence and creating a community culture that does not tolerate sexual harassment. Various agency members joined forces to address this issue collectively.
## Bystander Intervention Campaign and Bartender Workshops
The council initiated a bystander intervention campaign alongside a bartender bystander intervention workshop. By revamping the bar workshop to be Missoula-focused, they aimed to empower bartenders and bar owners to create environments free from sexual harassment. Bartenders play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and comfort of their clients.
## Empowering the Community
The Make Your Move program boosts the confidence of staff members in identifying and addressing inappropriate behavior. Everyone, regardless of their profession, can contribute to sexual violence prevention. It is essential to address the systems that enable sexual harassment and assault.
## Impact of Bystander Approaches
Bystander approaches are instrumental in changing behaviors and fostering positive social norms. While Make Your Move has not undergone rigorous evaluation, similar interventions for bar staff have been proven effective in reducing rape myths and encouraging positive bystander behavior. These approaches have significantly decreased sexual violence, victimization, and perpetration.
## Promising Prevention Approaches
Bystander programs, such as the one promoted by the CDC’s technical packages, are promising prevention strategies to combat sexual violence and intimate partner violence. Community members are encouraged to utilize these technical packages to prevent violence in their communities.
By adopting bystander approaches and promoting positive social norms, we can work together to prevent sexual violence and create safer environments for all.
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