Prevention Services

Community Violence Solutions (CVS) has been providing a wide range of services to child and adult victims of sexual assault and their families since 1974. Our Prevention Services program reflects our strong commitment to taking a proactive stance towards violence. Through outreach efforts to schools and community organizations, our Prevention Educators raise awareness of the issues of sexual violence, identify the root cause of violence in our culture, and teach skills aimed at preventing sexual assault and harassment.

Our curricula are all age appropriate and are designed to engage youth in a way that educates and empowers them. With the goal of sexual violence prevention in mind, our educators teach youth the importance of communication, boundaries, respect, and consent. Our educators are passionate about their work and have a combined 15 years working with Bay Area communities.

One Time Presentations

Classroom presentations include both male and female students and are highly interactive and engaging for Middle, High Schools and Colleges. Presentations are designed to provide important information about sexual assault and dating violence and promote healthy relationships. Our prevention presentations are offered in kind and come to no cost to the school or agency.

Workshops Include:

Sexual Harassment (SH): Define and identify types of Sexual Harassment, the impact it makes and how to protect yourself , effects on the victim, school policies and reporting, alternative methods to dealing with SH, healthy communication, prevention strategies, flirting and SH, mutual respect, SH and the LGBTQ community.

Sexual Assault (SA I): Define Sexual Assault; dispel myths, statistics, consent and force, what contributes to SA, what to do after an assault, and how students can work to decrease sexual assault in their communities.

Sexual Assault (SA II): Designed to follow our more general Sexual Assault workshop, this workshop lasts 1-2 hours and allows for a more in-depth and interactive exploration of sexual violence. Students will examine the cause and effect of sexual assault on a societal and personal level.

Students learn:

• How socialization and gender roles shape our attitudes toward sexual assault
• How representations of men and women in the media contribute to sexual assault (Rape Culture)
• Victim blaming and how it operates on an individual and societal level
• Myths and facts concerning coercive control and acquaintance rape
• Healthy communication in interpersonal relationships

Bystander Intervention: Our brand-new workshop lasts 1-2 hours and discusses not only how bystanders can prevent sexual assault, but also why engaging bystanders can be an effective method to prevent sexual assault and sexual violence. The presentation focuses on using real-life scenarios to give participants practical, realistic and feasible options specific to their community and their peer group.

Women’s Self Defense: Our assertiveness and self-defense classes are taught by women so that participants see the techniques being modeled by someone like them. The class is designed for women of all ages, body types and ability levels. Each participant will have the opportunity to practice the moves on a target pad.

In the Schools

Elementary: Five week Bullying and Touching Safety Program 1st, 3rd and 5th grades learn to identify feelings, learn assertiveness, touching safety rule, and how to report if someone breaks the safety rule. 5th grade gets introduction to Human Trafficking Prevention.

Brave Week: We offer a week long, school-wide, Anti-Bullying campaign for elementary schools in line with Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Teachers, staff, parents and students engage with better ways of being bystanders. Educators prepare age appropriate activities for students to do in the classroom and teachers receive information pertaining to SAAM. Educators also conduct lunch time activities and send information to parents with activities to practice with their children at home.

• Middle School - Eight week Bullying and Touching Safety Program
• High School – 16 week Gender specific programming

Girls Empowerment Circle reviews healthy and unhealthy relationships, healthy coping skills, healthy communication, oppression, gender roles, body image, setting boundaries, sexual relationships, sexual assault, healing and self-care.

MyStrength Club: The MyStrength Club is designed to develop leadership abilities among male club members; to reclaim the concept of strength as non-violent; and to develop in group members the skills to move from a by-stander to harassment or violence to one who can become an ally to young women. Our program provides young men with a safe space to analyze the messages they receive concerning traditional masculinity, and how these concepts can promote violence among men and between young men and women.

Youth Prevent Sexual Assault (YPSA)

Youth Preventing Sexual Assault is a call to young people to better their communities. The goal of YPSA is to turn youth into agents of change in their communities, to begin those conversations about prevention with their peers, and to combat rape culture with a culture focused on consent.

Youth get trained by CVS educators to become peer educators. Youth go through a 20 hour training where they learn the content of our presentations, public speaking, group work facilitation, and classroom management. We provide the youth with the tools needed to succeed within their community.

YPSA is about asking youth to challenge what society deems to be normal and acceptable behavior. By working together, YPSA leaders will find ways to spread their message to peers in a way that highlights the importance of prevention and safety.

Meet the Educators

Liliana Gonzalez: Prevention Educator and Victim Advocate has been with Community Violence Solution for three years. Gonzalez conducts a Bullying and Touching Safety Program for elementary schools, presents on Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, Bystander Intervention, Human Trafficking and Self Defense for middle and high schools, colleges, parents and the community. Gonzalez brings her experience of 17 years of grassroots organizing, providing services and advocacy with disenfranchised communities of color in San Francisco, where she was born and raised.

Javier “Javi” Lopez: Javier Lopez has worked with youth for seven years now, and with Community Violence Solution for two years. He uses his skills as a coach and motivator to help create a healthy environment for young men to be able to discuss problems they may face in their day to day lives, as well as issues they face when trying to “man up”. Javi urges students to question societal norms and to always strive to create a better community.

Presentation Request

For any presentation requests or more details on our services reach us via email at admin@cvsolutions.org. Just include name, name of agency, contact info, classroom size and age range if applicable.