Let’s Talk

For decades, sexual violence prevention programs have focused on bystander interventions mostly aimed at individuals witnessing harm or thoes who are the recipients of harm, but very little on those responsible for sexual harm. In these same decades, treatment interventions for sexually abusive behaviors have focused on stopping those behaviors through a cognitive-behavioral approach and limiting the situations that might trigger those behaviors.

The new NSVRC Let’s Talk resource takes on a missing piece of the puzzle by focusing on adolescents and young adults who may want to say something to a friend about their behavior, but lack guidance on holding conversations about a wide range of sexual behaviors, intentions, motivations, and situations. While there are no easy answers to such complex student interactions, “Let’s Talk” offers concrete information about how to talk to a friend or peer when you are concerned about their behavior and even includes guidance on how to receive the information when a friend or peer says they are concerned about your own behaviors.

This workshop is designed for clinicians, administrators, and educators working with adolescents. Join us as we explore the development of the Let’s Talk resource, its contents, and offer recommendations for introducing this resource to your community.

Presenters: Joan Tabachnick, Emma Halper, and Rachel King, PhD
Presentation Date: October 15, 2024

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

1. Differentiate between normative, problematic and abusive sexual behavior

2. Recognize the barriers and risks as well as the opportunities for difficult conversations with and for students whose behavior is of concern

3. Describe the tools for how to have a conversation, how to receive information, and the resources available to both students and professionals