One day a fisherman was fishing from a river bank when he saw someone being swept down stream, struggling to keep their heads above water. The fisherman jumped in, grabbed the person, and helped them to shore. The survivor thanked the fisherman and left, and the hero dried himself off and continued fishing. Soon he heard another cry for help and saw someone else being swept down stream. He immediately jumped into the river and again and saved that person as well. This scenario continued all afternoon. As soon as the fisherman returned to fishing, he would hear another cry for help and would rescue another  drowning person.

Finally, the fisherman said to himself,

"I can't go on like this.

I'd better go up steam and find out what is happening."

This "moving upstream" approach to preventing tragedies is taught in many public health courses and is relevant for the dialogue on sexual and domestic violence prevention. Instead of presenting facts and safety tips to a high risk population (teenagers, children, women, elderly, etc) why not move back and discuss the attitudes, cultural norms, gender stereotypes, and beliefs that contribute to these crimes.

Currently we offer numerous Primary Prevention Education Programs for school aged adolescents. From the basics of self control to the sexualized stereotypes of women in the media, our goal is to dispel myths and create healthier individuals and relationships.

However, if Primary Prevention is to be truly effective, we need community, parent, and professional involvement. We need students, parents, teachers, coaches, youth ministers, mentors, community leaders, professionals, media, and citizens to help us create awareness through events, discussion, and planning activities.

 

For more information on Primary Prevention, please contact the Crime Victim Assistance Center at 254-629-3223/254-559-4000