Monday, February 5, 2018: Creating Cultures of Consent and Safety in the U.S.

Shifting the US culture of violence - Affirmative consent

We look at the culture of gendered violence in the US and Bolivia, and hear from feminists working to shift the perceptions about survivors. The recent reports of a woman's harrowing night with Aziz Ansari has sparked debates around consent and agency. Feminist activists and scholars are pointing out the gaps in understanding of the relationship between sexual repression and sexual violence.

In this segment, we listen to an interview with Amita Swadhin, an activist, educator and Just Beginnings Collaborative Fellow dedicated to fighting interpersonal and sexual violence against youth. They spoke with KPFA's Preeti Mangala Shekar of KPFA's APEX Express about a vision for society in which everyone is capable of articulating their own desires and having them respected.

From Just Beginnings Collaborative:

About Child Sexual Abuse
Child sexual abuse occurs at shockingly high rates in our society, affecting 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys. However, due to social taboos, very few survivors share their stories publicly. The majority of survivors never report their abuse to authorities, and many never tell anyone at all. Yet the numbers suggest that each of us knows at least one survivor, even though we may not realize it.

The silence around this violence has devastating effects for the individuals directly harmed, for the people perpetrating this harm (who are rarely held accountable or given tools to help them change their behavior), for families, and for society in general.

Child sexual abuse is inherently an abuse of power. It is a cornerstone of oppression and cyclical violence. Survivors can experience long-term adverse health effects such as addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, suicide, eating disorders, and subsequent sexual and domestic violence. Research also suggests that child sexual abuse can be a significant barrier to one’s economic security.

Toward a Movement to End Child Sexual Abuse
There is a growing consensus that ending child sexual abuse will require more than individual healing for survivors and punitive measures for abusers. To end child sexual abuse we need a broad-based movement and it begins with a core group of strategically aligned individuals, organizations and funders working together. The Just Beginnings Collaborative is that core—the seed from which this movement is taking root and growing.

We believe that ending child sexual abuse is possible. Moreover, our work is grounded in the belief that ending child sexual abuse is one of the most strategic things we can do to end violence and create safe, thriving communities.


Hosted by Kate Raphael and Corinne Smith


Click here to listen to entire show. 59:50 min



Also on today's show:
Bolivia - Creating Cultures of Consent and Safety