STOP SV

After building a great foundation of prevention work at Saint Leo University through Green Dot, the prevention team received an opportunity to expand programming at the university.

Through the STOP SV model from the CDC, the prevention team will implement programming as follows:  

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S:   Promote Social Norms that Protect Against Violence 

T:   Teach Skills to Prevent Sexual Violence 

O:  Provide Opportunities to Empower and Support Girls and Women

P:   Create Protective Environments

SV: Support Victims/Survivors to Lessen Harms.

All of these approaches have similar goals - to reduce risk factors on campus and increase protective factors for girls and women.

What are risk and protective factors, one might ask? Risk factors are anything that increases a population’s risk of experiencing sexual violence. Substance abuse disorder, alcohol use disorder, childhood trauma, past victimization, and suicide are all risk factors of sexual violence.

Example of protective factors are times like when family members or caretakers work through conflicts peacefully, emotional health and connectedness, academic achievement, and empathy and concern for how one’s actions affect others.

Our collaborations with university staff and the Pasco County Health Department are helping our team work to bring comprehensive STOP SV programming to the Saint Leo University student body, faculty, and staff, shifting norms on campus to reduce violence and create a healthier, more equal community.