Preventing sexual assault through early education.
The Erin Levitas Foundation envisions a future with education for youth and young adults to prevent sexual assault and help survivors heal. Nearly 50% of middle school students report experiencing sexual harassment, and this number is believed to be under reported. Sexual Harassment is a precursor to sexual assault and rape, which escalates in high school and college. If we can stop sexual harassment early, we can reduce sexual assault and rape.
Source: National Institute of Justice
How we prevent sexual assault
WHY MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS?
While sexual harassment is at its highest in middle school, it goes down in high school and that’s when sexual assault and rape goes up, and continues into college. Given this, middle school is the perfect time to prevent and respond to sexual harassment before later harm is committed.
WHAT ARE RESTORATIVE PRACTICES?
Basically, it’s a talking circle like you had when younger. There is a talking piece to encourage listening and gives one individual the chance to speak and be heard. Restorative practices are the method we are using to teach the ERIN Talk prevention curriculum.
WHAT IS THE ERIN TALK CURRICULUM?
It’s a first-of-its-kind curriculum preventing sexual assault with middle school students using restorative practices. The curriculum is designed using promising research on effective sexual harassment and sexual assault prevention. It uses real life examples for students to discuss, which builds attitudes and behaviors that protect against committing later offenses.
Who is Erin Levitas?
This foundation was formed in Erin’s memory to fund the work Erin had hoped to accomplish in her lifetime. On January 16, 2016 at 22 years old, cancer took our Erin, but did not take the possibility of her dream of a better world for youth and survivors of sexual assault. Join us in funding programs that are the first of their kind as they strive to serve as an example in Maryland and around the Country to share expertise, and to provide a successful example of prevention and support that can be scaled nationally.
