When people think of gender violence, they may think of crimes involving physical violence, such as sexual assault or domestic abuse. While stalking may not immediately spring to mind, it is a serious crime that can absolutely devastate its victims — even if it does not involve a single instance of physical violence. Stalking can take many forms, but at its heart, it’s a pattern of behavior that makes you feel scared, anxious, harassed, or as though you’re in danger. It inc

If you follow our website or social media, you have probably seen the phrase “primary prevention.” We use it quite often to talk about our work, particularly with regards to how we hope to end domestic and sexual violence. This is different from past strategies, which focused more on raising awareness and providing services. So what exactly does primary prevention mean? An analogy may help to illustrate this concept. Picture an old house with equally old, likely dangerous

As Americans, we likely view slavery as a relic of the past, or something that only happens in distant lands. But the reality is that right here in the United States — even in Pennsylvania — slavery is all too real. Human trafficking occurs throughout our country, and has devastating consequences for its victims. Traffickers use force, fraud and coercion to control their victims, primarily for sexual exploitation and forced labor. It’s devastatingly common; the Polaris Pro

Abuse can come in many forms, from physical to emotional, stalking and more. One type of abuse that is not as commonly known, despite its prevalence in abusive relationships, is reproductive coercion. This form of abuse affects millions of women, and can significantly impact her ability to leave her abuser. But what exactly is reproductive coercion? Reproductive coercion, in its simplest form, is the use of manipulation, intimidation, threats, and/or acts of violence to co

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. At Blackburn Center, we raise awareness about sexual assault through our signature event, Walk A Mile in Her Shoes, as well as through the programs and services that we provide throughout the year. Because raising awareness about sexual assault often seems to be focused on the crime of rape, you may be wondering: what is the difference between sexual assault and rape? The answer depends on the context — and where you live. Blackburn

Consent has been a hot topic in the world of campus sexual assault recently, or more specifically, a particular type: affirmative consent. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, affirmative consent may seem daunting. Does this mean that there is some sort of checklist to go through before sex? Does it mean that you have to document or record consent? Affirmative consent doesn’t mean any of that — it simply means we have to change how we view consent. Instead of t

When people think about domestic violence, the image that likely comes to mind is one of a physically battered person — bruises, broken bones, or worse. While physical violence is often an element of abusive relationships, emotional or verbal abuse is possibly more prevalent — and damaging in its own very significant ways. Emotional abuse can include a wide variety of behaviors — everything from insulting and humiliating a partner to threatening or intimidating her*. An emo

If you follow us on social media or read our blog, you’ve seen that phrase hundreds of times: “rape culture.” It’s become a shorthand term in modern culture for any number of societal issues involving violence against women…but what exactly does it mean? In the first of our Blackburn 101 series, we set out to define this term to help all of our readers better understand exactly what rape culture is ... because if you don’t know what rape culture is or how to recognize it, y

Welcome, 2015! At Blackburn Center, we are excited to begin a new year, with all of the promise of new beginnings. Our resolution for the new year is simple: to continue in our mission to advocate for the rights of all individuals to live free from domestic and sexual violence in their homes and communities, by eliminating the root causes of this violence and providing for the well-being and safety of survivors/victims. We also plan to expand our outreach efforts through o