Principle 5: Culturally informed and resourced inclusive practices and responsiveness are normalised but always under review

Rationale

Practices and responses that are culturally informed, resourced and inclusive must be the norm, and should be reviewed continuously.

No one single prevention programme, type of intervention or activity will fully prevent sexual violence, abuse and assault in all communities. The dynamics of sexual violence and intimate partner violence are culturally determined, so people working in primary prevention need to work in ways that are inclusive of diverse cultures, both of origin and of interest. Each cultural group have their own strengths and protective factors. These can be developed, in collaboration with the community, to frame prevention messages in ways that speak directly to individuals, groups and communities.

Principle 5 in Action

“An ad that got my attention was a young guy about to drive drunk, thinking about all the things he would lose... They are all the things I like too, and it made me think.” (Participant of youth consultation)

Culturally-informed strategies may include:

  • participatory and community development models that support cultural appropriateness

  • understanding that a knowledge and skill set that works with one population group will not necessarily work with another population group. For example: working with children is different from working with youth and people living with disabilities

  • partnering with experts from different population groups whenever an organisation leads a SVPP activity in an area outside its own area of expertise

  • adapting and responding to the new cultural trends in our communities and broader society (e.g. the impact of pornography on young people and children is different now to 20 years ago)

Good Practice

  • In 2010, Pacific Health at the University of Auckland released research into Pacific Pathways to the Prevention of Sexual Violence. The research examines culture-specific protective factors for seven Pacific nations, and is compulsory reading for anyone wishing to work with Pacifica peoples to end sexual violence. The full report and the culture specific reports for the Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga or Tuvalu on the Ministry of Pacific Affairs website.

  • Kidpower worked with Pasifika communities to co-design sexual violence primary prevention resources based on Pasifika values. This created tools and approaches with descriptions of the latest best practices. Feedback (recorded on video, drawings, evaluation forms and verbal reports) show that the initiative provided the Pasifika community with:

    • different ways to communicate with their children e.g. listening, being available when children need help, opportunities to discuss cultural differences

    • bi-lingual resources around prevention of child abuse

    • opportunities to discuss topics which are tapu (holy or sacred) that are not usually discussed in open forums

    • tools to improve relationships and to continue the work.

The process also empowered women to speak up in an open forum, and enabled leaders, elders and church ministers to participate in the discussion of a solution and to identify a process for reporting sexual abuse.

Tools and Recommendations for Further Practice

Each culture, ethnicity, religion and community (including LGBTQIA) have their own stories, beliefs and ways of working that can be harnessed by the community themselves to prevent sexual violence. The ‘ACC Making a Difference: Sexual Violence Primary Prevention Toolkit’ has information and resources that highlight the need for culturally informed interventions. There is information available for:

We suggest:

  • Developing this framework further with a diverse team of practitioners who are provided with the time and resources to consult with their communities.

  • Developing the ACC website further developed in partnership with their listed communities.