Connections Selector: A New Tool From the CDC

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the launch of its new Connections Selector, an addition to the Connecting the Dots website that supports those working in violence prevention to think strategically and creatively about preventing violence and to coordinate and integrate responses to violence in a way that considers the individual's home environment, neighborhood, and larger community.

 

The Connections Selector is a tool that makes it easier for practitioners to connect the dots and explore the relationships between multiple types of violence and the risk and protective factors they share at each level of the  social-ecological model (SEM). Most of the information in the Connections Selector was previously available through the publication Connecting the Dots: An Overview of the Links Among Multiple Forms of Violence (PDF), which was released by the CDC in July 2014, and this new tool makes the information more accessible and allows users to narrow down their search more effectively. A visual understanding of the intersections of risk factors allows prevention practitioners and other users to plan strategies that specifically address the identified risk factors for one or more types of violence. The tool can also help bring together collaborators from different disciplines by helping them recognize how their work overlaps with other practitioners, such as those preventing bullying, suicide, child abuse, and sexual violence.

 

In addition to the Connections Selector, visitors to the Connecting the Dots website will find a free, online training that helps users implement prevention strategies that address the shared risk and protective factors across multiple forms of violence. The topics covered include how to identify these connections, shared risk and protective factors, ways to integrate practices into preventive initiatives, and recommendations for community collaborations.

 

Notes from the Field is an interactive map that allows users to explore how some states are successfully applying the shared risk and protective factor approach to their violence prevention work. By selecting a highlighted state, users can read a brief case study of the work the state is undertaking including lessons learned and recommendations for others interested in implementing this approach.

 

For additional information or questions about Connecting the Dots or the Connections Selector, please contact the CDC Veto Violence team.

March 2019 Webinar: Reunification Planning

 

On March 19th at 2 PM ET, Campus Public Safety Online welcomes Allen Clark (PDF), executive director of preparedness and security initiatives at Arizona State University (ASU), to present Reunification Planning: The Next Step. Allen will discuss why ASU developed a model reunification plan and how others can incorporate it into their own incident command structure.

 

Several years ago, ASU hosted a statewide exercise whereby they "collapsed" part of their stadium while occupied. The focus was responding to a catastrophic event but one of the major issues that arose from the exercise was reunification. ASU found that there was very little existing information to guide them on reunification. With the help of key partners, ASU developed several comprehensive plans to address critical points of the reunification process including a reunification site, call center, and hospital reception site. The model that was designed is easily transferrable and can be plugged into any incident command structure as a branch. In this webinar, Allen will address how ASU developed this model, assumptions that were made, trigger points, and the "three-prong approach" to activation. Participants will also be provided with access to several work books designed to help their institutions of higher education or organizations work through this process.

 

Reunification planning is a multi-level, multi-discipline process. This webinar is appropriate for those working in senior campus administration, campus safety and security, emergency management, law enforcement, threat assessment, residential life, and student conduct & affairs.

 

For more information and to register, please visit our website.

Data (PDF) collected between 2010-2012 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that in the U.S., about 1 in 3 women and nearly 1 in 6 men experienced some form of contact sexual violence during their lifetime. The same study found that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men have experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime and experienced an intimate partner violence-related impact (e.g., injury, fear, concern for safety, needing services). Sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence are public health problems that affect the physical and mental health of victims. Becoming knowledgeable about and speaking out on these issues can play an important part in creating a culture of safety, equality, and respect on our campuses and in our communities. NO MORE Week, March 3 - 9, 2019, is an opportunity to:

Campuses can get a toolkit to access materials for engaging communities such as a campus organizing guide, co-brandable posters, resources and handouts, sample social media posts, and guidelines for branding products with the NO MORE symbol. NO MORE will continue to update the toolkit with new, free tools for you to use to raise awareness and generate new support for ending domestic violence and sexual assault in your community. 

 

For additional resources on this topic, you may view our free, archived webinars Applying the Best Available Research Evidence to Build Comprehensive Strategies for Sexual Violence Prevention and Sexual Assault: Courageous Conversations and Bystander Intervention or visit our online library and use search tags "bystander intervention," "prevention," or "sexual assault."

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