Ethan C. Levine, PhD

Introductory Workshops

 

LGBTQ+ 101

This interactive workshop reviews basic terminology, differences between sexuality and gender, and strategies for building inclusive and affirming spaces. It can be broken up into multiple shorter sessions, such as “LGBQ Sexualities 101,” “Transgender 101,” and “Consensual Nonmonogamy 101.” Content may further be tailored towards the needs of your specific organization or professional field.

 

Sexual Violence and Consent

This interactive workshop is geared towards those who do not specialize in sexual violence, but whose work overlaps with these issues. This includes staff at LGBTQ+ organizations, substance abuse counselors, HIV prevention specialists, youth services workers, and a range of other professionals. Participants will discuss definitions of sexual violence, the prevalence of various forms of sexual violence, the effects of sexual violence, barriers to care, and strategies for supporting survivors in our personal and professional lives. We will also discuss the concept of consent, including legal definitions as well as participants’ own understandings of how to ask for and communicate consent and sexual boundaries.

 

Recognizing Abuse in Relationships

This interactive workshop is geared towards those who do not specialize in sexual violence, but whose work overlaps with these issues. This includes staff at LGBTQ+ organizations, substance abuse counselors, HIV prevention specialists, youth services workers, and a range of other professionals. Participants will discuss the definition and prevalence of partner abuse (or domestic violence or intimate partner violence). We will review different forms of abuse in relationships and identify warning signs or “red flags.” After identifying abusive behaviors and warnings signs, participants will discuss resources, safety planning, and strategies for seeking support and providing support to others in personal and professional contexts.

 

Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth

This training is designed for professionals who work with adolescents and young adults. Content includes an overview of various issues in LGBTQ+ youth communities, including bullying in schools, sexual and dating violence, child sexual abuse, substance use, mental health, and homelessness. After discussing these issues, participants discuss barriers to care as well as strategies for supporting LGBTQ+ youth.

 

 

Intermediate Workshops

 

Building LGBTQ+ Inclusive Advocacy Services

This interactive workshop will explore strategies for addressing sexual violence in lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ+) communities. Facilitators will review contemporary research on sexual violence in LGBTQ+ communities, and present a case study in which one agency in South Jersey attempted to build services that were inclusive for survivors of all genders and sexualities. Participants will consider barriers to support and strategies for capacity building across multiple agencies that address sexual violence, including interdisciplinary collaborations such as sexual assault response teams (SARTs). Developed with Lindsey Curtis of Services Empowering Rights of Victims.

 

The Numbers Game: Statistical Literacy for Advocates

Statistics are an incredible resource for antiviolence work. In the 1980s, the finding that 1 in 4 women had experienced completed or attempted rape transformed public understandings of this issue. Rape was no longer perceived as an individual or rare problem, but a gendered epidemic that affected millions. Agency statistics serve a similar role. Effective documentation can improve chances of acquiring funding and call attention to violence in local communities. As powerful as statistics can be, it can be difficult to research and document violence in underserved communities, such as LGBTQ+ communities. In this workshop, we will critically analyze agency documentation practices and national statistics about sexual violence and partner abuse, with the goal of using numbers more effectively in advocacy. We will consider how factors such as word choice, definitions of rape and abuse, and demographic questions can effect prevalence estimates. We will identify strategies for assessing the inclusivity of published research, and for inclusive data collection and reporting within our own agencies.

 

Sexual Violence and Partner Abuse in LGBTQ+ Communities

Participants will discuss the prevalence of sexual violence and partner abuse in LGBTQ+ communities, connections with anti-LGBTQ+ hate violence, barriers to seeking and receiving support, and strategies for identifying and supporting LGBTQ+ survivors. We will consider the impact of homophobia and transphobia on LGBTQ+ survivors’ experiences of violence and access to care. In longer (2+ hour) workshops, we will also explore the history of antiviolence advocacy in LGBTQ+ communities.

 

Sexual Assault Forensic Exams with LGBTQ+ Patients

This training is designed for professionals in medicine, including forensic nursing. Content includes an introduction to sexual and gender minority communities, barriers to seeking medical support, and specific concerns regarding gender transition and sexual assault forensic exams (SAFEs). Participants will also discuss strategies and resources for providing a welcoming environment and using inclusive language in medical care.