When systems fail survivors

As we read the Cornell sexual assault headlines, we are reminded that sexual assault doesn’t end when the assault ends. Survivors face further trauma when the very systems meant to protect them, schools, institutions, and communities fail to believe, support, or protect them.  survivors are often blamed, disbelieved, or silenced by schools, police, prosecutors, and even friends and family.

Take Back the Halls is working to change that.

We help schools create safer cultures grounded in consent, accountability, and respect. We provide prevention education for students and training and technical assistance for teachers, counselors, school security, and administrators, because preventing sexual and dating violence requires more than changing individual behavior. It requires changing the systems around young people.

Your support makes this work possible. By investing in Take Back the Halls, you help equip students and the adults who support them with the knowledge, skills, and tools to prevent violence and respond when harm occurs.

Together, we can Take Back the Halls and create schools where every student feels safe, respected, and heard.

To learn more about how institutions have failed survivors, and how those systems can change, we recommend The Hunting Ground and the article Betrayed for important history and context.

If you or someone you know needs support, the National Sexual Assault Hotline is 800-656-HOPE.