Scientist discusses sexual assault prevention
Sayyed Shah | October 14Leona Woelk is an associate scientist at the UNM Prevention Research Center. She works under Theresa Cruz, principal investigator for a sexual violence prevention project. They work with the New Mexico Department of Health, the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs and rape crisis centers and other organizations across the state that are receiving funding from NMDOH to work on sexual violence prevention. The researchers provide training and technical assistance to the organizations to implement and expand primary prevention efforts, meaning efforts to prevent sexual violence from happening in the first place. In June 2015, the UNM Prevention Research Center completed a year-long, statewide strategic planning process for primary prevention of sexual violence for NMDOH. The scientists worked with many different organizations and communities throughout New Mexico to complete the plan, including conducting 11 focus groups across the state to learn more about sexual violence and prevention efforts in the local setting. One of those focus groups was conducted at UNM with male students and other young men from the Albuquerque community to learn more about how to engage men in sexual violence prevention work.
