Changing norms surrounding masculinity begins with destigmatizing communication. Masculinity 101, a peer discussion group at Brown University, encourages students to be mindful of their behavior by promoting discussion about social norms and healthy relationships. The group reflects a broader desire among university students in the US to change toxic aspects of masculinity, including sexual violence, and to promote positive emotional development among their peers.

Human trafficking has become an increasingly prevalent problem, especially in states such as Florida that host a large tourist population. To better serve the victims, Miami-Dade County has created a trauma-focused court that directs adolescents to support services rather than prostitution charges.

Coaches and players around the world are using sports to teach boys about masculinity and the importance of integrity, both on and off the field. From cricket in India to rugby in Fiji, games are used as a foundation for teaching important life lessons and values. As a result, young men participating in these programs have been found less likely to show aggression and more likely to believe abuse against women is wrong.

Strategies for combatting sexual harassment in housing across the United States begin with increased awareness and reporting. With incidents of sexual harassment in housing chronically underreported since the passing of the Fair Housing Act in 1974, recent initiatives by nonprofits like CNY Fair Housing and programs by the Departments of Justice and Housing and Urban Development seek to address the issue. These initiatives focus on increasing awareness and education, informing both landlords and tenants of Fair Housing policy.

Gillette, Wyoming is a small rural town that isn't connected to many resources, so that help for people who have experienced traumas can be difficult to access. With the implementation of the Gillette Abuse Refuge Foundation, however, that isolation is decreasing. Through digital connections dubbed as telemedicine, trauma survivors are able to connect with therapists to receive support and counseling sessions.

In the aftermath of multiple sexual assault incidents, Baylor University has moved toward turning what was once a culture of avoidance into a culture of accountability. The university has increased the staff, funding, and resources devoted to its Title IX office, including a new website for students to report incidents. Furthermore, the university promotes ongoing education and awareness among both its students and athletes with programs that promote healthy relationships.

Confidential points of contact allow victims to reach out about Title IX violations and sexual assault on their own terms. Following multiple incidents involving members of its basketball team, the University of Oregon has reconfigured its approach to Title IX with new policies that give victims control over when an incident is reported. The broader Title IX program defines expectations and sets norms surrounding sexual harassment and consent through educational programs, digital resources, a student hotline, and the designation of individuals as confidential points of contact.

Amid the nationwide discussion surrounding gender non-discrimination and sexual misconduct at American universities, the University of Utah has taken a proactive approach to realign its Title IX policies. In addition to reviewing the policies of its Office of Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and Title IX and Center for Student Wellness, the university has increased resources and centralized information about sexual misconduct reporting.

The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Drone Search Team is a group of volunteers in British Columbia, Canada that use a combination of indigenous knowledge and drones to search for missing women. Indigenous women are 12 times more likely to be murdered than other women in Canada, and although there is some police help, the lack of progress and transparency drove this group to take the matter into their own hands. The group has varying success in finding evidence that is being used in on-going investigations, but along the way they also provide solace and answers to the families still searching.

Ensuring that cases of missing and murdered indigenous women are counted requires collecting data. In US and Canada, many cases of missing and murdered indigenous women remain ignored by law enforcement. In response, members of indigenous communities have undertaken data collection campaigns, including the creation of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women database.

Preventing sexual violence against women begins with men. In a country faced with a high incidence of gender-based violence, Masculinities for Peace, a non-governmental organization, is working to change the norms of El Salvador’s patriarchal culture. Going beyond punishment to encourage long-term behavioral change, the NGO provides rehabilitative courses on masculinity to convicted offenders.

In the Kutupalong Refugee Camp in Bangladesh, Rohingya women are overcoming the societal restraints that bound them at home in Myanmar and becoming leaders and change-makers in their community. Despite resistance from the men, hundreds of women in the camp banded together to form a group called Shanti Mohila. This allowed them to push for more peace and justice and issues like domestic violence, and they even received support from Legal Action Worldwide to prosecute crimes against the Rohingya people.

The Shalbagan refugee camp in Bangladesh is one of 30 similar camps to elect leaders, except in this one women made up half of the elected officials. Over 40,000 Rohingya refugees live in the camp, and they come from Myanmar where women rarely held jobs or participated in the community. The new female leaders are getting a lot done here, dealing with anything from making sure that aid is properly distributed amongst them to domestic disputes to monsoon preparation.

In Diepsloot, South Africa, a small office called Lawyers Against Abuse offers legal support for sexual assault cases in a violent city that traditionally does little to address the issue. The organization offers lawyers, victim advocates, legal counseling, and therapy as they go through the process. Since 2015, they have helped more than 800 women and secured 28 convictions.

Miami is home to a special type of child welfare program called CHANCE (Citrus Helping Adolescents Negatively Impacted by Commercial Exploitation) that is designed specifically for youth in foster care that have been trafficked. CHANCE has an intensive curriculum that educates foster parents and clinicians about child sex trafficking and child trauma, and families are only allowed to take in one child at a time so that they are prepared for the child's unique health needs. Studies done on the program have found that the youth have significant improvement in many emotional and mental categories.