Respect Yourself!

I thought for our first official blog post that I would talk a little bit about what Respect Yourself is… and what it isn't!

The Respect Yourself program was started in 2005 as a way to educate people with Far Northern Regional Center about sexual abuse prevention.  People with disabilities are abused more than anyone else.  More than the general population.  More than women.  More than the elderly.  Sexual abuse is especially common, with many cases never being reported to the police.  It is commonly believed that upwards of 80% of all women with developmental disabilities are sexually abused in their lifetime, and 50% of all men.  The Respect Yourself program believes that when people take our series, their risk of sexual abuse will go down.  How?  By learning what is private, how to set boundaries with everyone from a date to staff, the difference between relationships we may have, what abuse actually is, and what makes a good and healthy relationship.  If someone is victimized after taking our series, they will still learn valuable information such as understanding how they were abused, knowing who to report it to, and what to do if the people around you do not take action.

The Respect Yourself series is also designed to teach people about their body, how self-esteem effects our relationships, and personal boundaries.  Our goal is to not only give people important information such as body part names, what they are for, and self-screening for cancer, bu

t to also teach participants that their body is their OWN and no one has a right to hurt them.  We teach people what is normal and right, so that they can tell when something is not normal or right.

Now for what the Respect Yourself program is NOT.  It is not a “how-to” on having sex.  We do not encourage people to have sex.  We do not teach people about sex so that they can then go out and do it.  The fact is most people who participate in our classes have already made up their mind about having sex before stepping foot in the classroom.  We do not teach morals; we only give fact-based information that allows participants to make safe and healthy choices that work for THEM.  For example: abstinence, or not having sex, is the safest way to protect yourself from getting an STD or a baby.  However, IF you choose to have sex, it is best to be in a monogamous relationship and use condoms with a backup method of birth control.

People with developmental disabilities are the same as anyone else.  Who doesn't want close and personal relationships?  Who doesn't want to find someone special that makes your heart race?  Who doesn't want love and respect in all of their relationships?  The Respect Yourself series is a way for people to learn what choices they have in adult relationships, so that they can make educated decisions on creating the healthy and safe adult lifestyle of their choosing.