ABSTRACT
Primary prevention of IPSV is a bold concept. Instead of prevention efforts aimed simply at identifying “warning signs” (Break the Cycle, 2014), primary prevention involves a complete reconceptualization of how to help young people have relationships free of intimate partner sexual violence, both in adolescence and throughout their lives. This includes but goes far beyond introducing ideas and skills related to healthy relationships. Using the socioecological model introduced below, prevention efforts need to target the underlying social beliefs and structures that serve as the soil in which sexually oppressive relationships grow.
