The Harm and Accountability Conversation Seed Packet is a guide to help people working in sexual and domestic violence programs begin to think more broadly about what accountability can and should look like, not only after harm is committed, but also in all aspects of their lives: our relationships, families, workplaces, and communities.
The 95-page document includes 17 exercises and concrete steps for folks working in sexual and domestic violence agencies who want to expand their knowledge and practice of effective accountability.
Examples of activities in the discussion guide include:
• Responding to harm caused by individuals vs. systems
• How shame can block accountability
• What is the “victim/perpetrator binary” and how does it impede our work?
• Accountability and punishment Venn diagram
• What are the obstacles to accountability and how to overcome them?
• How to give a genuine apology
• Healing and accountability wheel
The discussion guide is designed to be a toolkit for holding conversations in your workplace, communities, and families. It was written to spark discussions about what paths exist for promoting accountability and how we can practice it in our own lives to model it for our friends, families, coworkers, and communities.
The guide asks us to consider what systems for supporting accountability currently exist, and to imagine new ways of approaching our responses to harm…approaches that not only reinforce accountability but also strengthen connection and healing.