NLA-I DVP History, Mission and Action

By lunaKM on July 28, 2007

The NLA-I DVP is a project of the National Leather Association. They began in 1998 with the purpose of educating the BDSM community about the difference between consensual kinky play and abuse. They help victims seek safety and help and provide a large base of resources for the scene. They were the first SM organization to face this problem head on. The organization is run by volunteers across the nation and world who set up workshops, give presentations and set up tables at events to help us all know the difference. “One of NLA-I DVP’s tasks during its earlier days was to transcribe their workshops, audiotape them, and send their materials to all of the national mainstream domestic violence groups in the country. As a result many mainstream domestic violence groups started making use of the NLA-I DVP’s materials within their own programs. You can still find these materials in use today.” –website The DVP mission is 6-fold:

Show that action can prevent violence.
To hold offenders accountable for their actions.
To listen and support victims.
To educate the legal and social systems about the difference between consensual kink and abuse.
To take responsibility to educate the community.
To promote information about where to go for help.

You can see the full mission here. So, what does the DVP do for the BDSM community? (taken directly from the website)

NLA-I DVP offers workshops for individuals in the BDSM/Kink/Leather communities.
NLA-I DVP provides safety plans for victims to get out of abusive intimate partner relationships.
NLA-I DVP provides pamphlets for individuals, groups, and events. These pamphlets help individuals distinguish the differences between a healthy relationship and an abusive relationship.
NLA-I DVP distributes postcards to individuals, groups, and events. These postcards supply individuals with information on how to get help, distinguishing the difference between abuse and a healthy relationship, and where to go if they need additional information or help.
NLA-I DVP publishes a quarterly newsletter with information on resources, NLA-I DVP updates, and other related domestic violence information. The newsletters are free and subscriptions are open to anyone who wants to receive the NLA-I DVP’s newsletter.
NLA-I DVP maintains a resource directory for individuals to browse and find agencies and services that are empathetic and willing to work with individuals in the BDSM/Kink/Leather communities. If a resource is not available for a particular area a NLA-I DVP Regional Coordinator or the NLA-I DVP chair will work with individuals to find the resources or help they need.
NLA-I DVP provides training, NLA-I DVP pamphlets, or other NLA-I DVP related materials to domestic violence agencies and services at the state, national, and international levels when it is necessary to improve or educate services and agencies about the BDSM/Kink/Leather communities.
NLA-I DVP actively investigates and works with domestic violence agencies and services to discern their level of acceptance and willingness to work with individuals in the BDSM/Kink/Leather communities.