In 2017, a flood of sexual misconduct allegations against powerful men in media, politics, and other industries has ignited fierce conversations around our society's deeply-entrenched rape culture. The #MeToo movement, which gained traction as a social media hashtag, has expanded into something of a reckoning, with more and more women speaking out about their experiences as victims of this culture. Starting the conversation and elevating women's voices is a great first step in dismantling our society's rape culture, but if you're looking for more ways to help, here are some ideas.

01 of 08 Teach Your Children About Consent, Especially Young Boys Tony Anderson/Getty Images If you are raising adolescents, are a teacher or mentor, or otherwise play a role in any young person's education and development, you can help fight rape culture by speaking frankly with adolescents about sex. It's especially important to teach young people about sexual consent — what it means, how it works, how to get consent, and what to do when a potential sexual partner refuses to give (or retracts) their consent. Don't shy away from frank, sex-positive conversations that emphasize healthy and safe sexuality.

02 of 08 Call Out Problems in Our Media SambaPhoto/Getty Images Rape jokes, song lyrics, video games with rape scenarios, and other cultural products all play into our society's rape culture. When you notice media that mocks or trivializes the issue of rape, call it out. Write to the author, artist, or publication that produced it. Similarly, media that dehumanizes women by treating them as sex objects contributes to rape culture. Call out these cultural products when you see them. Criticize them publicly, and boycott them if they refuse to make changes.

03 of 08 Challenge Conventional Definitions of Masculinity Thomas Barwick/Getty Images In order to fight rape culture, it's essential to resist cultural assumptions that sexual violence is in any way "natural." Challenge common misconceptions that assault is caused by "uncontrollable" male urges. It's also essential to resist "jock worship" and other cultural norms that value strength and athleticism above compassion, as these norms work to excuse problematic behavior. Object to notions of masculinity that frame sexual aggression as a strong or admirable quality for men to strive toward.

04 of 08 Resist "Slut-Shaming" and Victim-Blaming Fausto Serafini/Getty Images It's all too common for survivors of rape to be accused of "asking for it," "leading him on," or otherwise being complicit in their assault. Sometimes, women are accused of "crying rape" and told that they are mistaking unsatisfactory or regrettable sex with unwanted sex. In fact, it is a whole lot more common for rape to go unreported than for false rape accusations to surface. Don't forget that consenting to some sexual activity is not the same as consenting to all sexual activity at that consent can be retracted at any point, even after sexual intercourse is underway. Bottom line: non-consensual sex is rape, regardless of the circumstances.

05 of 08 Use Your Words Carefully cascade_of_rant/Flickr Rape is not "sexual intercourse," "sexual misconduct," or "unwanted sex." There is no such thing as "legitimate rape" and there is no distinction between "date rape," "real rape," "intimate partner rape," and "criminal rape." Rape is rape — it's a crime, and it's important to call it out as such.

06 of 08 Don't Be a Bystander RunPhoto/Getty Images If you witness sexual assault, or even just something that doesn't feel right, don't stand by. If you feel safe enough in the moment, call it out directly. If not, let an adult or police officer know. Don't hesitate to call out sexist jokes or language that perpetuates rape culture.