Survivors + Allies

Overview of Work:

In order to accomplish our goals we are pursuing a three-pronged strategy centered around research with victim-survivors, communications about resources for victim-survivors and to educate our broader community, and activism to change and/or update UC policies and funding allocation.

1. Research: A sub-group of our members is pursuing a research project with victim-survivors and other students to inform our future advocacy and communications. This research project will conduct a UC study on 5 campuses to explore how student victim-survivors access campus-based and off-campus support services. The research questions are focused on student awareness about resources and confidentiality of resources, trust in and utilization of campus- and off-campus-based support services, and interest in alternatives to Title IX such as transformative justice. The online survey will launch in May 2021.
2. Communications: Our communications strategy is to raise awareness among UC students and faculty about resources available to victim-survivors, including which resources are confidential, and to change the conversation around sexual violence and assault by elevating and amplifying victim-survivors’ voices and stories. We are accomplishing this strategy through our social media accounts, where we share information and stories, through contact with media organizations like the Daily Bruin, and through a joint photo project with 4 UC-affiliated student survivor groups that began in winter of 2021. The photo project is called SPACE (Survivor Photos: a Collaboration for Empowerment).
3. Activism: Our activism strategies are evolving and will be heavily influenced by the research project findings. Thus far, our activism has included meeting with UCOP to offer recommendations and hold them accountable for a lack of communication to students; a Change.org petition in the summer of 2020 that gained over 1200 signatures with demands related to the May 6th Title IX changes; and an email banking campaign to faculty requesting them to include language on their syllabi around violence and discrimination resources.  See a suggested syllabi statement here.