Campus Sexual Assault and the Changing Role of Victim Advocates

• In Event: Creating a Safe Space: Addressing Sexual Violence on College Campuses

Abstract

The intensified scrutiny of campus-based sexual assault has resulted in new policies and tightened regulations. The complex changes in campus approaches have the potential to dramatically alter not only prevention and response, but also the primary roles of campus personnel. One group in particular that has received little attention is campus-based victim advocates.

This paper examines how the role of victim advocates has been challenged in the context of new and enhanced requirements, regulations and processes. Drawing on in-depth interviews with advocates, I explore a number of emergent themes. For example, though literally the “voice” of victims, advocates are often left out of the process as campuses strive to comply with new mandates. Their philosophical and ideological approaches and priorities often come into conflict with those of other campus personnel and they typically lack the formal power or authority to push survivors’ agendas forward. Many are experiencing tensions between a tradition of grassroots activism and the pressure to formalize and professionalize the role in order to increase authority. The findings increase understanding of the role of victim advocates and raise questions about formal and informal organizational processes, professionalization, and the rewards and costs of carework.

Author

• Sarah Jane Brubaker, Virginia Commonwealth University