Campus sexual violence and the cost of protecting institutions: Carceral systems and trans student experience.
Rachel E. Gartner, Emil K. Smith, Meg Panichelli, and Adrian J. Ballard
About:
Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) students on university campuses experience high rates of sexual violence relative to their cisgender peers and are less likely to utilize campus resources. Despite this, TGD students’ voices are often left out of conversations about campus sexual violence. To learn about TGD students’ experiences of university sexual violence prevention and response infrastructure, the authors conducted focus groups with TGD college students. Thematic analysis informed by abolitionist feminism and critical trans politics highlighted how punitive, compliance-oriented approaches to addressing sexual violence on campus alienates TGD students and renders university systems unable to adequately respond to their SV experiences. TGD students also shared a vision for the future that was closely aligned with transformative justice principles and centered healing-oriented approaches to addressing sexual violence on campuses.
Key Insights:
- TGD students felt that university approaches to sexual violence prevention and response prioritized shielding the university from liability over providing students with effective support.
- Participants problematized the university’s approach to SV which they felt places the blame on individuals and envisioned a move toward addressing cultures of violence and marginalization on campus.
- Social work must support the development of campus sexual violence prevention and response infrastructure that is community-driven and informed by transformative justice principles to adequately address the diverse experiences of TGD students.