Student networks leading the struggle for universities free of sexual violence: mechanisms to support survivors, inspiring institutional changes for violence prevention

Project Information

UniswithHeart

Grant agreement ID: 894554

DOI

10.3030/894554

Project closed

EC signature date 24 March 2020

Start date 1 September 2021

End date 31 August 2024

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 245 732,16

EU contribution

€ 245 732,16

Coordinated by

UNIVERSIDAD DE LA IGLESIA DE DEUSTO ENTIDAD RELIGIOSA
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - UniswithHeart (Student networks leading the struggle for universities free of sexual violence: mechanisms to support survivors, inspiring institutional changes for violence prevention)

Reporting period: 2023-09-01 to 2024-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

UniswithHearth project’s main goal is to examine in which ways social movements struggling to eradicate sexual violence contribute to the creation of networks of support among victims, inquiring on how different social actors engage, the resistances they face and, overall, how contexts of zero tolerance in which survivors feel empowered to speak up are shaped.

The problem being addressed is the sexual harassment in academia and any kind of gender-based violence that may cause someone to suffer as a direct survivor or as a supporting someone. Isolating Gender Violence is also being addressed, as well as the lack of support that sometimes experience when they disclose a case.

Specific objectives:
1. The social movements analysed in this project are those referring to sexual violence, usually emerging from students, counting on the support of scholars. Thus, UniswithHearth will analyse the role of Public Sociology in advocating and creating the context for these movements to emerge and be built stronger.
2. To examine university and public policies, programs and protocols against harassment and sexual violence and their potential use for student and social mobilisations.
3. To study the strategies underlying US student support networks to identify elements that have advanced in creating institutional measures aimed at speaking up, believing survivors and taking their side.
4. To uncover effective strategies of the movement against sexual violence in universities and its connection with the administration and institutions beyond the academy.
5. To analyse the emergence and articulation of university networks of support to overcome barriers that prevent them from giving voice to survivors, and their promising transferability to achieve significant effect on institutional and legislative manners of dealing with sexual assault.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

UniswithHeart's 24-month study explored the role of Student Networks of Solidarity (SNS) in addressing sexual harassment in Spanish and US universities. Despite formal preventive measures, the study highlighted the crucial, yet understudied, role of informal mechanisms in supporting survivors and emphasized the need for systematic research on their creation, longevity, and impact.

During its UC Berkeley phase, UniswithHeart explored grassroots movements, students, and activists' role in creating Student Networks of Solidarity (SNS) for survivors. The study delved into social actors, barriers, and connections with formal university mechanisms across nine institutions (six more than the three planned). The project, beyond university analysis, examined case resolutions, considering geographical and cultural contexts. With 67 interviews and focus groups, it surpassed the initial plan, exceeding the intended 30 techniques.

To achieve outgoing objectives, UniswithHeart pursued three main data collection blocks. First, it examined anti-harassment policies in 20+ universities, conducting 32 interviews with staff responsible for addressing sexual harassment. Second, it studied support networks like CARE Centers at Harvard, UC Berkeley, and Stanford, with the PATH to Care Center at UC Berkeley as a primary case study, involving 18 interviews and focus groups. Third, it explored the link between support networks and administration through 9 interviews with organizations like AAUP, NSVRC, It's on US, EROC, RAINN, SafeBAE, and others.

Seven interviews with top scientists explored "mandatory report vs. mandatory support" to understand elements in universities most supportive of survivors, aligning with UniswithHeart's project goal.

Using UC Berkeley research, UniswithHeart aims to offer fresh insights on adapting student support networks to the European context, focusing on informing survivors and supporters, particularly in Spain and Europe.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Unlike prior research struggling with managerial traps in building grassroots movements, UniswithHeart's findings highlight the effectiveness of relationship-focused activities in activating support networks. This dynamic approach enhances impact on supporting survivors.

The research indicates that a student-centered support network, built on trust and solidarity with a shared purpose of listening, supporting, and believing survivors, is crucial for effective support against sexual harassment. The "CARE Centers" model, evident in three case studies and nine universities, emerges as an effective approach for supporting and empowering survivors.

UniswithHeart's outgoing phase reveals insights into how student support networks build survivors' trust. First, they enhance individual and collective capacities despite constraints, beginning with survivors and activists. Administrations recognize their importance, leading to formalization, as seen in the University of California's CARE Centers—confidential, formal, and legitimate support structures.

Secondly, the project highlights support networks' ties to campus administration and faculty, influencing university power structures for transparency and survivor advocacy. Active bystanders, including academics, contribute to this movement, emphasizing the need to address Isolating Gender Violence (IGV) and retaliation against supporters. The project's impact extends to scientific associations like the European Sociological Association and the Berkeley Postdoctoral Association, incorporating whistleblower protections into their ethical guidelines.

Thirdly, universities extend their impact on the community regarding sexual harassment. Victims and activists often turn to external organizations for trust and resources, with some operating through volunteer efforts. Support networks from universities, sometimes staffed by individuals from the studied universities, reach beyond academia, showcasing the broader preventive and responsive impact universities have on their communities.

UniswithHeart's major social impact is the creation of the "World MeToo University" network, uniting global support networks. The project's knowledge, policy briefs, and materials now empower student movements worldwide to achieve "Universities with Heart," the slogan that embraces the acronym of this project. Media engagement and survivor outreach confirm the project's impactful reach.

Building on the outgoing phase, the project aims to achieve the established scientific objectives during the remaining period:
- To analyse the emergence and articulation of university networks of support to overcome barriers that prevent them from giving voice to survivors and their promising transferability to achieve significant effect on institutional and legislative manners of dealing with sexual assault.
- To explore what are the needed conditions to capitalise the Student Networks of Support model upon support networks and grassroots movements in universities in Spain, informing how to advance in better organizing the student movement against harassment in academia and better support survivors in Europe.
- To explore in which ways the new knowledge generated can advance towards a social impact-oriented research agenda on gender violence and sexual harassment issues, inquiring on how both the scientific international community and grassroots student support networks can contribute to this endeavor.
- To expand the “World MeToo University” around different countries and continents to reach out to more students and better support survivors elsewhere.

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