Campus sexual assault and student activism, 1970–1990

Abstract

<jats:p> This historical analysis research project traces the early history of the anti-rape movement within the US by examining one university’s development of a sexual violence resource center and the role of student activism. The time period between the 1970s through the 1990s was selected for this analysis due to the significant development of legislation, research, and activism surrounding sexual violence on college campuses. In order to conduct this historical analysis, primary sources from the university’s Archives Collection were studied that included administrative documents, memos, financial documents, program reports, newspaper clippings, and training and workshop materials. Secondary sources were included to provide context to the topic of sexual violence, research, feminism, and campus culture during this time period. Amidst the university’s varied response and debates that surrounded sexual violence, the students’ persistent advocacy had led to conflict resolution. </jats:p>

Opening the “Black Box”: Student-Generated Solutions to Improve Sexual Violence Response and Prevention Efforts for Undergraduates on College Campuses

“…While students have not always been invited to the decision-making table, it has not stopped them from engaging in student-led activism and provoking change through their own means. Student-led activism related to SVSH on university campuses has occurred since the 1970s (Driessen, 2019), but was recently reinvigorated during the 2017 #MeToo resurgence (Murphy, 2019). Student organizing and media activist work has created multiple work-arounds for lacking institutional responses to SVSH (Rentschler, 2018; SAFER 2013; Grinberg, 2014).…”

Student stories of resilience after campus sexual assault

“…Several key policies and studies throughout the history of higher education have impacted how CSA has been viewed and shaped, particularly between the 1970s and 1990s (Driessen, 2020a). In 1972, Title IX officially became part of the Education Amendments to the Civil Rights Act of 1964(Title IX, 1972.…”

“…Hope and activism within the context of resilience post-assault life has been previously seen by other victim-survivors activists across campuses. Historically, activism has played an integral role in the creation of sexual violence centers on college campuses, the creation of CSA policies, demonstrations including Take Back the Night, and calls for greater accountability from the USDOE towards IHEs (Driessen, 2020a(Driessen, , 2020b. Sexual violence activists, including Tarana Burke who was previously discussed, University, where her activism involved carrying around a mattress her senior year to raise a heightened visible awareness of CSA's prevalence and lack of IHEs' responses.…”

Sexual Harassment in the Academy: Harnessing the Growing Labor Movement in Higher Education to Address Sexual Harassment Against Graduate Workers

“…Take Back the Night events, Denim Day, the Vagina Monologues, and the Clothesline Project are just a few ways in which campus communities organized to make their priorities known with the goal of forcing universities to address GBV meaningfully (Byrne, 2000). Student activists were vocal in terms of whom they wanted on their campus to address and respond to victims of harm, often advocating for peer support rather than institutional resources (e.g., counselors), and resisting the elimination of peersupport avenues like volunteer-run hotlines (Driessen, 2020). Student activism and grassroots organizing were the driving forces behind many of the institutional changes that occurred prior to the 2010s; however, the new decade brought more attention to on-campus GBV and more focus from the President of the United States.…”