Get Educated
One of the best ways that you can help to end sexual assault, harassment and rape culture is through research. Google some of the topics below or, if you’re feeling really studious, have a look through the extensive selection of resources available from our own library. The key thing to remember when carrying out your own research is to make sure that it is intersectional. There is no single experience, theory, or explanation for rape culture. People of different identities live through different struggles, stigmas and cycles of abuse.
Some great titles, websites and searches to get you started are:
- (Book) Preventing Sexual Violence: Interdiscliplinary Approaches to Overcoming a Rape Culture - Edited By Nicola Henry and Anastasia Powell Available through the RHUL library.
- (Article) Gender Microaggressions as a Gateway to Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault: Expanding the Conceptualization of Youth Sexual Violence by Rachel E. Gartner and Paul R. Sterzing Available through the RHUL library.
- (Article) Debating Rape Jokes vs. Rape Culture: Framing and Counter-Framing Misogynistic Comedy by Pérez, Raúl-Greene and Viveca S. Available through the RHUL library.
- (Article) “A boy, being a victim, nobody really buys that, you know?”: Dynamics of sexual violence against boys by Jean Von Hohendorff, Luísa Fernanda Habigzang and Silvia Helena KollerAvailable through the RHUL library.
- Charities like Rape Crisis England and Wales and Survivors UK are two of largest UK charities dedicated to tackling sexual assault and abuse, Survivors UK specialising in male victim support. They have fantastic resources on their websites as well as links to content on how you can help tackle sexual through campaigning, fundraising and other activities.
- The Survivors Trust (TST) is a UK-wide national umbrella agency for 130 specialist organisations for support for the impact of rape, sexual violence and childhood sexual abuse throughout the UK and Ireland. They have fantastic resources on their website including lots of links to research and news articles to keep up to date with progression of the movement.
- If you fancy a long and hefty read, the Sexual Offences Act 2003 sheds an interesting light on the UK government’s laws and legislative policy in relation to sexual assault, harassment and abuse.
- End Violence Against Women is a coalition of specialist women’s support services, researchers, activists, survivors and NGOs working to end violence against women and girls through government lobbying and activism. EVAW are currently lobbying for more external regulation monitoring how Higher Education Institutions respond to sexual assault cases within the sector. More information can be found at www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk.
- Some good key words to help steer your google searches are:
- sexual assault statistics for women
- people of colour
- people with disabilities
- lgb+ people
- transgender people
- sex workers
- men
- children
- asylum seekers
- refugees
- homeless people