Voices of Campus Sexual Violence Activists

Book excerpt: The stories and strategies of student activists fighting against sexual violence in the #MeToo era. The global #MeToo movement that began in 2017 sparked an explosion of activism to address systemic problems of discrimination, harassment, and sexual violence. In Voices of Campus Sexual Violence Activists, Ana M. Martínez-Alemán and Susan B. Marine share the important stories of college student activists fighting sexual violence. Based on research and interviews, this timely book provides a close examination of the promise and perils of activism on today's college campuses. Martínez-Alemán and Marine map the terrain of student activists whose work to influence institutional, state, and federal policy represents a testament to the rich legacies of 1960s activism and signals a new wave of social media–centered work in the #MeToo era. These students share their strategies for addressing sexual violence on their campuses and organizing and rallying other students to their work. They describe their motivations, their experiences dealing with the police and campus administrations, and their goals as well as the effects of activism on their mental health and physical well-being. Gen Z students describe how they use collective mobilization and activism through social media in addition to long-established campus organizing techniques in the service of eradicating sexual violence on campus. Unlike other explorations of the #MeToo movement, this book highlights the experiences of prominent campus activists and their allies and the policy and practice implications of their movements for campus leaders, including senior student affairs administrators and faculty. Martínez-Alemán and Marine conclude with recommendations for institutional decision-making and practices that incorporate the experiences and opinions of student activists. Voices of Campus Sexual Violence Activists calls for a cultural reset in institutional cultures to end sexual violence on campuses.