Constructing Identity: Campus Sexual Violence Activists' Perspectives on Race, Gender, and Social Justice

Campus sexual violence activists (CSVAs) work to challenge their campuses by actively opposing rape culture, changing policies and practices, and educating their peers to prevent sexual violence. Despite renewed activism on campuses, little is known about how CSVAs conceive of their identities, and how their identities change through the experience of activism. In this qualitative interview study of 11 CSVAs we explored the ways that activism transformed both their category-based and role-based identities (Horowitz, 2017), particularly with respect to race, gender, and social justice. Implications for student affairs administrators working alongside CSVAs are discussed.