Centering Minoritized Students in Campus Interpersonal Violence Research

Campus interpersonal violence - defined as sexual assault, sexual harassment, intimate partner violence, and stalking - is a social problem that has received widespread attention due to its high prevalence and devastating consequences, especially for students facing multiple forms of minoritization. Research on campus interpersonal violence prioritizes certain types of institutions; violence; victims, perpetrators, and bystanders; and intervention goals. This prioritization fails to challenge underlying systems of oppression and makes invisible minoritized students who are most affected by campus interpersonal violence. Historically, there has been an emphasis on acquaintance sexual assault against White heterosexual women at residential four-year predominantly White institutions. Far less studied are other types of violence and harm; violence experienced by gender and sexual minorities, and students of color; and students in online or commuter programs. In this commentary, we propose centering minoritized students to better situate campus interpersonal violence research within broader systems of oppression. We describe challenges to centering minoritized students in researching the problem, prevalence, and risk, as well as prevention and response interventions. We also provide recommendations for overcoming these barriers.