05/30/2024
By Karen Mullins

The School of Criminology and Justice Studies is proud to announce a Dissertation Proposal Defense by Cameron P. Burke entitled "Accountability, Justice, and Institutional Responses to Campus Sexual Harm."

Date: Wednesday, June 12
Time: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Location: HSSB room 431

Committee

  • Ryan T. Shields Chair, Professor, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Andrew Harris, Professor, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Christina N. Mancini, Associate Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University
  • Amber H. Ruf, Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Abstract

In the wake of #MeToo and high-profile incidents on college campuses, there has been increased attention to inadequate responses to campus sexual harm. Campus sexual harm can cause serious consequences for survivors which can be exacerbated by how the institutions respond to such incidents. Scholars have examined specific policies and practices that have been enacted as responses to campus sexual harm. The underlying philosophy behind such policies, however, remains largely unexplored in the literature. Concepts such as justice and accountability provide a theoretical foundation for institutional responses, yet much remains unknown regarding how stakeholders view these concepts. Further exploration of justice and accountability will allow for greater understanding of practical responses to campus sexual harm. This dissertation explores the concepts of justice and accountability as they relate to institutional responses to campus sexual harm. Campus victim advocates can offer valuable insight regarding these concepts given their roles as service-providers for survivors as well as their input in campus sexual misconduct policy. The proposed study will utilize interviews with campus victim advocates to examine their perceptions of justice and accountability in the context of institutional responses to campus sexual harm. I will conduct thematic analysis of these interviews, using sensitizing concepts derived from the principles of restorative justice and the organizational accountability literature.