06/16/2025
By Karen Mullins

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

Date: Monday, June 30
Time: 10-11:30 a.m.
Location: Room HSSB 431 and via Zoom

Committee:

  • Ryan T. Shields, Ph.D, Committee Chair, Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Andrew Harris, Ph.D, Professor, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Amber Horning-Ruf, Ph.D, Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Christina N. Mancini, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University

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. This dissertation explores the concepts of justice and accountability as they relate to institutional responses to campus sexual harm. Campus victim advocates offer valuable insight regarding these concepts given their roles as service-providers for survivors as well as their input in campus sexual misconduct policy. This study utilized interviews with 21 campus victim advocates to examine their perceptions of justice and accountability in the context of institutional responses to campus sexual harm. Using thematic analysis with principles of restorative justice and accountability theories as sensitizing concepts, I found that advocates described both justice and accountability as multifaceted concepts. Advocates portrayed justice as survivor-driven based on the needs and wants of the survivor, and they noted the importance of respecting survivor autonomy in response to sexual harm. Advocates described accountability at both the micro and macro level, referencing individual accountability for the person responsible and institutional accountability for the college or university. This research notes several theoretical and practical implications of these findings, as well as directions for future research.