Power and possibility: an intersectional perspective of campus sexual violence disclosure

BMC Glob Public Health. 2025 May 7;3(1):41. doi: 10.1186/s44263-025-00163-9.

ABSTRACT

Sexual violence on higher education campuses represents a global public health crisis that threatens students’ safety, well-being, and academic success. Despite increasing awareness and available supports, most students who experience sexual violence do not disclose their experiences. This perspective article critically explores the disclosure process through an intersectional lens, revealing how institutional barriers, systemic oppressions including racism, ableism, and transphobia, and power structures shape students’ decisions to seek support after sexual violence. Drawing on firsthand insights as a social worker and researcher in a Canadian campus sexual violence support office, I explore the often-overlooked risk of further harm during or following disclosure. The discussion provides a globally relevant perspective on the shared challenges student survivors face across various cultural and institutional contexts. I challenge one-size-fits-all response models and advocate for transformative, student-centered approaches that prioritize student survivor choice, justice, and equitable care. By exploring the systemic impacts of disclosure and its nuanced complexities, this perspective contributes to global conversations on campus sexual violence and identifies critical gaps in research. It demonstrates how intersectional frameworks are essential to developing ethical, responsive, and empowering practices that reduce harm and uphold student survivors’ agency. Ultimately, it calls for a fundamental reimagining of support systems that honor diverse student experiences, validate both disclosure and non-disclosure, and confront the realities of sexual violence in academic environments.

PMID:40336140 | DOI:10.1186/s44263-025-00163-9