About the Initiative
The Sexual Violence Research Initiative, "Sexual Violence: Connecting Social Science Research with Policy," launched in September, 2020.
Vision
The Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) is a transdisciplinary research initiative that aims to investigate and prevent multiple forms of sexual violence, including ntimate partner violence, domestic abuse or coercive control, stalking, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sex trafficking. Collectively, our research seeks to critically analyze the nature of sexual violence to gain understanding of its causes and consequences, and develop effective strategies to prevent and intervene. We value research and scholarship that recognizes the roles of power and privilege in systems of oppression on the basis of: race, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status (among other identities), and their intersections. Our work fosters community-engaged, innovative research with sexual violence survivors and community leaders. We seek collaborative partnerships with policymakers – not only in Wisconsin, but across the United States – to generate effective, evidence-informed policy aimed at preventing sexual violence and mitigating its devastating consequences.
Participating Schools & Disciplines:
• Computer Science
• Gender & Women’s Studies
• LaFollette School of Public Policy
• Psychology
• Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work
• School of Human Ecology
• School of Nursing
• Sociology
People Involved
More information about the faculty and graduate students of the Sexual Violence Research Initiative can be found here.
Collaborative Projects
More information about collaborative projects by the faculty and graduate students can be found here.
News
July 2024: Dr. Rahul Chatterjee awarded NSF CAREER award!
April 2024: Dr. Mariel Barnes awarded a Vilas Faculty Early Career Investigator Award.
September 2023: Dr. Kate Walsh awarded a $4.2 million grant to develop and test a video and text message program to prevent the onset and escalation of PTSD and opioid misuse among recent sexual violence survivors.
August 2023: Padideh Hassanpour awarded an Institute for Diversity Science fellowship to support the ISEI grant.
June 2023: Drs. Jeneile Luebke, LB Klein, and Kate Walsh awarded funding under the Increasing Social and Economic Inclusion (ISEI) initiative to better understand barriers and facilitators to post-sexual assault services for minoritized survivors.