Thursday, July 29 at 2:00 PM-3:15 PM

This workshop will provide community members with information on how to support survivors of sexual violence who belong to marginalized communities. The AAU Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct (2019) found that at the University of Pittsburgh, 26% of undergraduate women, 26% of students with a disability, 24.5% of non-heterosexual students, and 30% of transgender students experienced sexual violence. Black students reported experiencing high rates of sexual harassment (46.3%) and intimate partner violence (21.6%). These statistics demonstrate the need to discuss how we can create more trauma-informed spaces on campus that support all survivors of sexual trauma. Racism has been cited as a barrier to reporting sexual assault among Black and Latina sexual assault survivors (Tillman, et al., 2010), although racism has not yet been adequately examined as a barrier among male or transgender sexual assault survivors. However, homophobia has been found to be a barrier during the sexual assault reporting process among men (Javaid, 2017). These findings only further our commitment to supporting all sexual assault survivors at the University of Pittsburgh.

Participants will be provided with a brief overview of sexual violence on college campuses. The presenters will discuss cultural considerations towards working with survivors of sexual violence who belong to marginalized groups. Topics surrounding masculinities, heterosexism, and racism will be discussed.

Carrie Benson

Carrie (she/her) currently serves as the Prevention and Education Coordinator of the Sexual Violence Prevention and Education Office. She is responsible for ensuring that faculty, staff and students are engaged in on-going conversations around identifying, preventing, and responding to sexual misconduct. She oversees the peer education program, Sexual Assault Facilitation and Education (SAFE).SAFE student educators engage their peers in dialogue around topics such as healthy relationships, consent, and bystander intervention. In this role, Carrie also focuses on educating community members on how to best support survivors of sexual trauma. She joined Pitt as a Title IX Specialist in May of 2015.Previously, she was the Assistant Director of Campus Life at Carlow University. Carrie has worked in higher education for the last twelve years. She has experience working in diversity and inclusion, student affairs and service-learning. She earned her master’s degree in education from Pitt in 2012.

Daniel Jacobson Lopez , PhD, MSW, LSW

Dr. Daniel Jacobson López is an Assistant Professor at Boston University, School of Social Work.

Daniel’s primary research focuses on the sexual assault of gay Latino and Black male sexual assault survivors. He also researches violence against gay Black and Latino men, LGBT individuals, and the effects of COVID-19 on people living with HIV/AIDS. Daniel was previously an intern with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

He is the first Latino PhD graduate at Pitt’s School of Social Work and founder of the first Latinx graduate student organization (LAGOS) at Pitt. He has received awards from Black Men at Penn and the Center for Hispanic Excellence from the University of Pennsylvania, for his advocacy for Black and Latinx students, which is where he received his Master’s degree. He is a Licensed Social Worker and a Certified Sexual Assault Counselor. Additionally, he has a Doctoral Certificate in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies. He is completing a credential at the Katz Graduate School of Business. Daniel is also a trained anti-bias facilitator with the Anti-Defamation League, where he conducts anti-bias training to colleges, universities, businesses, and religious organizations.

If you require an accommodation to participate in this event, please contact the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at diversity@pitt.edu by July 21