Introduction to the Special Issue: Feminist Framings of Sexual Violence on College Campuses

Brave. Resilient. Strong. These three words describe survivors of sexual violence. This special issue is dedicated to all survivors of sexual violence, and especially to survivors on college campuses. Sexual assault on college campuses has been a widespread problem for decades (see Haaken, 2017). Over the past few years, a surge of national and international attention has brought the issue to the forefront. Largely a result of student activists (Krause, Miedema, Woofter, & Yount, 2017) and commitment from President Obama's administration, there is a growing movement in the United States acknowledging the prevalence of gendered sexual violence in society and on college campuses. A particular spotlight has been directed at institutions of higher education and their systematic dismissal and improper handling of sexual violence complaints. Feminist family scholars possess specialized knowledge that we believe can make substantive progress toward eradicating sexual violence from college campuses. Toward that end, this special issue offers an accessible and expansive guide for understanding, preventing, and intervening with the epidemic problem of gender-based sexual violence on college campuses.