Mission Statement

The McCluskey Center for Violence Prevention (MCVP) at the University of Utah aims to end relationship and sexual violence in higher education by bridging the gap betweenprimary-prevention-focused research and education.

How We Do the Work

At the MCVP, we intentionally focus on primary prevention—stopping harm before it happens—by teaching people how to avoid causing harm instead of how to reduce the risk of being harmed. We do this synergistically, by conducting research that informs our education efforts, and using insights from these efforts to shape our research initiatives.

Core Values and Guiding Philosophies

Power-Conscious Framework

Anti-Oppressive Approach

Non-Carceral Ideology

Relationship and sexual violence is rooted in power and control. The staff at the MCVP work to analyze and address power in all its forms. In practice, we educate ourselves on the role of history in shaping current contexts, reflect on our identities and their relationship to power, and use this understanding to avoid causing harm.

Relationship and sexual violence is intertwined with all forms of oppression. Perpetrators target queer and trans people, Indigenous women, people of color, and people with disabilities at even higher rates than their peers (Cantor et al, 2020; Porter & McQuiller Williams, 2011). In our research and education initiatives, the staff at the MCVP work to intentionally include the voices of those who experience the effects of multiple forms of oppression, while embracing the perspectives and experiences of everyone.

Many survivors of relationship and sexual violence do not find justice in the criminal legal system or other formal processes (Davis et al., 2022; Kaba, 2021). The work of the staff at the MCVP aims to support those who experience harm by engaging in approaches that focus on community-based solutions and active accountability that leads to behavior change and prevention of further harm, rather than passive punishment (Sered, 2019).

References

Cantor, D., Fisher, B., Chibnall, S., Harps, S., Townsend, R., Thomas, G., Lee, H., Kranz, V., Herbison, R., & Madden, K. (2020). Report on the AAU campus climate survey on sexual assault and misconduct. Association of American Universities. https://www.aau.edu/issues/climate-survey-sexual-assault-and-sexual-misconduct

Davis, A. Y., Dent, G., Meiners, E. R., & Richie, B. E. (2022).Abolition. Feminism. Now. Haymarket Books.

Kaba, M. (2021). We do this ‘til we free us: Abolitionist organizing and transforming justice. Haymarket Books.

Porter, J., & McQuiller Williams, L. (2011). Intimate violence among underrepresented groups on a college campus. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 26(16), 3210–3224.

Sered, D. (2019). Until we reckon: Violence, mass incarceration, and a road to repair. The New Press.