Interested in sharing your experiences with fear of victimisation and the work you do to protect yourself from and prevent victimisation?

Description

I am a PhD student at the University of Manchester conducting research for my post-graduate research thesis. The study examines the safety concerns of women university students’ and how they change their behaviour to avoid victimisation. It also considers how different identities among women students— ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and transgender identity—may affect their fear of victimisation and safety measures. Safety techniques refer to any behaviours you do or do not engage in, or areas you actively avoid to protect yourself from and prevent victimisation.

Who can participate?

Participants must be 18 or older, identify as a woman (including transgender women), live in Manchester or Salford, and attend the University of Manchester or the University of Salford full-time. You are invited to participate in two interviews (up to two hours total) and conduct two months of participant-led research, including either or both photography and regular diary entries. Participants are encouraged to fully consider if they are personally able to partake in this research, given its examination of fear of victimisation, safety techniques and gender-based violence.

Why is this research important?

Women university students’ experiences of sexual victimisation, fear of victimisation and their use of safety techniques are often belittled or rejected entirely both by the academic community and within society generally. We are often told that we are overreacting, that our fears and use of safety techniques are unreasonable, or that we are at fault for being victimised. This research aims to amplify your voice and experiences of fear of victimisation and your use of safety techniques, to challenge narratives of victim blaming and ‘hysterical’ women.

If you are interested, please contact Eleanor Reaper at eleanor.reaper@student.manchester.ac.uk for more information.

This project is conducted under the remit of the University of Manchester.

If you take part in this research, you will be compensated with am Amazon voucher.

Contact details

If you are interested, please contact Eleanor Reaper at eleanor.reaper@student.manchester.ac.uk for more information.