Participatory Blackout Poetry As Qualitative Method for Understanding Perceptions and Strategies of Violence Prevention Among College Students at Risk for Sexual Violence

Background

Sexual violence in university students is a national public health issue with far reaching, long term effects on survivors’ mental health. Research has shown that people of color, LGBTQ+ students, and women are most vulnerable to experiencing sexual violence. However, less is known regarding how identity-based cultural norms affect how individuals perceive and describe sexual violence. There is also a dearth of qualitative data which elevates individuals’ own words from these communities about how to change cultural norms around sexual violence. This study considered 1) the different perspectives of people of color, queer students, and women on sexual violence in their communities, and 2) what these students want to change in order to prevent and respond to gender-based violence.

Methods

Qualitative data were collected from a convergent parallel mixed methods study about gender-based violence. Students from multiple universities were recruited through email blasts, university news, and student organization partnerships (N=63). Qualitative data were collected through structured interviews in a virtual text chat. Participants self selected a chat based on the identity they most strongly identified with (i.e. Asian, Black, Latine, women of color, queer white, lesbian, nonbinary, queer, trans, female, bisexual). Interview questions centered around gender-based violence, cultural norms, and consent. Responses were coded through thematic analysis and blackout poetry with participants to draw out themes within each identity group and resulted in several found poems.

Results

Qualitative thematic analysis about community norms of sexual assault revealed that Asian and Latine students experienced shifts in conservative values in college, and Black students spoke about “being raised properly” to understand consent. LGBTQ+ students discussed having an expansive understanding of sexuality and an emphasis on consent, while women spoke about their vulnerability to violence. With regards to ideas for change, Asian and Latine participants emphasized a need for open communication and fewer taboos; Black students discussed overlapping forms of oppression: “Acknowledging that we are all poisoned from the well of white supremacy.” Women pointed out the overemphasis on how women dress, and a need to believe women: “I want more trust in the words women say.” LGBTQ+ participants emphasized changing misconceptions about queer sexuality, and trans respondents pointed out the discussion around violence overemphasizes “male and female,” excluding their experiences. Participatory poetic transcription provided depth to the thematic analysis by recasting the powerful sentiments found in the data into more accessible and evocative poems.

Conclusions

Students of color and LGBTQ+ students have unique cultural norms that affect their perceptions and beliefs about sexual violence. Traditional university prevention education is not addressing these norms. University school wide education efforts should include education about LGBTQ+ experiences of sexualization and violence, stress the importance of believing women regarding experiences of violence, and discuss how intersecting forms of oppression influence how survivors are treated. Future research should investigate how intersectionality can be used as the foundation of prevention programming and intervention services. Blackout poetry with participants can be considered a novel tool to deepen qualitative analysis and create accessible results for viewers.