The Survivor-Centered Advocacy Project (SCA Project) was developed under a deliberate vision for “research justice” that seeks to:

  1. Explicitly address the imbalances of power and privilege in traditional research relationships and dominant positivist frameworks determining what counts as “legitimate”knowledge production
  2. Operate from a strengths-based perspective that recognizes the assets that exist in all individuals and communities
  3. Honor and center the voices and lived experiences of impacted communities as adding critical and diverse voices to knowledge production
  4. Pursue engaged social justice scholarship in such a way that will ultimately benefit the lived experiences of our communities

These reports make recommendations for those wishing to do a CBPR project that holds historically marginalized communities at the center; and/or those attempting to align or deepen their practices according to what works for survivors from historically marginalized communities.

Related Resources

2023 CBO Needs Assessment Report & Summary

2023 CBO Needs Assessment Report & Summary

This report explores and contextualizes the results from API-GBV's 2023 needs assessment on AANHPI-serving GBV community organizations. The findings support a sustained need for culturally responsive programming and research; specialized training opportunities for...

Strengthening Our Roots: Listening & Learning from Survivors & Supporters, 2017

Strengthening Our Roots: Listening & Learning from Survivors & Supporters, 2017

By Sikh Family Center
This report, prepared by Sikh Family Center, compiles the qualitative data from 2 focus groups and 3 individual storytelling interviews facilitated by SFC in the Bay Area, California between November 2016 and January 2017. These groups and interviews consisted of survivors of gender-based violence, specifically family violence, as well as community members who regularly work (formally or informally) with survivors of violence.

Power through Partnerships: A CBPR Toolkit for Domestic Violence Researchers

Power through Partnerships: A CBPR Toolkit for Domestic Violence Researchers

This toolkit is for researchers across disciplines and social locations who are working in academic, policy, community, or practice-based settings. In particular, the toolkit provides support to emerging researchers as they consider whether and how to take a CBPR approach and what it might mean in the context of their professional roles and settings. Domestic violence advocates will also find useful information on the CBPR approach and how it can help answer important questions about your work.

An Exploratory Framework for Community-Led Research to Address Intimate Partner Violence: a Case Study of the Survivor-Centered Advocacy Project, 2018

Susan Ghanbarpour, Ada Palotai, Mimi E. Kim, Aracelia Aguilar, Juana Flores, Amber Hodson, Tara Holcomb, Maria Jimenez, Mallika Kaur, Orchid Pusey, Alvina Rosales, Wendy Schlater & Hyejin Shim

This case study discusses the Survivor-Centered Advocacy Project, a community-based participatory research project that convened anti-violence advocates from culturally specific communities to design and implement research. The project used a unique approach to build grassroots research capacity and center survivors of intimate partner violence from historically marginalized communities. This approach coalesced into the creation of an exploratory Community-Led Research (CLR) framework that incorporated trauma-informed, research justice and language justice principles. The CLR framework responded to community members’ desire to lead, rather than simply participate in, the research process. As a result, five studies were designed and executed by practitioners turned community-based researchers, most of whom had never before engaged in research, except as subjects. The CLR framework integrated the skills and experiences of community-based and external researchers, and led to high levels of engagement, rich data, more equitable research processes and innovative research projects.

Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence

June 2017; Revised March 2019

Defensoría centrada en sobreviviente en comunidades culturalmente especificas: un proyecto de investigación participativa basado en la comunidad

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