Our Core Values

Sexual and interpersonal violence is first and foremost about POWER. Its roots are in systemic oppression -- the patriarchy, white supremacy, and capitalism. Those who face the most violence are also those harmed the most through oppressive systems and institutions.

In what follows, we will cover information about our core values: Restorative & Transformative Justice, Anti-Carceral Feminism, and Community Healing & Education

Restorative Justice: The criminal justice system focuses on one view, which is punishing the offender for the crime. Restorative Justice takes a broader look at all the stakeholders who were affected by the crime, including offenders, victims, and the community. A practice created by Indigenous communities, it centers the survivor in the healing process after an act of sexual or interpersonal violence, while guiding the perpetrator to take accountabilty for their actions + actively work to change their actions. The community is involved, as the systems and institutions that allowed and encouraged this violence to happen also affect them. It is imperative to examine these systems of oppression to stop further violence from occuring. Restorative justice acknowledges that those who do wrong need healing as well, as trauma is often passed down through relationships and communities. This does not mean that there should be forgiveness of the act, but rather healing for all those involved. The goal is to change mindsets stuck in a patriarchal society that mobilizes sexual and interpersonal violence as power.

Course on Restorative Justice created by graduate students at George Washington University in collaboration with UVA Survivors. We DO NOT wish RJ to be co-opted by institutions and organizations trying to create the illusion of good politics. It must be followed in all its tenets and concepts, and its Indigenous roots recognized and respected. ***We recommend that it be done in multiple sittings, as it is comprehensive and covers the many ways RJ can be applied in our communities.***

Transformative Justice: From Transform Harm, "Transformative Justice (TJ) is a political framework and approach for responding to violence, harm and abuse. At its most basic, it seeks to respond to violence without creating more violence and/or engaging in harm reduction to lessen the violence. TJ can be thought of as a way of “making things right,” getting in “right relation,” or creating justice together. Transformative justice responses and interventions 1) do not rely on the state (e.g. police, prisons, the criminal legal system, I.C.E., foster care system (though some TJ responses do rely on or incorporate social services like counseling); 2) do not reinforce or perpetuate violence such as oppressive norms or vigilantism; and most importantly, 3) actively cultivate the things we know prevent violence such as healing, accountability, resilience, and safety for all involved."

The systems that harm us will never free us. The carceral state is built in systemic oppression -- the patriarchy, white supremacy, and capitalism. If we continue to operate along these systems, violence will continue to occur. Not only does the carceral system traumatize the incarcerated through rampant sexual violence, but has been designed to purposely protect those who are privileged in race, gender, class, and immigration status. Even when survivors report their assault, the chances of their perpetrator being sent to prison are slim to none. Lastly, the strong correlation between abuse and rates of incarceration reveals that the violence in our society cannot be solved through prisons. We look to restorative and transformative justice to end the systems that oppress and harm us.

Survivorship can be extremely isolating, as society often encourages us to stay silent in order to protect perpetrators and abusers. It can feel embarassing and shameful to tell people who haven't had the same experiences. However, in community we can share our experiences openly, give each other hope for healing, and educate ourselves together. No one story can represent the survivor community, and that is why our voices are so much stronger together. When we know we aren't alone, that we have a hand to hold and a shoulder to cry on, we can show up for ourselves and our communities.

Education is imperative to growth, which is at the center of survivorship. We must educate ourselves on how we can best serve our communities, in order to ensure that all survivors have the opportunity for justice and healing. Both through learning about ourselves and learning about our communities, we can end the violences that plague our society.