Description

Mainstream sexual violence prevention efforts often overlook students from multicultural and global backgrounds, as these initiatives typically stem from a single cultural viewpoint. While these students encounter distinct challenges within complex campus systems, they also offer invaluable insights, cultural strengths, and robust community connections crucial for fostering a campus-wide culture of safety. However, traditional, prominent leadership roles can unfortunately lead to tokenism, burnout, or unwanted attention for them. This session aims to rethink our approach to student leadership in violence prevention. Moving beyond conventional models, we will explore how student affairs professionals can identify, cultivate, and empower "invisible" leaders. We will discuss strategies to support students as powerful advocates, proactive bystanders, and peer mentors, all while prioritizing their safety and honoring their lived experiences. This session will provide practical frameworks for establishing protective structures that enable these student leaders to leverage their unique strengths and drive meaningful change, proving their impact is not just visible, but truly invincible.

Learning Outcomes

• Identify at least three unique strengths and challenges that multicultural and global students bring to sexual violence prevention work.
• Describe alternative leadership models (e.g., collective care, informal networks, protected advocacy) that empower students without exposing them to undue risk or tokenization.
• Develop actionable strategies for student affairs professionals to actively recruit, mentor, and protect student leaders from diverse multicultural and global backgrounds on their own campuses.