Qualitative exploration of sexual violence in the Brussels nightlife
Civil society collaboration
In the city of Brussels, the issue of sexual violence (SV) in nightlife spaces has recently reached public consciousness after reports emerged of personnel in well-known establishments perpetrating sexual assault using chemical drugs. The Instagram account ‘Balance ton bar’ has been instrumental in collecting testimonials from victim-survivors around experiences of sexual violence to raise public awareness and hold nightlife establishments accountable. Recognising the gap in scholarship on sexual violence experiences in European nightlife settings, Danielle Fernandes has launched an exploratory project to develop an evidence-based understanding of SV experiences in the Brussels nightlife and the challenges and facilitators encountered when seeking support through a qualitative analysis of testimonials published on ‘Balance ton bar’. The project is supervised by Prof. Dr. Gily Coene.
Note- Due to the anonymized nature of the social media account, obtaining informed consent from each respondent was not feasible. Ethics approval was granted from the VUB’s Ethics Committee Human Sciences (ECHS) based on the utilization of publicly available social media posts for research purposes. A comprehensive privacy policy document outlining the data collection and management procedures can be found here, in three languages:
Additionally, confidentiality measures were implemented by removing any potentially identifying information and the name of the nightlife establishment where the assault occurred.
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Intersectionality-based Study of Sexual Violence and Harassment Experiences in Brussels
This PhD project is a COLLABORATIVE effort between Vrije Universiteit Brussel and NOVA Lisboa, funded by the EUTOPIA Cotutelle PhD grant. Led by Danielle Fernandes and supervised by Prof. Coene and Prof. Cerejo, this initiative delves into the pressing issue of sexual violence and harassment (SVH) in Brussels, particularly among individuals with a migration background. This project aims to understand how the intersection of different identities and power dynamics heightens vulnerability to SVH and affects access to support services. Despite their increased risk, there is limited research on the experiences of migrants facing SVH in Brussels. Our study addresses this gap by focusing on their lived experiences and the complex power dynamics at play. The project will be conducted in Brussels and consist of a participatory approach to construct a power-conscious intersectional understanding of the experiences of individuals with a migration background regarding SVH. By focusing on personal narratives and the interplay of power dynamics, this research will enrich the evidence base on SVH experiences among migrants in Brussels. The insights garnered will not only spotlight the challenges faced but also the efficacy of resilience and support structures, guiding the development of more nuanced, inclusive, and responsive sexual violence policies and interventions.
Communities Against Violence
Civil society collaboration
Communities Against Violence is a citizen-science project intiated by RHEA and ZIJkant vzw to address sexual violence in public spaces through a game-based intervention. A team of citizen scientists were engaged to co-create the content and format of the game intervention, with support from the game design team at De Aanstokerij. This project, run by researchers Danielle Fernandes, Julie Van Garsse (ZIJkant vzw) and Prof. Dr. Gily Coene has received funding as a citizen science initiative with the European Commission-funded IMPETUS program.
After a series of participatory workshops, a board game was developed to educate participants and provoke discussions on the theme of sexual violence. The game intervention is intended to generate awareness about sexual violence, challenge harmful norms and improve knowledge about bystander actions to address violence. The intervention was tested through a series of game nights and pop-up booths in Brussels to determine its influence on improving knowledge, attitudes and bystander capacity.