About CSAReps
Despite the high prevalence and potentially serious impacts, CSA remains a societally taboo topic and many people “flinch” from or avoid engaging with it, which can affect survivors’ well-being. Contrary to the avoidance in the real-world, CSA is frequently depicted in fictional works – sometimes in a sensitive and survivor-centred way and sometimes in a sensationalised way. Although created for entertainment purposes, fictional works can also help to construct social understandings of complex issues, such as CSA. Therefore, it is important to study the potential role of fictional representations of CSA, to see, for example, whether they spread myths or foster empowerment for survivors.
Project Overview
The CSAReps project is supported by University College Dublin and funded by the European Research Council. It is led by Dr. Ailise Bulfin and brings together an interdisciplinary team: Dr. Giulia Scapin, Victoria Pöhls, Olivia Susilo, and Caroline Dunne. It is generously supported by advisory boards of CSA survivors, academics who research CSA and support professionals who work with survivors.
As well as exploring how audiences respond to CSA fiction, the project aims to develop a guide for authors and directors on survivor-centred depictions, create a database of CSA fiction for victim-survivors, support professionals, and researchers, and produce teaching materials based on CSA fiction for schools.
People
The CSAReps project is supported by University College Dublin and funded by the European Research Council. It is led by Dr. Ailise Bulfin and brings together an interdisciplinary team: Dr. Giulia Scapin, Victoria Pöhls, Olivia Susilo, and Caroline Dunne. It is generously supported by advisory boards of CSA survivors, academics who research CSA and support professionals who work with survivors.
Dr. Ailise Bulfin
Dr. Giulia Scapin
Victoria Pöhls
Olivia Susilo
CSAReps Board Members
Fatima Bahoudashi, Dr. Claire Cunnington, John Gregor, Hazel Katherine Larkin, Sophie Olson, Helen Beckett, Leanne Gregory, Deirdre Kenny, Eimear Lacey, Simon McCarthy Jones, Rosaleen McElvaney, Aleksandra Milenović, Joe Mooney, Keith O’Reilly, Emilie Pine, Jeremy Sachs, Michael Salter
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