#iSurvived Educational Initiative

#iSurvived is a campaign that emerges as a bastion of empowerment and online knowledge mobilization. The #iSurvived campaign is a vital educational initiative aimed at empowering victims of intimate partner abuse with the knowledge and tools to recognize abuse facilitated through technology, protect their digital spaces, and find safety resources online. The campaign also aims to educate the broader public on recognizing signs of abuse and providing a safe online environment for those seeking help.

The #iSurvived campaign is structured around several key strategic components, each designed to address different facets of intimate partner violence and abuse in the digital age. With a focus on education, resources, networking, and advocacy, the campaign aims to provide a comprehensive response to a pressing and ongoing issue. Its resources include a directory to local services, strategies for leaving abusive relationships, guidance for friends and family members, as well as a digital toolkit designed to provide safety planning advice for specific devices and technology, including social media, online banking, email, and more.

College and university aged students are particularly vulnerable to dating violence online, which is why #iSurvived directly benefits SFU’s community. By offering free tools and resources to prevent and identify abuse, the campaign helps to raise awareness and prioritize student safety. #iSurvived is also actively working with SFU’s Sexual Violence Support and Prevention Office.

#iSurvived was created when an SFU criminology class was asked to build a campaign on the topic of cybercrime. The project team is currently composed of five members, including two Ph.D. students, a master’s student, an undergraduate student, and Dr. Richard Frank, a criminology professor at SFU.

In order to continue the #iSurvived campaign, we need your help! Your donation will help us host our website, reach more survivors, and expand our services. With additional funding, we would organize formal presentations for students and establish a peer educator program to empower students with knowledge on digitally facilitated abuse. In the future, we hope to expand on our research, advocacy and technology, as well as collaborate with more organizations in and beyond British Columbia to prevent abuse and support survivors.