Survivors + Allies sponsors state bill targeting digital sexual harassment

A student-led initiative at UCLA is making waves at the state level as members of Survivors + Allies work alongside lawmakers to address the growing issue of technology-facilitated sexual harassment. Survivors + Allies (S+A) is a UCLA student organization supported by CSW|Streisand Center that advocates for and with survivors of sexual violence in the University of California system. They elevate student concerns to the UCs to improve existing resources, services, and communications available to survivors, as well as to advocate for improved UC-wide policies and funding for additional support to survivors

The proposed bill, introduced in partnership with Assembly member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, would require California colleges and universities to implement policies supporting students targeted by digitally generated sexually explicit content. If passed, the legislation would mandate that institutions across the UC, CSU, and community college systems provide up to $1,000 in funding for affected students to help identify and remove harmful content. Schools that fail to comply could risk losing state funding. The bill also aims to modernize existing legal definitions by incorporating forms of digital sexual violence, including those aided by AI technologies.

The effort is rooted in research conducted by Survivors + Allies, which found that 1/7 sexual violence survivors experience technology-facilitated harassment. In response to these findings, student organizers began collaborating with legislators to translate their research into actionable policy. Their work highlights gaps in current campus resources the urgency of adapting institutional actions to evolving digital threats.

Read more here.