Part of our Conference Highlights series! Abuse is never the victim's fault - and yet victim blaming persists and thrives, especially online. In the digital age, the blaming of victims has become amplified and more severe, which compounds their trauma and impacts how we navigate and address online harm. By understanding the differences between online and offline trauma, we can meet modern students where they are, mitigate re-traumatization and inform our trauma-informed approaches to be more effective. We will also highlight common forms of tech-facilitated victim blaming, breakdown who is (and isn't) being targeted, and detail strategies to help and empower both students and our campuses to prepare for, address and navigate victim blaming in online spaces.

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify unique characteristics of tech-enabled trauma and how it impacts victims in online spaces compared to offline contexts. (CSAEd™ Domain: Foundations of the Profession)
• Explain the differences between online and offline victim blaming, and how these differences influence the experience of modern victims. (CSAEd™ Domain: Foundations of the Profession)
• Apply strategies that can be used to help victims and communities recognize, address, and navigate online victim blaming, empowering them to support victims and reduce re-traumatization. (CSAEd™ Domain: Student Learning, Development, and Success)

Knowledge & Skills:

Presenter Information & Bio:

Adam Dodge (He/Him) Adam is a digital safety advocate and attorney who believes you do not have to be a tech expert to protect yourself or others in the digital age.  As the founder of EndTAB, he has trained hundreds of organizations to address tech-facilitated abuse and improve the safety and wellbeing of people online. Adam has advised the White House Task Force to Address Online Harassment and Abuse, sits on the World Economic Forum's Digital Justice Advisory Committee and is a special advisor to the Coalition Against Stalkerware. His work and expertise has been featured on NBC, CBS and NPR and in Time Magazine, Rolling Stone, the New York Times, Vogue, Wired, GQ and others. Contact: adam@endtab.org