Dr. Cassandra Gonzalez participated in the in the Racial Democracy, Crime and Justice Network’s Summer Research Institute (SRI) at Rutgers University from June 27th to July 15th last summer.
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| Dr. Cassandra Gonzalez |
Her research interests started through her community. She grew up in California, in a neighborhood where sex trafficking of young Black girls was prominent. In this community, Dr. Gonzalez saw mainly Black women protecting the girls from sex trafficking. Years later, she read an article about sex trafficking, referred to as modern day slavery, but through the language used in the article she realized that “the people that look like me aren’t the ones that they’re talking about.” Her experiences drove her to do her undergraduate honors’ thesis on the unique nuanced experiences and vulnerabilities Black women and girls experience in sex trafficking in the United States, which started her journey to her Ph.D. dissertation research.
The Summer Research Institute is a component of the Racial Democracy, Crime and Justice Network. The SRI is organized by Dr. Jody Miller, Dean Rod Brunson Ph.D., and Dr. Ruth Peterson and funded by the National Science Foundation and Rutgers University-Newark. Their objectives are to advance research on issues of citizenship and democratic participation at the intersection of race, crime, and justice, and promoting racial and ethnic democratization of academics by supporting junior scholars of color in advancing their academic careers. During the program, each scholar completed an ongoing project in preparation for journal submission or agency funding review.
The research project Dr. Gonzalez focused on during the Summer Research Institute focused on further developing her victimization framework, which she is currently calling Amplified Victimization. Her research included qualitative interviews of Black women who were survivors of sex trafficking, either as children, as adults, or as both. A common theme through all of the interviews centered on the trauma associated with racism experienced prior to, or during, the trafficking experience. A key component of amplified victimization is state violence. Through her research, Dr. Gonzalez found that police officers and court workers had the most impactful violence on the victims. During the program, she worked with a mentor and an outside reader to develop the concept of amplified victimization and “ended up making a whole new conceptual framework from what I have.” Throughout her mentorship and experience at the SRI, Dr. Gonzalez has developed her idea of “amplified victimization [as a] really complex and multi-layered experience that’s rooted not just in vulnerability, but in anti-Black racism and sexism itself.”
What originally drew Dr. Gonzalez’s interests in the SRI is that the institute does cutting edge work within race and equality within the criminal justice system, both in the United States and globally. This opportunity gave her the chance to meet people with similar research interests. “It gave me this vast network of people I never would have met otherwise,” said Dr. Gonzalez. This experience also gave her new perspectives on her writing, as “the person who reviewed my work is Dr. Amy Ferrell, [who is] one of the biggest hitters in human trafficking research.” Dr. Gonzalez found SRI engaging and enriching. “I’m really grateful I did it and I recommend it to pre-tenure professors. Especially first generations, like me.”
NOTE: Applications are open for the next season. Due Feb. 15th. If you, or someone you know is interested in applying for the program, click here for more information and to access the application.
By: Allison Phillips