Sexual Violence in the Lives of Black Women: #SAAM2026

by Courtney McCrimmon, TSS Group Member During Sexual Assault Awareness Month, it’s important to recognize the impact of sexual violence in Black women’s lives. Consider that: After intimate violence, barriers to disclosing can disproportionately impact Black women, hindering access to support. These barriers are often shaped by intersecting factors. For instance: For Black women who have been sex trafficked, challenges accessing services continue long after the sexual violence. Unfortunately,Continue reading “Sexual Violence in the Lives of Black Women: #SAAM2026”

Economic Costs of Sexual Violence: #SAAM2026

by Amber Fredrick, TSS Group Member Among the many burdens of sexual assault are the economic costs. For example: The economic impacts of sexual violence are shaped by intersectionality. For instance: Discrimination or fear of stigma can delay essential care, which means: Sexual assault also costs communities. Consider, for example: The economic impact of sexualContinue reading “Economic Costs of Sexual Violence: #SAAM2026”

Survivor-Centered Care: New Research on the Horizon

by Amber Fredrick, TSS Group Member, 2nd Year Graduate Student In my time as an advocate, I have spent many long nights in emergency rooms and early mornings in court rooms working with survivors to get the care they need. In navigating these complicated systems that often leave survivors feeling confused, overwhelmed, and frustrated, IContinue reading “Survivor-Centered Care: New Research on the Horizon”

Sharing Research, Discovering Momentum

by Courtney McCrimmon, 4th Year Graduate Student From Bench to Bedside and Beyond: Advancing Translational Science in Traumatic Stress Studies — that was the theme for the 40th Annual International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) Meeting in Boston, MA this past September. The ISTSS Annual Meeting offers a forum for researchers to share evidence-basedContinue reading “Sharing Research, Discovering Momentum”

Looking for Change in All the Wrong Places

A lifetime or so ago, I sat around a conference table with folks from the Rocky Mountain Victim Law Center (RMvlc) and several community- and system-based agencies who worked with crime victims and survivors in Denver. The group was interested in responding to a solicitation from the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) to makeContinue reading “Looking for Change in All the Wrong Places”

Hearing My Words in Someone Else’s Voice

One day, shortly after hard copies of Every 90 Seconds arrived with their periwinkle covers to my doorstep, I rounded the corner into the office I share with my spouse and stopped short. I heard familiar words — words that sounded a lot like my words — in someone else’s voice. The voice was SusanContinue reading “Hearing My Words in Someone Else’s Voice”

Denim Day 2023

The Traumatic Stress Studies Group is proud to join the Colorado Coalition against Sexual Assault as well as survivors, allies, and providers from near and far for Denim Day 2023! Our team wears denim to show our commitment to using research to raise awareness and take action. Will you join us? After all, a worldContinue reading “Denim Day 2023”

Hope and the Radical Acknowledgment of the World As It Is

I woke up on that last Friday of June with to-do lists and half-memorized remarks running through my head. I was facing down a morning packed with meetings ahead of attending the Rose Andom Center‘s Summer Connections Gala where I was to receive their Building Hope Award. I’d been working on my remarks all week.Continue reading “Hope and the Radical Acknowledgment of the World As It Is”

Taking Action with the TSS Group

We know more than ever about violence against women — and yet violence against women remains dreadfully common. A central theme of Every 90 Seconds — which launched this month — is how to transform that awareness to widespread, collaborative action. In the book, I argue that collaborative action will require recognizing that each ofContinue reading “Taking Action with the TSS Group”

Every 90 Seconds: A Book Launch and A Path Forward

Every 90 Seconds has (finally) arrived! The book’s launch this month is a culmination of a journey that has involved so many of you: The survivors who shared their stories and perspectives with the TSS Group. The victim service providers who work in our communities day in and day out. The colleagues who collaborated withContinue reading “Every 90 Seconds: A Book Launch and A Path Forward”