survivorsbased

Survivorsbased is a term used to describe approaches, practices, or analyses that center the experiences, voices, and agency of survivors of harm, trauma, or oppression in fields such as research, policy, media, and service delivery. It is not a formally defined framework with universal standards, and its exact meaning varies across disciplines. Core ideas include prioritizing survivor leadership, obtaining informed consent, ensuring safety, and empowering survivors to participate in decision-making that affects them.

In research, survivorsbased methods often use participatory or co-design approaches, establish survivor advisory groups, and involve survivors in setting research questions and interpreting results. In media and communications, it guides storytelling to reflect survivor perspectives respectfully and to avoid sensationalism. In service delivery and policy, it aligns with trauma-informed and survivor-centered care, emphasizing autonomy, choice, and accountability.

Benefits can include greater relevance and ethical alignment, increased trust, and potentially better outcomes. Challenges involve balancing diverse survivor experiences, avoiding essentializing or tokenizing groups, ensuring meaningful participation with adequate resources, and navigating power dynamics.

See also: survivor-centered approach, trauma-informed care, participatory action research, survivor advocacy, survivor-led movements.