Legislative Advocacy and Survivors

["Julie Steen, MSW" <jsteen@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

 I am beginning the first stage of creating a dissertation topic.  I have
an idea of what I would like to focus on but am unsure if there is any
knowledge base in the literature to build a dissertation upon.  I am not
finding any literature that is directly related to my research question.

My research questions are based on the following.  I have worked in the
field of legislative advocacy and have seen people testify before
legislative committee, where they recount their experiences of domestic
violence and child abuse.  I have two primary questions:  Is this traumatic
or empowering for these survivors to testify before the legislature?  What
factors make this testimony more or less traumatic?  Would you say that
this type of testimony is similar to the testmony in court, in terms of
trauma experienced by the person testifying?

I am hoping that through this research, the field of advocacy can gain
insight into how advocacy can be successfully accomplished without
sacrificing the emotional health of survivors or other consumers of social
serives.

Does anyone have any ideas of where I can go to get information on this
topic?  If you have information on how to do advocacy while actively
involving other consumers, such as families affected by disabilities,
mental illness, or poverty, that information might also be helpful.

Thank you.

Julie Steen
Florida State University