How do we put intersectionality into action? Psychologist Elizabeth Cole (2009) listed three questions we can ask to ensure we are being intersectional in our work.

First, who are we including?

Asking ourselves who is allowed to participate in our research studies or our programs, who actually chooses to participate, and who is missing can show us gaps in who we are serving. Asking these questions can highlight groups that have typically been ignored, excluded, or felt unwelcome. From here, we can find ways to include and welcome these groups. As we have more members of these groups included, we can ask the same questions, looking to increasing diversity within the groups.

For example, an examination of Black crime victims should include victims from different socio-economic levels, with different abilities, and different education levels. Now of course, no one study or program can include all of the types of people there are within a group, but identifying who is included and who is missing allows us to set goals for making our programs more inclusive and more beneficial for those we serve.

The second question we should ask is, what role does inequality play? This question reminds us to think about the historic and modern experiences of structural inequality and oppression that influence how group members can move through the world.

Using the same example of Black crime victims, a program might consider how historical structural inequality, such as crimes against Black victims not being prosecuted, is connected to current day inequalities, such as police killings of unarmed Black men, women, and children, and then consider how these realities might change Black crime victims’ attitudes about some of their options.

Considering the role of inequality requires that we understand the connections between being a member of a marginalized group and how group membership relates to unequal access to power and resources in the past and the present.

And our third question: What are the similarities across groups that are often perceived as different? Intersectional work moves beyond a focus on group differences to also ask about the similarities across groups, even if those similarities are largely hidden. Asking this question can help us recognize stated needs, values and goals that create possibilities for these groups to come together and work on mutual goals.

Using our earlier example, programs could consider where there are similarities between Black and Latinx crime victims. Knowing both groups try to educate their children about race in the US to protect their children from police brutality, programs and participants could work together to try to change practices that create harm for both communities.

This builds connections across groups while respecting their differences, and strengthens both groups by working together to change oppressive systems.

In summary, It is important to remember that Intersectionality work pushes us to think about systems of power and oppression. It requires that we think about the larger world that events take place in and that we consider the roles of oppression and privilege. For example, how does systemic racism contribute to racial trauma for crime victims and their reduced willingness and ability to access all of the services available? How might these realities lead to racial differences in the outcomes for racial crime victims that we serve?

True intersectional advocacy promotes social justice and promotes real-life solutions to address systemic oppression. We start doing this by looking at who is included and who is missing our programs; considering how historic and current day oppression influences crime and crime victim’s responses, including how they access programs; and finally, intersectional advocacy encourages us to think about groups that are thought of as different, understand their common needs and goals, and work to find solutions that work for more crime victims.