Creating Safe Spaces: The Meaning of Space for Survivors

On April 11, 2024, I was invited to speak at the event series “Exploring Trauma: Discrimination, Toxic Narratives, and Safe Spaces”, organised at La Sapienza University of Rome by the Link University Coordination, the LGBTQIA+ collective Prisma, and the transfeminist collective Taboo.

The event offered a rare and necessary opportunity to reflect together on the experiences of trauma survivors, to challenge the romanticisation of toxic narratives, and to explore the meaning of space—both physical and symbolic—for those who have lived through abuse. My contribution, titled “Creating Safe Spaces: The Meaning of Space for Survivors”, took the form of a dialogue with the writer Francesca Svanera (author of Se Lo vuoi Sapere) focused on a powerful and intimate subject: the home.

When “Home” Is Not a Refuge

We are used to thinking of the home as the safest place. But for many survivors—especially of domestic or familial abuse—home can be a place of danger, silence, or retraumatisation. In my ethnographic research, I’ve heard many people describe the home as both a refuge and a prison, a site of care and control, of belonging and betrayal. We talked about what it means to inhabit a body or a space after trauma. About how everyday environments—especially those perceived as familiar—can evoke vulnerability, fear, or disconnection.

Designing "Livable" Spaces

But we also spoke of how it’s essential to design, both practically and symbolically, spaces that are livable and respectful of people’s histories. Creating safe spaces means more than protecting—it means empowering: giving people the room, time, and conditions to feel at ease, to express themselves, to heal. What made this event truly special was the presence of so many young students, researchers, and activists. The energy in the room reminded us that safe space is not just a physical structure—it’s a practice, a relationship, a collective right. And above all, it’s not a luxury. It’s a necessity.