Sexual Violence in a Digital World

Nicola Henry, RMIT University, Australia 

Visuality, Criminality and Image-Based Sexual Abuse Perpetration

Contemporary digital society and culture can be characterised by an obsession with both the visual artefact and object. This is evidenced through contemporary voyeurism trends, such as reality television, live-streaming, amateur pornography, as well as an increasing demand for “real” or “authentic” visual representations. In addition and related to these contemporary social trends, there is a continual shifting public/private divide, an ongoing fixation on bodies, particularly feminised bodies, as well as pre-existing structural inequalities on the basis of gender, race, sexuality, class, age and ability. This complex interplay of social, cultural and technological factors provides the contextual backdrop to understanding the prevalence, nature and perpetration related to the taking and sharing non-consensual nude or sexual imagery – also known as image-based sexual abuse (IBSA). Further to structural factors underlying IBSA, it is also important to address the performativity of gender and subjectivity in understanding this phenomenon and thereby contribute to more informed responses and prevention interventions. In this paper, I utilise feminist criminological theory for understanding the complex interplay of individual and structural causes of IBSA perpetration. I draw on Judith Butler’s theory of gender performativity and heteronormativity, Walter DeKeseredy’s (1988) male support theory, Raewyn Connell and James Messerschmidt’s (2005) theory of “hegemonic masculinity” and Nicola Gavey’s (2013) “cultural scaffolding” theory to explore the ways in which existing social norms and practices in relation to gender and sexuality play a key role in shaping behaviours. I examine these influences across different cultural contexts, drawing on the findings from our research to date on IBSA perpetration. 

 

Clare McGlynn and Kelly Johnson, Durham University 

‘It’s torture for the soul’: new ways of thinking about the harms of image-based sexual abuse

This paper seeks to develop a holistic account of the harms of image-based sexual abuse, moving beyond the current trauma-focussed and typological approaches which both medicalise and compartmentalise victim-survivors experiences. It draws on interviews with 75 victim-survivors across Australia, New Zealand and the UK as part of a larger project (PI Nicola Henry). While it is vital that individuals receive appropriate support and treatment, we suggest that ideas such as ‘social rupture’ may better capture the constructed and socially-embedded nature of the harms experienced.

 

Nicola Gavey, Auckland University, New Zealand 

Unpicking the ‘myth of masculinity’ – next steps for sexual violence prevention?

I will introduce my take on Debra Bergoffen’s notion of the ‘myth of masculinity’, which I argue is a crucial pillar in the cultural scaffolding of rape. Going beyond diagnosis of the role of ‘toxic masculinity’, it suggests that dominant western norms of masculinity are based on psychological impossibilities. This recognition invites us to think differently about how to tackle sexism and sexual violence. In the body of the talk, I will discuss collaborative research projects that experiment with small steps in this direction. One involves workshops on gender, sexism and online ethics with over 50 teenage boys and young men.

This event is free and open to all. No registration necessary.