what is sexual violence?
who are victims of sexual violence?
approaches to explaining sexual violence
sexual violence in relation to victims
strengths and weaknesses of sexual violence
lecture slides with detailed explanations , references , books , criminologists etc.
Victims of Sexual Violence
Feminist Victimology part II
SGM2058:
Victimology
2022/23
Dr Riikka Kotanen
, Outline of the Lecture
• Historical context for accepting attitudes towards sexual
violence
• Liz Kelly: Continuum of sexual violence
• Case study I: Street Harassment and Women’s Safety Work
• Victim blaming, rape culture and rape myths
• Rape myths and the CJS
• Case study II: Operation Soteria Bluestone
• Resisting sexual violence and victim blaming
Key concepts: Continuum of sexual violence, street harassm
safety work, rape culture, rape myths, victim blaming,
procedural justice
, Sexual Violence: Historical
Context for Accepting Attitudes (I)
• Importance of cultural and historical
context of understandings and definitions
related to sexual violence → Legislation
and social attitudes
• Intertwined effects of social and legal
inequality of genders
• Rape as a crime against female victims’
husbands or fathers → Restricted group of
‘objects of protection’
• Sexual self-determination and its legal
protection → Relatively new phenomenon
, Sexual Violence: Historical
Context for Accepting Attitudes (II)
• Justifications for the late recognition of
marital rape:
Women as property
Marriage as a ‘unity’, ‘becoming one’ →
wife’s legal person subsumed within her
husbands legal person
Marriage as a contract → entering into a
marriage presupposes consent (of a
wife) ⇒
Pre-existing relationship between the
perpetrator and victim still perceived as
an ‘evidence’ of ongoing consent
Sexual violence seen as accepted or
less condemned
→ Victim perceived less credible
,Liz Kelly (1988): Survivin
Sexual Violence
• In-depth interviews of 60 women aiming to
Analyse women’s experiences of the whol
spectrum of (sexual) violence over lifetim
Develop conceptual tools to provide bette
understanding of women’s experiences of
men’s violence as women experienced and
understood them
→ Opposed to how these acts are
reflected in legal codes and (then)
current research
• One of the key contributions →
Introducing the concept of Continuum of
sexual violence
, The concept of continuum of sexual violence
• Explains the connections between different forms of sexual viole
• Challenges the societal hierarchy of sexual offences → Focus
excessively on grievous sexual violence
• Shows how ‘typical and aberrant male behaviour shade into ano
(Kelly 1988, 75)
• Two ways of understanding the meaning of continuum:
I. As ‘a continuous series of elements or events that pass into on
another and which cannot be easily distinguished’ (Kelly 1988
II. Identifies a ‘basic common character that underlies different
events’ that might otherwise perceived as unrelated phenomen
(Kelly 1988, 76)
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller jamalchowdhury. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $5.35. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
