Embodied harms: gender, shame, and technology-facilitated sexual violence

Nicola Henry; Anastasia Powell

doi:10.1177/1077801215576581

Embodied harms: gender, shame, and technology-facilitated sexual violence

Violence Against Women. 2015 Jun;21(6):758-79. doi: 10.1177/1077801215576581. Epub 2015 Mar 31.

Authors

Nicola Henry¹, Anastasia Powell²

Affiliations

¹ La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia n.henry@latrobe.edu.au.
² RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.

PMID: 25827609
DOI: 10.1177/1077801215576581

Abstract

Criminality in cyberspace has been the subject of much debate since the 1990s, yet comparatively little attention has been paid to technology-facilitated sexual violence and harassment (TFSV). The aim of this article is to explore the ways in which retraditionalized gender hierarchies and inequalities are manifested in online contexts, and to conceptualize the cause and effects of TFSV as "embodied harms." We argue that problematic mind/body and online/off-line dualisms result in a failure to grasp the unique nature of embodied harms, precluding an adequate understanding and theorization of TFSV.

Keywords: sexual violence; technology.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Female
Feminism
Gender Identity*
Humans
Internet*
Sex Offenses / psychology*
Sex Offenses / trends
Sexual Harassment / psychology*
Shame*
Women's Health