1st Edition
Digital Gender-Sexual Violations Violence, Technologies, Motivations
This groundbreaking book argues that the fundamental issues around how victim-survivors of digital gender-sexual violations (DGSVs) are abused can be understood in terms of gender and sexual dynamics, constructions, positioning and logics. The book builds upon Hall and Hearn's previous work, Revenge Pornography, but has been substantially reworked to examine other forms of DGSV such as upskirting and sexual deepfakes, as well as the latest research and debates in the field.
Facilitated by developments in internet and mobile technologies, the non-consensual posting of real or fake sexually explicit images of others for revenge, entertainment, homosocial status or political leverage has become a global phenomenon. Using discourse and thematic analytical approaches, this text examines digital, survey and interview data on gendered sexual violences, abuses, and violations. The words of both the perpetrators and victim-survivors are presented, showing the impact on victim-survivors and the complex ways in which phallocentric power relations and existing hegemonic masculinities are reinforced and invoked by perpetrators to position girls and women as gendered and sexualised commodities to be traded, admired, violated or abused for the needs of individual men or groups of men.
Hall, Hearn and Lewis explore their research in a broader social and political context, evaluating and suggesting changes to existing legislative frameworks, education, victim support, and practical and policy interventions against DGSV, along with wider political considerations. This is a unique resource for students, academics and researchers as well as professionals dealing with issues around digital gender-sexual violations.
Biography
Matthew Hall is Associate Professor at the British University in Egypt and Editor at the Journal of Gender Studies. As an interdisciplinary scholar he has published in areas as diverse as health; new, mediated and cyberspace identities; cognitive enhancement; body modification; disability; and image consciousness. Since 2017 his research has largely focused on digital gender-sexual violations.
Jeff Hearn is Professor of Sociology, University of Huddersfield, UK; Professor Emeritus, Hanken School of Economics, Finland; and Senior Professor, Human Geography, Örebro University, Sweden. He has worked on sexuality and violence for over 40 years, and on digitalisation since the late 1990s. He is co-managing editor of the Routledge Advances in Feminist Studies and Intersectionality book series.
Ruth Lewis is an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Sciences, Northumbria University, UK. Her research focuses on gender-based violence – particularly online and image-based abuse, GBV in universities, intimate partner violence, and lethal violence, as well as legal remedies – and feminist activism in response to these and other forms of misogyny.
'The book is a key resource for understanding digital spaces as a growing conducive context for sexual violence, the old and new forms of abuse it enables and the challenges in addressing it.'
Liz Kelly, Professor of Sexualised Violence, London Metropolitan University, UK
'The centrality of gender and sexuality in understanding everyday forms of digital violations are richly described in this book as well as its lucid analysis of the online textual abuse of feminists, upskirting and revenge pornography. It clearly makes the case for addressing digital gender-sexual violations in public spaces, organisations and workplaces while suggesting changes to the legislative frameworks to end such violations. The book is essential reading for understanding how gender, sexuality and violence manifests on the Internet and through digital and mobile technologies.'
Professor Deevia Bhana, DSI/NRF South African Research Chair, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
'Providing readers with an up-to-date and comprehensive analysis of how online technologies are used to perpetrate digital gender-sexual violations, this book offers valuable empirical insights and suggestions for change. This valuable new book provides a comprehensive analysis of how online tech is being used to perpetrate digital gender-sexual violations. It is a must-read for everyone seeking to understand and challenge these abuses.'
Professor Clare McGlynn QC (Hon), Durham Law School, Durham University, UK
'Bringing together the myriad of existing and emerging forms of sexual violations in the digital world is no easy task - the authors of this book expertly bring together the multiple levels of interaction and media to provide a holistic understanding to this important field. Upskirting, revenge pornography, the online abuse of feminists, deepfakes, cyberflashing, spycamming - all forms of sexual violations that have sadly emerged during the first part of the 21st century. This book brings together what we know so far, providing an expert analysis of victim and survivor experiences as well as perpetrator motivations. Difficult but essential reading for those involved in preventing or responding to men’s violences against women in the digital world.'
Nicole Westmarland, Professor of Criminology, Durham University, UK
'This volume is an indispensable reading for anyone who would like to understand contemporary forms of Digital Gender-Sexual Violations. As much as social media technologies have been formatting and reconfiguring our lives in so many different respects, they have also been widening the spectrum of how sexual violations can be and how they are performed. The authors take a long history of feminist research on sexual violence up to date as well as show how porn is a driver in online violence and how this is conflated with IRL actions. Based upon a wide range of empirical examples, they are giving us robust evidence why feminist interventions are truly needed.'
Ulf Mellström, Editor-in-chief, Norma: International Journal for Masculinity Studies
