Seeking justice and redress for victim-survivors of image-based sexual abuse

Rackley, E., McGlynn, C., Johnson, K., Henry, N., Gavey, N., Flynn, A. and Powell, A. (2021) Seeking justice and redress for victim-survivors of image-based sexual abuse. Feminist Legal Studies, 29, pp. 293-322. (doi: 10.1007/s10691-021-09460-8)

Abstract

Despite apparent political concern and action—often fuelled by high-profile cases and campaigns—legislative and institutional responses to image-based sexual abuse in the UK have been ad hoc, piecemeal and inconsistent. In practice, victim-survivors are being consistently failed: by the law, by the police and criminal justice system, by traditional and social media, website operators, and by their employers, universities and schools. Drawing on data from the first multi-jurisdictional study of the nature and harms of, and legal/policy responses to, image-based sexual abuse, this article argues for a new joined-up approach that supports victim-survivors of image-based sexual abuse to ‘reclaim control’. It argues for a comprehensive, multi-layered, multi-institutional and multi-agency response, led by a government- and industry-funded online or e-safety organisation, which not only recognises the diversity of victim-survivor experiences and the intersection of image-based sexual abuse with other forms of sexual and gender-based violence and discrimination, but which also enables victim-survivors to reclaim control within and beyond the criminal justice system.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: The research was funded by an Australian Research Council Discovery project grant (DP170101433).
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Johnson, Dr Kelly
• Authors: Rackley, E., McGlynn, C., Johnson, K., Henry, N., Gavey, N., Flynn, A., and Powell, A.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Sociology Anthropology and Applied Social Sciences
• Journal Name: Feminist Legal Studies
• Publisher: Springer
• ISSN: 0966-3622
• ISSN (Online): 1572-8455
• Published Online: 27 May 2021
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © The Author(s) 2021
• First Published: First published in Feminist Legal Studies 29: 293-322
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License