Is the Me Too movement influencing a shift towards carceral feminism?

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Elizabeth Carter Moberly (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
David Kauzlarich

Abstract: In 2017, #MeToo initiated a worldwide dialogue surrounding sexual assault and the lack of punishment offenders have received by the criminal justice system by providing a platform for survivors to share their experiences. Sexual assault is a highly under-reported crime, and many survivors who do report assault describe police attitudes as unempathetic or unmotivated to investigate these crimes. Through the Me Too movement, calls for justice are being raised, but concerns are being raised as to how justice should be defined. Traditional criminal justice system methods are the standard approach to approaching gender violence, but it is worth exploring if survivors are interested in other forms of justice, such as rehabilitative or restorative. My interviews of ten self-identified feminists found that the majority of them they did not perceive the Me Too movement as creating a shift towards carceral feminism or increased desire for carceral punishment, but all expressed a desire to see better forms of justice for survivors, the community, and the offender. However, a distinction should be made that interviewees did not always equate carcerality with justice. All participants expressed an interest in restorative justice but showed concern about implementation.

Additional Information

Publication
Thesis
Language: English
Date: 2021
Keywords
Carceral feminism, Feminism, Gender violence, Metoo
Subjects
MeToo movement
Feminism $y 21st century
Mass media and criminal justice
Women $x Violence against
Restorative justice

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