Re-visiting the Continuum of Re-visiting the Continuum of Sexual Violence Sexual Violence

NE SV conference NE SV conference November 2012November 2012

Email: Email: l.kelly@londonmet.ac.ukTwitter: @ProfLizKellyTwitter: @ProfLizKelly

Where the continuum concept Where the continuum concept came from came from Liz Kelly PhD in 1980sLiz Kelly PhD in 1980s For much of 20C VAW seen as rare, committed by For much of 20C VAW seen as rare, committed by

deviant men, dysfunctional families deviant men, dysfunctional families Who decides what is abusive, what matters?Who decides what is abusive, what matters? Connecting the horrific with the everydayConnecting the horrific with the everyday

incest as an exaggeration of patriarchal family norms (Herman, incest as an exaggeration of patriarchal family norms (Herman, 1981)1981)

rape as the end point of ‘socially sanctioned continuum of male rape as the end point of ‘socially sanctioned continuum of male sexual aggression’ (Marolla and Scully, 1979)sexual aggression’ (Marolla and Scully, 1979)

how the ‘typical’ and the ‘aberrant’ shade into one anotherhow the ‘typical’ and the ‘aberrant’ shade into one another Is located in patriarchy/gender order – not just adding Is located in patriarchy/gender order – not just adding

and counting violence, but in context which influences and counting violence, but in context which influences meaning and consequencesmeaning and consequences

The 1987 conceptThe 1987 concept

‘‘a basic common character that underlies many a basic common character that underlies many different eventsdifferent events’ – the many forms of coercion, ’ – the many forms of coercion, abuse and assault that are used to control womenabuse and assault that are used to control women

‘‘a continuous series of elements or events that pass a continuous series of elements or events that pass into one another and cannot be readily into one another and cannot be readily distinguisheddistinguished’ – categories are not discrete: sexual ’ – categories are not discrete: sexual harassment/ assault/rape; smuggling/traffickingharassment/ assault/rape; smuggling/trafficking

Was not intended to be linear or imply anything Was not intended to be linear or imply anything about seriousness – the ‘more or less’ referred to about seriousness – the ‘more or less’ referred to prevalence prevalence

The continuum of non-The continuum of non-consensual sexconsensual sex

Pressurised sexPressurised sex Coercive sexCoercive sex RapeRape

The boundaries are not fixed and women The boundaries are not fixed and women might discuss similar events but name them might discuss similar events but name them differentlydifferently

Trafficking/smuggling as binary Trafficking/smuggling as binary and as a continuumand as a continuum

‘Nothing Really Happened’

Paper written with Jill Radford in 1990, drawing on data from two projects

This phrase common in women’s accounts – they described things that had happened, involved fear, but they minimised – it could have been worse

Unlikely to name or report these common experiences as they do not count as ‘crimes’

Examples

I was kerb-crawled too, earlier this week. I hate this sort of thing. It happened again later in the day, when I was walking home. I was in tears by the time I got home, nothing happened, just comments, but I was intimidated.

I have been frequently harassed by kerb-crawlers. It happened even when I was pregnant. There were several incidents about a fortnight ago, though nothing actually happened… It makes me sick and angry. I don’t go out much alone now, I resent that enormously.

A different understanding of terrorism

I often get angered by men’s comments and at nights. Nothing happens, but it’s a form of terror. You can tell they know it’s terror by the way they laugh and that

All these things are everyday harassment, the background against which our lives are lived. Not much happens but it is threatening and calculated to intimidate women – to terrorize us

I was on the tube the other day and a man was making racist and insulting sexual remarks. He was white and said I was a snobbish black tart and he knew what was good for me, all that sort of talk, but he didn’t do anything. It makes me really sick

Continuum of experience Continuum of experience in individual women’s livesin individual women’s lives

Most women recall at least one incident of intimate Most women recall at least one incident of intimate intrusion in their lifetime and many report multiple intrusion in their lifetime and many report multiple experiencesexperiences Most common is harassmentMost common is harassment Range within CSA, within IPV (lecture on measuring Range within CSA, within IPV (lecture on measuring

violence)violence)

Continuum of Impacts, Continuum of Impacts, meanings and consequencesmeanings and consequences

Having to factor personal safety into everyday Having to factor personal safety into everyday activities/limited space for actionactivities/limited space for action

Bruises, broken bones, disability, HIV/AIDS, deathBruises, broken bones, disability, HIV/AIDS, death Having one’s sense of self, safety and trust in other Having one’s sense of self, safety and trust in other

human beings undermined/destroyedhuman beings undermined/destroyed Is dishonouring, disgracing, stigmatising across cultural Is dishonouring, disgracing, stigmatising across cultural

contexts contexts Impacts on earning power/achievement/loss of Impacts on earning power/achievement/loss of

livelihood/place in societylivelihood/place in society Few women become perpetrators many more are Few women become perpetrators many more are

extraordinary activists and practitionersextraordinary activists and practitioners

Critiques of continuum Critiques of continuum

Has no frame for seriousnessHas no frame for seriousness Hierarchy of harm?Hierarchy of harm?

Left out sexual exploitation/sex industry Left out sexual exploitation/sex industry

Does not include ‘harmful [traditional] practices’ – Does not include ‘harmful [traditional] practices’ – FGM, forced marriage, honour based violenceFGM, forced marriage, honour based violence

Critique contedCritique conted

Lynne Segal, Lynne Segal, Slow Slow MotionMotion – blurs lines so – blurs lines so that all heterosexuality that all heterosexuality is problematised, all is problematised, all men guilty, violence men guilty, violence inherent in masculinityinherent in masculinity Wants differentiation of Wants differentiation of

men and violences – men and violences – distinguishing ‘violent distinguishing ‘violent rape’ and those in rape’ and those in relationships (p248), and relationships (p248), and why some violate and why some violate and others do not others do not

““Such violence constitutes a continuum across Such violence constitutes a continuum across the lifespan of women, it cuts across both the the lifespan of women, it cuts across both the public and the private sphere and one form of public and the private sphere and one form of violence often reinforces another”violence often reinforces another”

What counts and what What counts and what are we measuring?are we measuring?

Prevalence methodology requires exclusive Prevalence methodology requires exclusive analytic categoriesanalytic categories

Where framed as crime this is interms of Where framed as crime this is interms of ‘incidents’‘incidents’

Poor fit with IPV which is a pattern of coercive Poor fit with IPV which is a pattern of coercive control (Stark, 2007)control (Stark, 2007)

Implications for 1 in 4 figure?Implications for 1 in 4 figure?

Law, crime and harmLaw, crime and harm

Law also requires strict demarcationsLaw also requires strict demarcations Gradations of ‘seriousness’Gradations of ‘seriousness’ IncidentsIncidents All sit uneasily with continuumAll sit uneasily with continuum Course of conduct offences exceptionsCourse of conduct offences exceptions Sweden ‘gross violation of integrity’Sweden ‘gross violation of integrity’ Not just safety but women’s freedomNot just safety but women’s freedom

Other potentials Other potentials

The continuum of agency – constraints The continuum of agency – constraints on/space for actionon/space for action

Extending to include structural and symbolic Extending to include structural and symbolic violence – Srila Roy and Ava Kanyeredziviolence – Srila Roy and Ava Kanyeredzi

Women connecting their own experiences – Women connecting their own experiences – Fiona ElvinesFiona Elvines

Historic continuum of oppression within a Historic continuum of oppression within a family of women – Ava Kanyeredzifamily of women – Ava Kanyeredzi

Connecting to gender equality Connecting to gender equality and women’s freedomand women’s freedom Incremental social democratic gains stalled (Bea Campbell and Incremental social democratic gains stalled (Bea Campbell and

Sylvia Walby)Sylvia Walby) Violence as a core, and relative independent, pillar of gender Violence as a core, and relative independent, pillar of gender

orders – eg Nordic countries, development income generation orders – eg Nordic countries, development income generation projectsprojects

Need new theoretical framingsNeed new theoretical framings R W Connell – gender orders, gender regimes, gender R W Connell – gender orders, gender regimes, gender

relationsrelations Anne Morris ‘abusive household gender regime’Anne Morris ‘abusive household gender regime’ Eva Lungren – gender constitution through violenceEva Lungren – gender constitution through violence