Institutional Sexual Abuse in the #MeToo Era: Perspectives on Crime and Justice
Autor Jason D. Spraitz, Kendra N. Bowen Contribuţii de Nicole Bedera, Shelly Lynn Clevenger, Tracy Everbach, Pamela J. Forman, Mia Rose Gilliam, Matthew Robert Hassett, Jacqueline Johnson Lambiase, Renee D. Lamphere, Tania G. Levey, Lake D. Montie, Anne M. Nurse, Ashley Wellman, Amina Zarrugh, Carolyn Bronsteinen Limba Engleză Paperback – aug 2021
Examining the evolving reach of the #MeToo Movement
In this timely and important collection, editors Jason D. Spraitz and Kendra N. Bowen bring together the work of contributors in the fields of criminal justice and criminology, sociology, journalism, and communications. These chapters show #MeToo is not only a support network of victims’ voices and testimonies but also a revolutionary interrogation of policies, power imbalances, and ethical failures that resulted in decades-long cover-ups and institutions structured to ensure continued abuse. This book reveals #MeToo as so much more than a hashtag.
Contributors discuss how #MeToo has altered the landscape of higher education; detail a political history of sexual abuse in the United States and the UK; discuss a recent grand jury report about religious institutions; and address the foster care and correctional systems. Hollywood instances are noted for their fear of retaliation among victims and continued accolades for alleged abusers. In sports, contributors examine the Jerry Sandusky scandal and the abuse by Larry Nassar. Advertising and journalism are scrutinized for covering the #MeToo disclosures while dealing with their own scandals. Finally, social media platforms are investigated for harassment and threats of violent victimization.
Drawing on the general framework of the #MeToo Movement, contributors look at complex and very different institutions—athletics, academia, religion, politics, justice, childcare, social media, and entertainment. Contributors include revelatory case studies to ensure we hear the victims’ voices; bring to light the complicity and negligence of social institutions; and advocate for systemic solutions to institutional sexual abuse, violence, and harassment.
In this timely and important collection, editors Jason D. Spraitz and Kendra N. Bowen bring together the work of contributors in the fields of criminal justice and criminology, sociology, journalism, and communications. These chapters show #MeToo is not only a support network of victims’ voices and testimonies but also a revolutionary interrogation of policies, power imbalances, and ethical failures that resulted in decades-long cover-ups and institutions structured to ensure continued abuse. This book reveals #MeToo as so much more than a hashtag.
Contributors discuss how #MeToo has altered the landscape of higher education; detail a political history of sexual abuse in the United States and the UK; discuss a recent grand jury report about religious institutions; and address the foster care and correctional systems. Hollywood instances are noted for their fear of retaliation among victims and continued accolades for alleged abusers. In sports, contributors examine the Jerry Sandusky scandal and the abuse by Larry Nassar. Advertising and journalism are scrutinized for covering the #MeToo disclosures while dealing with their own scandals. Finally, social media platforms are investigated for harassment and threats of violent victimization.
Drawing on the general framework of the #MeToo Movement, contributors look at complex and very different institutions—athletics, academia, religion, politics, justice, childcare, social media, and entertainment. Contributors include revelatory case studies to ensure we hear the victims’ voices; bring to light the complicity and negligence of social institutions; and advocate for systemic solutions to institutional sexual abuse, violence, and harassment.
Preț: 258.25 lei
Nou
Puncte Express: 387
Preț estimativ în valută:
49.43€ • 51.52$ • 41.15£
49.43€ • 51.52$ • 41.15£
Carte disponibilă
Livrare economică 16-30 decembrie
Livrare express 29 noiembrie-05 decembrie pentru 25.66 lei
Preluare comenzi: 021 569.72.76
Specificații
ISBN-13: 9780809338238
ISBN-10: 0809338238
Pagini: 232
Dimensiuni: 152 x 229 x 18 mm
Greutate: 0.41 kg
Ediția:1st Edition
Editura: Southern Illinois University Press
Colecția Southern Illinois University Press
Seria Perspectives on Crime and Justice
ISBN-10: 0809338238
Pagini: 232
Dimensiuni: 152 x 229 x 18 mm
Greutate: 0.41 kg
Ediția:1st Edition
Editura: Southern Illinois University Press
Colecția Southern Illinois University Press
Seria Perspectives on Crime and Justice
Notă biografică
Jason D. Spraitz is an associate professor and the coordinator of the criminal justice program at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire. Along with Kendra N. Bowen, he has coauthored several manuscripts that examine clergy sexual abuse and is a coeditor of Contemporary Criminal Justice: An Examination of the System, Its Challenges, and Its Future. Some of his work appears in Sexual Abuse and the Journal of Interpersonal Violence.
Kendra N. Bowen, an associate professor and director of the criminal justice graduate program at Texas Christian University, has coauthored numerous publications with Jason D. Spraitz about the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church. She has published essays in the Journal of Sexual Aggression and Sexual Abuse, among others.
Kendra N. Bowen, an associate professor and director of the criminal justice graduate program at Texas Christian University, has coauthored numerous publications with Jason D. Spraitz about the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church. She has published essays in the Journal of Sexual Aggression and Sexual Abuse, among others.
Extras
Introduction: Examining Institutional Sexual Abuse during the #MeToo Era
Jason D. Spraitz and Kendra N. Bowen
#MeToo Movement
Tarana Burke started the “Me Too” movement long before it gained national attention. As has been outlined in New York Times profiles and CNN articles, Burke was the director of a youth camp in the late-1990s. One day, a 13-year-old girl began telling Burke about being sexually victimized by her mother’s boyfriend (Criss, 2018). After a few minutes, Burke stopped the young girl and said that another counselor would be able to provide better assistance. In thinking about the interaction, Burke said, “I didn’t have a response or a way to help her in that moment, and I couldn’t even say ‘me too’” (Garcia, 2017, para. 2).
Nearly ten years later, Burke created a non-profit organization named Just Be Inc. to assist sexual assault victims (Garcia, 2017). Burke devoted herself to providing support and finding resources for abuse victims; she dubbed her commitment to helping young women of color “Me Too” (Garcia, 2017). In an interview with CNN, Burke said of the Me Too movement, “On one side, it’s a bold, declarative statement that, ‘I’m not ashamed,’ and ‘I’m not alone’…On the other side, it’s a statement from survivor to survivor that says, ‘I see you, I hear you, I understand you and I’m here for you or I get it’” (Criss, 2018, para. 15). Her work continues today.
Yet, in mid-October 2017, Burke’s “Me Too” movement was unknowingly co-opted by actress Alyssa Milano when she tweeted, “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.” As a result, the #MeToo hashtag went viral. Of Milano’s tweet, Burke said, “Initially I panicked…I felt a sense of dread, because something that was part of my life’s work was going to be co-opted and taken from me and used for a purpose that I hadn’t originally intended” (Garcia, 2017, para. 19).
Those fears were founded. Despite the fact that #MeToo literally became an overnight sensation, Burke did not receive credit for what had become her life’s work. Black women, Latinx women, and other women of color soon came to Burke’s defense (Garcia, 2017). A couple days later, Milano reached out to Burke and within a week Milano was on morning talk shows publicly crediting Burke as the founder of Me Too.
Now, more than two years after Milano’s tweet, Burke wants to make sure that Me Too is more than a hashtag, “This is a movement about the 1 in 4 girls and the 1 in 6 boys who are sexually abused every year and who carry those wounds into adulthood” (Criss, 2018, para. 5). In part, the History and Vision statement of the Me Too movement points out:
Our vision from the beginning was to address both the dearth in resources for survivors of sexual violence and to build a community of advocates, driven by survivors, who will be at the forefront of creating solutions to interrupt sexual violence in their communities.
In less than six months, because of the viral #metoo hashtag, a vital conversation about sexual violence has been thrust into the national dialogue. What started as local grassroots work has expanded to reach a global community of survivors from all walks of life and helped to de-stigmatize the act of surviving by highlighting the breadth and impact of sexual violence worldwide. (Me Too Movement, n.d.).
With this text, we intend to join this vital conversation by amplifying the knowledge the contributing authors have about sexual abuse, violence, and harassment in various institutional settings.
Institutional Sexual Abuse
Institutional sexual abuse is defined in many ways. For example, Gallagher (2000) suggests that sexual abuse in the workplace is, “The sexual abuse of [people] by persons who work with them” (p. 795). Sullivan and Beech (2002) note that institutional sexual abuse should not be limited simply to the workplace. Rather, they argue that the location can be interchangeable. No matter the location, a disparate power dynamic must exist between offender and victim in which the abuser uses their power as a tool of harm (Wolfe, Jaffe, Jette, & Poisson, 2003).
Spraitz (2018, p. 226) argues that institutional sexual abuse occurs when the abusers “use the authority and power given to them in order to victimize others.” Additionally, Spraitz (2018, p. 226) claims, “institutional abuse is prolonged when those who have the ability to stop it from happening fail to act in the best interests of the victims.” This textbook depicts much more to institutional sexual abuse than what these definitions suggest. Yet, the power dynamic exists. The recent reinvigoration of the #MeToo movement has given victims the support to disclose the abuse they suffered and take back their power.
While not exhaustive, the content in this edited volume covers several areas, including schools and universities, the foster care system, the entertainment industry, journalism and the advertising industry, social media, sports, and political, religious, and correctional institutions. The contributing authors reveal what has been uncovered in these areas and discuss ways that sexual abuse can be eliminated and prevented in the future.
Summary and Overview of the Book
The first two chapters of this edited text focus on institutional sexual abuse as it relates to #MeToo in university settings. Mia Gilliam and Dr. Shelly Clevenger discuss institutional sexual abuse and #MeToo in higher education in the first chapter. Gilliam and Clevenger note that college-age women are sexually victimized more frequently than non-college women, but only recently have a growing number of those outside higher education started to realize the vulnerabilities and dangers that college women face. Further, they provide support for the argument that not all college women are victimized equally through a discussion of black women, bisexual women, transgender women, and sorority women. This leads into the presentation of their first case study – an overview of #CarryThatWeight, which Emma Sulkowicz started while a student at Columbia University. Gilliam and Clevenger highlight two additional cases. First, a traveling art exhibit dubbed “What Were You Wearing?” that has appeared on various college campuses. Second, they explain “Julie’s List,” which is a list of more than 700 substantiated claims of sexual misconduct and abuse that have occurred at universities throughout the United States. Each case study is a concrete example of how education and advocacy can be used to raise awareness of institutional sexual abuse on college campuses. Gilliam and Clevenger use these examples and their overview of prior research to call for more strategies and policies that will effect positive change on campuses.
Continuing the discussion of sexual abuse in higher education in Chapter Two, Nicole Bedera provides a timely discussion of how #MeToo has helped alter the landscape. Bedera notes that approximately 20 percent of undergraduate women are victims of sexual assault and that we must consider the institutional role the university plays in order to understand this violence. To do so, Bedera explains the history of Title IX legislation, provisions instituted during the Obama administration, and current rollbacks of those provisions under Betsy DeVos’s tenure with the United States Department of Education. In addition, Bedera provides two case studies of victim-survivors she has interviewed as part of her larger research efforts. Both “Chelsea” and “Megan” were inspired by the #MeToo movement to share their stories. Bedera ends the chapter with a discussion of several ideas for short-term and long-term change. These ideas include greater promotion of gender equality, banning fraternities, bystander intervention training, prevention programming like “Flip the Script,” and introducing policies that take a survivor-centered and trauma-informed approach.
In Chapter Three, Dr. Amina Zarrugh provides insight into #MeToo and politics. Zarrugh details the history of sexual abuse and sexual harassment in not only the United States, but the United Kingdom as well. As such, the chapter is full of historical context, including a discussion of the sexual harassment allegations made against then Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas and the resulting congressional hearings with Anita Hill. Zarrugh brings the Thomas-Hill hearings full circle with a case study examining the recent sexual assault allegations against then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. Also included is discussion of allegations of abuse against former U.S. Senator Al Franken and abuse disclosures from U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Zarrugh then details the Women’s March and provides a case study that examines the British parliament in the context of #MeToo. She closes her chapter by noting that #MeToo has great potential to move beyond its current status as a social movement and become a bona fide legal movement.
Dr. Jason Spraitz and Dr. Kendra Bowen provide an in-depth discussion of #MeToo as it relates to religious institutions in the fourth chapter. Using a recent grand jury report from Pennsylvania that examined clergy sexual abuse throughout the state as a common thread, Spraitz and Bowen focus on several issues, including the prevalence of sexual abuse in the Catholic church, grooming behaviors of abusive clergymen, and theoretical underpinnings of the abuse. Their chapter also focuses reports of abuse from evangelical religious institutions and offers a case study on the origins of the #ChurchToo movement. A second case study looks at the impact #ChurchToo had in one evangelical mega-church. Spraitz and Bowen conclude with a discussion of the various responses that have resulted from multiple religious institutions in the wake of a growing number of abuse disclosures.
Dr. Reneè Lamphere begins Chapter Five by looking at abuse in the foster care system and ends the chapter with a discussion of the role that a guardian ad litem (GAL) provides for many, especially those who are victims of child sexual abuse in the foster care system. Lamphere describes the correlation that exists among foster care youths with an extensive history of repeated abuse and the likelihood that they experience placement instability. For example, girls in foster care who had a sexual abuse history experience changes in placement more than twice as often as those who have not experienced abuse. Additionally, sexually abused foster care youths start having sex at a younger age and are less likely to use protection or contraception. Lamphere also notes that approximately 60 percent of child sex trafficking victims were once in foster or group homes. She closes the chapter with a discussion of the role GALs play in helping victims of child sexual abuse in the foster care system and the positive impact they have on the lives of these survivors.
Dr. Reneè Lamphere and Dr. Matthew Hassett address institutional sexual abuse in our correctional system in Chapter Six. Lamphere and Hassett present in-depth information on the known sexual victimization rates in jails and prisons throughout the country. They powerfully note that not only is prison and jail sexual abuse underreported, but it also has been normalized in our culture; mainly through portrayals of prison violence in entertainment media. Lamphere and Hassett compare current #MeToo responses to the passage of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) in 2003. PREA passed with bipartisan political support and pledges zero tolerance for sexual victimization while providing federal research money for evaluations of its effectiveness. In additional to this comparison, Lamphere and Hassett present several short case studies, including a lawsuit that incarcerated victims have filed against the Central California Women’s Facility as well as insights on prison sexual abuse and violence from a currently incarcerated man.
Chapter Seven provides an overview of #MeToo and institutional abuse in the entertainment industry, specifically Hollywood, from Dr. Ashley Wellman. Wellman begins her chapter by discussing the near-instant notoriety A-list stars, such as Alyssa Milano, brought to the #MeToo movement over a decade after Tarana Burke coined the term. In addition, Wellman notes that many actresses and actors are reluctant to report their abuse because they fear retaliation that will halt their career, yet some alleged abusers continue to receive accolades and awards. Wellman conducts a deep dive into the case of high-powered Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein in which she details the allegations against him and the status of court proceedings. A second case study of a sexually abusive actor covers Bill Cosby. Wellman follows these case studies up with a discussion of the difficulties that male actors who have been sexually victimized must deal with when deciding to disclose their abuse; she mentions the ridicule that Terry Crews faced when he talked about his victimization history. Through all of this, Wellman sees hope in celebrities amplifying the message of #MeToo because their platform has already led to the creation of #TimesUp, but cautions that more work needs to be done.
In Chapter Eight, Dr. Pamela Forman, Dr. Anne Nurse, and Amelia Montie address #MeToo in the world of sport. This chapter focuses on two well-known cases of institutional sexual abuse: The Jerry Sandusky scandal at Pennsylvania State University and the abuse perpetrated by Larry Nassar while he was a staff member of the US Gymnastics team and Michigan State University. Their analysis of each case provides an in-depth explanation of the institutional failures that led to Sandusky’s and Nassar’s prolonged sexual abuse. Additionally, Forman, Nurse, and Montie discuss the role that hegemonic masculinity plays in the culture of sport and how it serves to silence young male and female victims alike. While Michigan State and Penn State have attempted to show their newfound commitment to public safety in the aftermath of these scandals, Forman, Nurse, and Montie report that more work is needed at local university and federal levels to ensure the safety of all participants.
Dr. Jacqueline Lambiase, Dr. Tracy Everbach, and Dr. Carolyn Bronstein discuss sexual abuse in advertising and journalism in Chapter Nine. The authors note that mass media companies are in an interesting position of covering the #MeToo disclosures while also dealing with allegations and accusations made by journalists and creatives in advertising technology who have been sexually violated within their institution. Lambiase, Everbach, and Bronstein cover tremendous ground in this chapter and provide two highly detailed case studies. The first focuses on the sexual harassment allegations against, and subsequent removal of, former Fox News chairman and CEO Roger Ailes. The second case study examines Andy Rubin’s exit from Google as well as several other credible allegations of sexual harassment levied against other Google executives. In closing the chapter, Lambiase, Everbach, and Bronstein point out that the responses to sexual abuse within the institutions of advertising and journalism have included many diverse voices of advocates from different racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, gender, and sexual backgrounds.
The final chapter, from Dr. Tania Levey, focuses on the sexual harassment and threats of violent victimization that are generated via social media platforms. As #MeToo grew, Levey notes that it was the most-used advocacy hashtag in 2018 across all platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Levey’s chapter explores the power and ability that social media companies use to challenge current norms and power structures despite dealing with innumerable and constant cases of abuse, harassment, and threatening behavior. A discussion of Facebook and Twitter policies ensues with a focus on how social media and its users can be protected as platforms evolve and become even greater forces for social change, while acknowledging that the ability to police every behavior does not exist. Levey leaves the reader wondering if the social change harnessed through social media will be progressive or regressive; we do not know the answer yet.
Altogether, these chapters show the widespread breadth of institutional sexual abuse and that it is not limited to careers in the political arena or the advertising industry. They show that an A-list movie star and a first-year university student both may be sexually victimized and that protections against victimization and protocols to respond to it are lacking in nearly every industry and institution. Lastly, these chapters detail extensive institutional complicity and allegations of coverups that only serve to protect the organization. But, the #MeToo movement has the ability to help change this by first providing victims with the courage and support to draw attention to the abuse that occurred, and secondly by creating prevention policies and holding abusers accountable in the aftermath of the victimization. Now it is important for others, especially those in positions of power, to help victims seek justice, to work with organizations to improve their policies and protocols, to work with researchers to identify and implement the best evidence-based practices, and to believe victims. We know how daunting it is for victims of sex crimes to disclose the abuse that they have suffered, especially when the abuser is supported by strong institutional norms that would rather handle accusations and allegations discreetly behind closed doors. Yet, the #MeToo movement, and all of its ancillary movements, has shown the strength of community and how much more powerful victims, advocates, and allies are when the community speaks truth to power. It is now incumbent upon us all to carry the momentum of #MeToo forward in order to improve all institutions.
Jason D. Spraitz and Kendra N. Bowen
#MeToo Movement
Tarana Burke started the “Me Too” movement long before it gained national attention. As has been outlined in New York Times profiles and CNN articles, Burke was the director of a youth camp in the late-1990s. One day, a 13-year-old girl began telling Burke about being sexually victimized by her mother’s boyfriend (Criss, 2018). After a few minutes, Burke stopped the young girl and said that another counselor would be able to provide better assistance. In thinking about the interaction, Burke said, “I didn’t have a response or a way to help her in that moment, and I couldn’t even say ‘me too’” (Garcia, 2017, para. 2).
Nearly ten years later, Burke created a non-profit organization named Just Be Inc. to assist sexual assault victims (Garcia, 2017). Burke devoted herself to providing support and finding resources for abuse victims; she dubbed her commitment to helping young women of color “Me Too” (Garcia, 2017). In an interview with CNN, Burke said of the Me Too movement, “On one side, it’s a bold, declarative statement that, ‘I’m not ashamed,’ and ‘I’m not alone’…On the other side, it’s a statement from survivor to survivor that says, ‘I see you, I hear you, I understand you and I’m here for you or I get it’” (Criss, 2018, para. 15). Her work continues today.
Yet, in mid-October 2017, Burke’s “Me Too” movement was unknowingly co-opted by actress Alyssa Milano when she tweeted, “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.” As a result, the #MeToo hashtag went viral. Of Milano’s tweet, Burke said, “Initially I panicked…I felt a sense of dread, because something that was part of my life’s work was going to be co-opted and taken from me and used for a purpose that I hadn’t originally intended” (Garcia, 2017, para. 19).
Those fears were founded. Despite the fact that #MeToo literally became an overnight sensation, Burke did not receive credit for what had become her life’s work. Black women, Latinx women, and other women of color soon came to Burke’s defense (Garcia, 2017). A couple days later, Milano reached out to Burke and within a week Milano was on morning talk shows publicly crediting Burke as the founder of Me Too.
Now, more than two years after Milano’s tweet, Burke wants to make sure that Me Too is more than a hashtag, “This is a movement about the 1 in 4 girls and the 1 in 6 boys who are sexually abused every year and who carry those wounds into adulthood” (Criss, 2018, para. 5). In part, the History and Vision statement of the Me Too movement points out:
Our vision from the beginning was to address both the dearth in resources for survivors of sexual violence and to build a community of advocates, driven by survivors, who will be at the forefront of creating solutions to interrupt sexual violence in their communities.
In less than six months, because of the viral #metoo hashtag, a vital conversation about sexual violence has been thrust into the national dialogue. What started as local grassroots work has expanded to reach a global community of survivors from all walks of life and helped to de-stigmatize the act of surviving by highlighting the breadth and impact of sexual violence worldwide. (Me Too Movement, n.d.).
With this text, we intend to join this vital conversation by amplifying the knowledge the contributing authors have about sexual abuse, violence, and harassment in various institutional settings.
Institutional Sexual Abuse
Institutional sexual abuse is defined in many ways. For example, Gallagher (2000) suggests that sexual abuse in the workplace is, “The sexual abuse of [people] by persons who work with them” (p. 795). Sullivan and Beech (2002) note that institutional sexual abuse should not be limited simply to the workplace. Rather, they argue that the location can be interchangeable. No matter the location, a disparate power dynamic must exist between offender and victim in which the abuser uses their power as a tool of harm (Wolfe, Jaffe, Jette, & Poisson, 2003).
Spraitz (2018, p. 226) argues that institutional sexual abuse occurs when the abusers “use the authority and power given to them in order to victimize others.” Additionally, Spraitz (2018, p. 226) claims, “institutional abuse is prolonged when those who have the ability to stop it from happening fail to act in the best interests of the victims.” This textbook depicts much more to institutional sexual abuse than what these definitions suggest. Yet, the power dynamic exists. The recent reinvigoration of the #MeToo movement has given victims the support to disclose the abuse they suffered and take back their power.
While not exhaustive, the content in this edited volume covers several areas, including schools and universities, the foster care system, the entertainment industry, journalism and the advertising industry, social media, sports, and political, religious, and correctional institutions. The contributing authors reveal what has been uncovered in these areas and discuss ways that sexual abuse can be eliminated and prevented in the future.
Summary and Overview of the Book
The first two chapters of this edited text focus on institutional sexual abuse as it relates to #MeToo in university settings. Mia Gilliam and Dr. Shelly Clevenger discuss institutional sexual abuse and #MeToo in higher education in the first chapter. Gilliam and Clevenger note that college-age women are sexually victimized more frequently than non-college women, but only recently have a growing number of those outside higher education started to realize the vulnerabilities and dangers that college women face. Further, they provide support for the argument that not all college women are victimized equally through a discussion of black women, bisexual women, transgender women, and sorority women. This leads into the presentation of their first case study – an overview of #CarryThatWeight, which Emma Sulkowicz started while a student at Columbia University. Gilliam and Clevenger highlight two additional cases. First, a traveling art exhibit dubbed “What Were You Wearing?” that has appeared on various college campuses. Second, they explain “Julie’s List,” which is a list of more than 700 substantiated claims of sexual misconduct and abuse that have occurred at universities throughout the United States. Each case study is a concrete example of how education and advocacy can be used to raise awareness of institutional sexual abuse on college campuses. Gilliam and Clevenger use these examples and their overview of prior research to call for more strategies and policies that will effect positive change on campuses.
Continuing the discussion of sexual abuse in higher education in Chapter Two, Nicole Bedera provides a timely discussion of how #MeToo has helped alter the landscape. Bedera notes that approximately 20 percent of undergraduate women are victims of sexual assault and that we must consider the institutional role the university plays in order to understand this violence. To do so, Bedera explains the history of Title IX legislation, provisions instituted during the Obama administration, and current rollbacks of those provisions under Betsy DeVos’s tenure with the United States Department of Education. In addition, Bedera provides two case studies of victim-survivors she has interviewed as part of her larger research efforts. Both “Chelsea” and “Megan” were inspired by the #MeToo movement to share their stories. Bedera ends the chapter with a discussion of several ideas for short-term and long-term change. These ideas include greater promotion of gender equality, banning fraternities, bystander intervention training, prevention programming like “Flip the Script,” and introducing policies that take a survivor-centered and trauma-informed approach.
In Chapter Three, Dr. Amina Zarrugh provides insight into #MeToo and politics. Zarrugh details the history of sexual abuse and sexual harassment in not only the United States, but the United Kingdom as well. As such, the chapter is full of historical context, including a discussion of the sexual harassment allegations made against then Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas and the resulting congressional hearings with Anita Hill. Zarrugh brings the Thomas-Hill hearings full circle with a case study examining the recent sexual assault allegations against then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. Also included is discussion of allegations of abuse against former U.S. Senator Al Franken and abuse disclosures from U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Zarrugh then details the Women’s March and provides a case study that examines the British parliament in the context of #MeToo. She closes her chapter by noting that #MeToo has great potential to move beyond its current status as a social movement and become a bona fide legal movement.
Dr. Jason Spraitz and Dr. Kendra Bowen provide an in-depth discussion of #MeToo as it relates to religious institutions in the fourth chapter. Using a recent grand jury report from Pennsylvania that examined clergy sexual abuse throughout the state as a common thread, Spraitz and Bowen focus on several issues, including the prevalence of sexual abuse in the Catholic church, grooming behaviors of abusive clergymen, and theoretical underpinnings of the abuse. Their chapter also focuses reports of abuse from evangelical religious institutions and offers a case study on the origins of the #ChurchToo movement. A second case study looks at the impact #ChurchToo had in one evangelical mega-church. Spraitz and Bowen conclude with a discussion of the various responses that have resulted from multiple religious institutions in the wake of a growing number of abuse disclosures.
Dr. Reneè Lamphere begins Chapter Five by looking at abuse in the foster care system and ends the chapter with a discussion of the role that a guardian ad litem (GAL) provides for many, especially those who are victims of child sexual abuse in the foster care system. Lamphere describes the correlation that exists among foster care youths with an extensive history of repeated abuse and the likelihood that they experience placement instability. For example, girls in foster care who had a sexual abuse history experience changes in placement more than twice as often as those who have not experienced abuse. Additionally, sexually abused foster care youths start having sex at a younger age and are less likely to use protection or contraception. Lamphere also notes that approximately 60 percent of child sex trafficking victims were once in foster or group homes. She closes the chapter with a discussion of the role GALs play in helping victims of child sexual abuse in the foster care system and the positive impact they have on the lives of these survivors.
Dr. Reneè Lamphere and Dr. Matthew Hassett address institutional sexual abuse in our correctional system in Chapter Six. Lamphere and Hassett present in-depth information on the known sexual victimization rates in jails and prisons throughout the country. They powerfully note that not only is prison and jail sexual abuse underreported, but it also has been normalized in our culture; mainly through portrayals of prison violence in entertainment media. Lamphere and Hassett compare current #MeToo responses to the passage of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) in 2003. PREA passed with bipartisan political support and pledges zero tolerance for sexual victimization while providing federal research money for evaluations of its effectiveness. In additional to this comparison, Lamphere and Hassett present several short case studies, including a lawsuit that incarcerated victims have filed against the Central California Women’s Facility as well as insights on prison sexual abuse and violence from a currently incarcerated man.
Chapter Seven provides an overview of #MeToo and institutional abuse in the entertainment industry, specifically Hollywood, from Dr. Ashley Wellman. Wellman begins her chapter by discussing the near-instant notoriety A-list stars, such as Alyssa Milano, brought to the #MeToo movement over a decade after Tarana Burke coined the term. In addition, Wellman notes that many actresses and actors are reluctant to report their abuse because they fear retaliation that will halt their career, yet some alleged abusers continue to receive accolades and awards. Wellman conducts a deep dive into the case of high-powered Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein in which she details the allegations against him and the status of court proceedings. A second case study of a sexually abusive actor covers Bill Cosby. Wellman follows these case studies up with a discussion of the difficulties that male actors who have been sexually victimized must deal with when deciding to disclose their abuse; she mentions the ridicule that Terry Crews faced when he talked about his victimization history. Through all of this, Wellman sees hope in celebrities amplifying the message of #MeToo because their platform has already led to the creation of #TimesUp, but cautions that more work needs to be done.
In Chapter Eight, Dr. Pamela Forman, Dr. Anne Nurse, and Amelia Montie address #MeToo in the world of sport. This chapter focuses on two well-known cases of institutional sexual abuse: The Jerry Sandusky scandal at Pennsylvania State University and the abuse perpetrated by Larry Nassar while he was a staff member of the US Gymnastics team and Michigan State University. Their analysis of each case provides an in-depth explanation of the institutional failures that led to Sandusky’s and Nassar’s prolonged sexual abuse. Additionally, Forman, Nurse, and Montie discuss the role that hegemonic masculinity plays in the culture of sport and how it serves to silence young male and female victims alike. While Michigan State and Penn State have attempted to show their newfound commitment to public safety in the aftermath of these scandals, Forman, Nurse, and Montie report that more work is needed at local university and federal levels to ensure the safety of all participants.
Dr. Jacqueline Lambiase, Dr. Tracy Everbach, and Dr. Carolyn Bronstein discuss sexual abuse in advertising and journalism in Chapter Nine. The authors note that mass media companies are in an interesting position of covering the #MeToo disclosures while also dealing with allegations and accusations made by journalists and creatives in advertising technology who have been sexually violated within their institution. Lambiase, Everbach, and Bronstein cover tremendous ground in this chapter and provide two highly detailed case studies. The first focuses on the sexual harassment allegations against, and subsequent removal of, former Fox News chairman and CEO Roger Ailes. The second case study examines Andy Rubin’s exit from Google as well as several other credible allegations of sexual harassment levied against other Google executives. In closing the chapter, Lambiase, Everbach, and Bronstein point out that the responses to sexual abuse within the institutions of advertising and journalism have included many diverse voices of advocates from different racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, gender, and sexual backgrounds.
The final chapter, from Dr. Tania Levey, focuses on the sexual harassment and threats of violent victimization that are generated via social media platforms. As #MeToo grew, Levey notes that it was the most-used advocacy hashtag in 2018 across all platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Levey’s chapter explores the power and ability that social media companies use to challenge current norms and power structures despite dealing with innumerable and constant cases of abuse, harassment, and threatening behavior. A discussion of Facebook and Twitter policies ensues with a focus on how social media and its users can be protected as platforms evolve and become even greater forces for social change, while acknowledging that the ability to police every behavior does not exist. Levey leaves the reader wondering if the social change harnessed through social media will be progressive or regressive; we do not know the answer yet.
Altogether, these chapters show the widespread breadth of institutional sexual abuse and that it is not limited to careers in the political arena or the advertising industry. They show that an A-list movie star and a first-year university student both may be sexually victimized and that protections against victimization and protocols to respond to it are lacking in nearly every industry and institution. Lastly, these chapters detail extensive institutional complicity and allegations of coverups that only serve to protect the organization. But, the #MeToo movement has the ability to help change this by first providing victims with the courage and support to draw attention to the abuse that occurred, and secondly by creating prevention policies and holding abusers accountable in the aftermath of the victimization. Now it is important for others, especially those in positions of power, to help victims seek justice, to work with organizations to improve their policies and protocols, to work with researchers to identify and implement the best evidence-based practices, and to believe victims. We know how daunting it is for victims of sex crimes to disclose the abuse that they have suffered, especially when the abuser is supported by strong institutional norms that would rather handle accusations and allegations discreetly behind closed doors. Yet, the #MeToo movement, and all of its ancillary movements, has shown the strength of community and how much more powerful victims, advocates, and allies are when the community speaks truth to power. It is now incumbent upon us all to carry the momentum of #MeToo forward in order to improve all institutions.
Cuprins
Contents
Introduction: Examining Institutional Sexual Abuse during the #MeToo Era Jason D. Spraitz & Kendra N. Bowen
Section I. Institutions of Higher Learning
Chapter 1. “All I Wanted was an Education”: Sexual Abuse in Higher Education and the Impact of #MeToo Mia Gilliam & Shelly Clevenger
Chapter 2. Finding the Strength to Speak Out, Waiting to be Heard: #MeToo on College Campuses Nicole Bedera
Section II. Religious and Political Institutions
Chapter 3. “Pestminister” Politics: Local and International Dimensions of the #MeToo Movement
Amina Zarrugh
Chapter 4. Sexual Abuse in Religious Institutions Jason D. Spraitz & Kendra N. Bowen
Section III. Custodial Institutions
Chapter 5. #MeToo in the U.S. Foster Care System Reneè Lamphere
Chapter 6. Examining Sexual Violence and Harassment in the U.S. Corrections System through #MeToo
Reneè Lamphere & Matthew Hassett
Section IV. Media and Cultural Institutions
Chapter 7. Lights, Camera, Abuse: Exploring #MeToo in Hollywood Ashley Wellman
Chapter 8. Sexual Abuse in Sport: Hegemonic Masculinity and Institutional Failures Pamela J. Forman, Anne M. Nurse, & Amelia D. Montie
Chapter 9. Between Subject and Object: How Mass Media Industries Have Enabled Sexual Misconduct and Harassment—and How They Also Exposed Them Jacqueline Lambiase, Tracy Everbach, & Carolyn Bronstein
Chapter 10: #MeToo and Social Media Tania G. Levey
Conclusion: Where Do We Go from Here? Kendra N. Bowen & Jason D. Spraitz
About the Contributors
Introduction: Examining Institutional Sexual Abuse during the #MeToo Era Jason D. Spraitz & Kendra N. Bowen
Section I. Institutions of Higher Learning
Chapter 1. “All I Wanted was an Education”: Sexual Abuse in Higher Education and the Impact of #MeToo Mia Gilliam & Shelly Clevenger
Chapter 2. Finding the Strength to Speak Out, Waiting to be Heard: #MeToo on College Campuses Nicole Bedera
Section II. Religious and Political Institutions
Chapter 3. “Pestminister” Politics: Local and International Dimensions of the #MeToo Movement
Amina Zarrugh
Chapter 4. Sexual Abuse in Religious Institutions Jason D. Spraitz & Kendra N. Bowen
Section III. Custodial Institutions
Chapter 5. #MeToo in the U.S. Foster Care System Reneè Lamphere
Chapter 6. Examining Sexual Violence and Harassment in the U.S. Corrections System through #MeToo
Reneè Lamphere & Matthew Hassett
Section IV. Media and Cultural Institutions
Chapter 7. Lights, Camera, Abuse: Exploring #MeToo in Hollywood Ashley Wellman
Chapter 8. Sexual Abuse in Sport: Hegemonic Masculinity and Institutional Failures Pamela J. Forman, Anne M. Nurse, & Amelia D. Montie
Chapter 9. Between Subject and Object: How Mass Media Industries Have Enabled Sexual Misconduct and Harassment—and How They Also Exposed Them Jacqueline Lambiase, Tracy Everbach, & Carolyn Bronstein
Chapter 10: #MeToo and Social Media Tania G. Levey
Conclusion: Where Do We Go from Here? Kendra N. Bowen & Jason D. Spraitz
About the Contributors
Recenzii
“Institutional Sexual Abuse in the #MeToo Era demonstrates the pervasiveness of sexual violence. It challenges the reader to grow beyond a focus on the impacts of sexual violence at the individual level and, instead, to become critical of the societal and institutional ineptitude that have sacrificed the well-being of generations who hold marginalized identities.”—Jennifer Brockman, director of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Education Center
Descriere
In this timely and important collection, editors Jason D. Spraitz and Kendra N. Bowen bring together the work of contributors in the fields of criminal justice and criminology, sociology, journalism, and communications. These chapters show #MeToo is not only a support network of victims’ voices and testimonies but also a revolutionary interrogation of policies, power imbalances, and ethical failures that resulted in decades-long cover-ups and institutions structured to ensure continued abuse. This book reveals #MeToo as so much more than a hashtag.