Injustice Disrupted: Experiences of Just Spaces by Victim-Survivors of Sexual Violence
Given the limitations of the criminal justice system to address cases of sexual violence, feminist scholars are increasingly exploring alternative approaches to justice. Here I ask: What is the role of space in the way victim-survivors of sexual violence can experience justice outside the criminal j...
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crsagepubl:10.1177/0964663919896065 2024-05-19T07:42:51+00:00 Injustice Disrupted: Experiences of Just Spaces by Victim-Survivors of Sexual Violence Antonsdóttir, Hildur Fjóla 2019 http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0964663919896065 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0964663919896065 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full-xml/10.1177/0964663919896065 en eng SAGE Publications http://journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license Social & Legal Studies volume 29, issue 5, page 718-744 ISSN 0964-6639 1461-7390 journal-article 2019 crsagepubl https://doi.org/10.1177/0964663919896065 2024-05-02T09:39:38Z Given the limitations of the criminal justice system to address cases of sexual violence, feminist scholars are increasingly exploring alternative approaches to justice. Here I ask: What is the role of space in the way victim-survivors of sexual violence can experience justice outside the criminal justice system? Can an understanding of space help us develop justice responses to sexual violence? Interviews were conducted with 35 victim-survivors of sexual violence in Iceland. In cases where offenders remained or re-entered their life space in some way, many participants described feelings of profound fear and anxiety. Participants used a variety of different socio-spatial strategies to ensure that they would not find themselves in the same space as the offenders. Based on the context as well as the networks and mechanisms available to them, these included surrendering, avoiding, negotiating, fighting for, protecting and (re)claiming spaces. Drawing on the concept of the continuum of sexual violence, I suggest that participants’ experiences can be conceptualized on a continuum of injustice. To the degree that participants were able to create what I call just spaces, they gained a sense of belonging, empowerment and freedom, which I suggest can be understood as disrupting this continuum of injustice. Article in Journal/Newspaper Iceland SAGE Publications Social & Legal Studies 29 5 718 744 |
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Given the limitations of the criminal justice system to address cases of sexual violence, feminist scholars are increasingly exploring alternative approaches to justice. Here I ask: What is the role of space in the way victim-survivors of sexual violence can experience justice outside the criminal justice system? Can an understanding of space help us develop justice responses to sexual violence? Interviews were conducted with 35 victim-survivors of sexual violence in Iceland. In cases where offenders remained or re-entered their life space in some way, many participants described feelings of profound fear and anxiety. Participants used a variety of different socio-spatial strategies to ensure that they would not find themselves in the same space as the offenders. Based on the context as well as the networks and mechanisms available to them, these included surrendering, avoiding, negotiating, fighting for, protecting and (re)claiming spaces. Drawing on the concept of the continuum of sexual violence, I suggest that participants’ experiences can be conceptualized on a continuum of injustice. To the degree that participants were able to create what I call just spaces, they gained a sense of belonging, empowerment and freedom, which I suggest can be understood as disrupting this continuum of injustice. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Antonsdóttir, Hildur Fjóla |
spellingShingle |
Antonsdóttir, Hildur Fjóla Injustice Disrupted: Experiences of Just Spaces by Victim-Survivors of Sexual Violence |
author_facet |
Antonsdóttir, Hildur Fjóla |
author_sort |
Antonsdóttir, Hildur Fjóla |
title |
Injustice Disrupted: Experiences of Just Spaces by Victim-Survivors of Sexual Violence |
title_short |
Injustice Disrupted: Experiences of Just Spaces by Victim-Survivors of Sexual Violence |
title_full |
Injustice Disrupted: Experiences of Just Spaces by Victim-Survivors of Sexual Violence |
title_fullStr |
Injustice Disrupted: Experiences of Just Spaces by Victim-Survivors of Sexual Violence |
title_full_unstemmed |
Injustice Disrupted: Experiences of Just Spaces by Victim-Survivors of Sexual Violence |
title_sort |
injustice disrupted: experiences of just spaces by victim-survivors of sexual violence |
publisher |
SAGE Publications |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0964663919896065 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0964663919896065 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full-xml/10.1177/0964663919896065 |
genre |
Iceland |
genre_facet |
Iceland |
op_source |
Social & Legal Studies volume 29, issue 5, page 718-744 ISSN 0964-6639 1461-7390 |
op_rights |
http://journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1177/0964663919896065 |
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Social & Legal Studies |
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29 |
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5 |
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718 |
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744 |
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