Social Isolation
Sexual Violence, Activism and Justice
I attended this seminar and cried during the session. Activism in these areas is essential and justice must not be seen to be but become the outcome despite legal constraints and evidence base. We have to find ways to redress these issues to ensure women who survive this are protected and heard. It is time to break the silence.
Seminar recording: Online/offline sexual violence, activism and justice
Seminar recording: Online/offline sexual violence, activism and justice
The Online/offline: sexual violence, activism, and justice seminar was recorded on 25 November 2016. It draws together leading international and national scholars in the field of sexual violence to examine current practice, progress, and challenges in sexual violence justice and activism. In particular, the seminar investigates the role that online spaces are increasingly playing as sites of justice and activism for victim/survivors, and the interconnections and disconnects between virtual and ‘real life’ feminist praxis. Victim/survivors have successfully harnessed online to expose perpetrators, share their experiences, and to challenge dominant narratives of sexual violence.
Simultaneously, online spaces are sites of sexual harm and perpetration of sexual violence, and this may pose significant limitations to activist goals and the pursuit of justice. Online activism is often characterized as ‘slacktivism’, suggesting that there may be a lack of translation between online and offline activism and justice for sexual violence.
This event features a presentation from US-based activist, academic and survivor Dr Alissa Ackerman. Dr. Alissa R. Ackerman earned her doctorate in criminal justice in 2009, but began her journey to becoming a sex crimes expert ten years prior on the night she endured a violent rape. As a sex crimes policy researcher, Dr. Ackerman has spent the better part of the last decade studying sex offender management policies in the United States. She has written extensively on the topic, with her research appearing in some of the top academic journals in her field. Alissa was determined to remain silent about being a survivor, because she feared that her academic expertise would not be taken seriously. After 15 years of silence, Alissa began to realize the importance of speaking out. These early disclosures led her to understand the power of bridging the personal and professional. In this lecture, Alissa speaks about her research expertise on sex crimes policies and how it led to her advocacy and activism on survivor storytelling. She discusses the importance of survivor-centric and evidence-based criminal justice policies. Finally, Alissa shares insights from her personal journey of silence and shame to public, professional survivor and what that has meant for her academic career and personal life.
Dr Ackerman’s talk is followed by a panel discussion, facilitated by Dr Anastasia Powell, aiming to unpack current research and debates around sexual violence, activism, and justice.
Bullying Series Part 3: The Physical Pain of Social Isolation
Social isolation through rejection and exclusion causes physical pain. Many people these days are in silent desperation where they feel isolated even in a crowd. Isolation can be the feeling of not being understood, subtly ignored, no meaningful connections, bullying (deliberate targetting) and overworking. It is a major issue in society and is not hard to see on public transport, at lunch-time and in public spaces where increasingly people are alone. Humans are naturally gregarious (group oriented) so to structure society in such a way where families break down increasingly, friendships may be based on what you own, your status but not actually who you are and you may be different, you may speak up or have diverse ways. Isolation renders people defenseless and increasingly they become targets for bullying. Many bystanders simply walk past lonely people very few intervene and include people.
This video explains the biological implications of isolation. May we create an inclusive world no matter the difference. The work to be done in society and business is to embrace diversity. Creativity and innovation come from clashing up ideas, including diverse ideas and empowering people to learn to work together cooperatively rather than shutting down quietly those who are different. Excellence comes from social harmony and inclusivity.