Sexual Violence

Abstract

This entry is concerned with the relationship between feminist media studies and broader feminist activism against sexual violence and harassment. Feminist scholarship and activism in this area frequently exhibits concern about the role that the media play in creating a “conducive context” for sexual violence, but there is also a long‐standing interest in how activists, bystanders, victims, and survivors can engage with the media, as well as in the stories the media tell about what sexual violence is and who its perpetrators and victims are. This entry surveys these debates through the lens of the #MeToo movement: focusing on victim/survivor/activist engagement with the media; feminist theories of sexual violence and rape culture; and the in/visibility of men.