Dr Rachel Loney-Howes: #MeToo

Dr Rachel Loney-Howes is a Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Wollongong. She is an early career researcher with expertise in substantial research into the use of digital technologies for anti-sexual violence activism, and has a particular interest in the relationship between activism, support services and law/legal reforms. Rachel is currently co-authoring a collected edition on the "Me Too" movement, due to be published in 2019, with a follow-up book on the use of social media for anti-rape activism to be released in 2020 with Emerald Press. She is also the recipient of a Faculty Partnership Grant with Illawarra Women's Health Centre investing domestic violence prevention in high schools. In this conversation, we spoke about #MeToo, its emergence and digital spaces for anti sexual-violence activism. We discussed mainstream media's reporting on #MeToo, representations of rape, the rape-script, effect of online disclosure on victims and more. Research discussed: Loney-Howes, R. (2018). Shifting the Rape Script: "Coming Out" Online as a Rape Victim. Frontiers: a journal of women studies, 39 (2), 26-57.