What’s in a Name?: Re-Imagining Male Violence Through the Lens of Hate Crime

• In Event: Roundtable: Examining the Place of Gender Within Hate Crime Law: An International Discussion

Abstract

The victimisation of women has been labelled over time as gender-based violence, femicide, violence against women and male violence –to name but a few. However, the notion of gender hate crime is somewhat under-theorised and its utility in assisting victims has not been fully explored by many jurisdictions. This discussion will explore the potential for examining the victimisation of women through the lens of hate crime and assess the importance of language in policy developments. It will use a feminist and intersectional perspective to draw out the potential importance of including gender in hate crime provisions. Fundamentally it will ask whether theorising violence against women as a form of hate crime can lead to a greater understanding of the motivations of offenders, impacts on victims and wider societal messages that allow it to occur.

Author

• Hannah Mason-Bish, University of Sussex