Exploring Affinity Spaces in Addressing Online Abuse Against Black Women, Beyond Conventional Police Responses - CANCELLED

• In Event: Roundtable: Gender, Crime, and Violence

Abstract

Police services in the UK and USA typically address online abuse through investigations, safeguarding, multi-agency efforts, and other means. However, criminological discourse pertaining to the potential role of affinity spaces as alternative solutions or space where victims can find community and support to cope with online abuse, remain limited.

Affinity spaces are not strictly defined, but generally, they are places where people with shared experiences come together to provide mutual support and learning opportunities. Although the concept of affinity groups is not new and has been historically used, especially in education, their utilisation notably increased during and after the pandemic. Therein lies a timely opportunity for affinity spaces to be extended within the criminal justice domain especially to aid victim support.

Notably, this rise also impacted police responses to online abuse, particularly exacerbated by the passing of the UK's Online Safety Bill. Simultaneously, there has been a rise in Black women gathering in online-based affinity spaces to address the online abuse they face.

This roundtable discussion aims to reinvigorate criminological discourse by examining the presence and importance of affinity spaces as a response to online abuse against Black women, going beyond traditional UK and USA-based approaches.

Authors

• Abigail Shaw, Birmingham City University

• Je-nice Harris, Birmingham City University