#MeToo offers chance to critique rape crisis framing, argues Prof. Jamie Abrams in new article

Professor Jamie Abrams

In a new article, Brandeis School of Law Professor Jamie Abrams argues that the #MeToo movement provides an opportunity for feminists to critique the current framing of rape as crisis.

"The #MeToo Movement: An Invitation for Feminist Critique of Rape Crisis Framing" was published in the University of Richmond Law Review.

"While the language of crisis seems to invoke an urgent call to action, which is to be applauded, this language risks blurring the long history of sexual assault and erasing a legacy of inaction in countless institutional and political and social settings," writes Abrams in the article's abstract. "It also suggests a beginning and an end to a victim’s recovery journey. It suggests that closure is attainable when in reality, ongoing monitoring, responsiveness, and engagement are critically necessary."

Abrams' research focuses on reproductive and birthing decision-making, gendered violence, legal protections for immigrant victims of domestic violence and legal education pedagogy. During the 2017-2018 academic year, she is visiting at Georgetown University.