RT Article
T1 Viral justice? Online justice-seeking, intimate partner violence and affective contagion
JF Theoretical criminology
VO 23
IS 3
SP 375
OP 393
A1 Wood, Mark
A2 Rose, Evelyn
A2 Thompson, Chrissy
LA English
YR 2019
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1680744615
AB What has been termed the survivor selfie is a recent and growing phenomenon whereby survivors of intimate partner violence or their close supporters upload graphic photos and accounts of their injuries and suffering to social media. In this article, we examine how the like economy of Facebook can lead to the rapid circulation of survivor selfies to large audiences, and in doing so, generate what we term viral justice: the outcome of a victim's online justice-seeking post ‘going viral' and quickly being viewed and shared-on by thousands of social media users. Through examining the trajectory and impact of one particular case—Ashlee Savins's viral survivor selfie—we identify the technological preconditions of viral justice and three of its key dimensions: affective contagion; swarm sociality; and movement power. Through discussing the speed, sociality and contagion of viral justice, we critically consider some of its implications for online justice-seeking, and responding to intimate partner violence.
K1 Informal justice
K1 Online shaming
K1 Internet virality
K1 Intimate partner violence
K1 Social media
K1 Trial by media
K1 Visual criminology
DO 10.1177/1362480617750507