‘I’m Not Victim-Blaming, But . . .’: Young People’s Discourses in Understanding Sexual Violence Against Women

Abstract

This article explores the discourses that young people (aged 18–24) in Ireland use in understanding men’s sexual violence against women (SVAW). Drawing on a two-part vignette used in interviews with young people to elicit a corpus of data, we deploy critical discourse analysis to unpack the nuanced argumentative structures, interpretive repertoires, and subject positions used in apportioning blame for SVAW. We find that when blame is placed solely on men as perpetrators, young people draw on critical discourses that recognise the socially constructed basis of SVAW. In contrast, those who in some way blame women for their victimisation draw on disclaimers and essentialist repertoires that discursively normalise SVAW. We also identify a ‘rights discourse’ that young people use in their attributions of blame and responsibility for SVAW.