Please visit the course webpage for more information!

Savile, Cosby, Weinstein–the media feeding frenzy and scandal masks the real hurt and pain that lies behind public accusations of sexual misdeeds. This course will critically examine media reaction, the public impact, and how shame, power dynamics, and social acceptance determine when and why public accusations happen–and how we can create a world where every victim can speak up.

Ash Catton will draw on his PhD work to lead this exploration of power, sex and the media-and those caught between them.

Class will meet on Zoom at:
10:00 am Sunday NZST
5:00 pm Saturday Eastern
2:00 pm Saturday Pacific

Course Aim
This course aims to critically examine public disclosures of sexual victimisation, exploring the psychological, social, and cultural factors that shape the process of publicly disclosing sexual abuse/assault as well as the general public’s reaction to them. By looking at disclosure through a comprehensive framework, participants will develop a deep understanding of the complexities involved in disclosure. The course will analyse historical and high-profile cases of sexual abuse/assault allegations, focusing on themes such as shame, power dynamics, media narratives, and social reactions, with the goal of fostering an informed understanding of when and why accusations occur. The course will end with a reflection on what a post-#MeToo world could or should look like.

Course Structure
Each week includes a 20-minute pre-recorded lectures, followed by a 90-minute tutorial that applies these concepts to real world examples of public disclosures. The focus is on public, rather than personal, disclosures of sexual victimisation to maintain an objective learning environment.

Week 1: Introduction – Understanding Disclosure
This lecture will start with two disclaimers; emphasising that the point of the course is to understand public disclosures rather than personal experiences, and that some material may be confronting – thus providing strategies and resources for those who find themselves distressed. It will then address what sexual victimisation is and how common it is. Define disclosure; what is it? Why does it matter? Who tends to disclose?

Week 2: The Shame Factor: Psychological Barriers to Speaking Out
Shame is a central barrier to disclosure; this lecture will examine its psychological impact and why it can be both silencing and motivating. This talk will provide an understanding of how shame influences decisions to disclose or conceal, by illustrating that disclosure is balance of risks and rewards – with disclosure itself being a form of shame management.

Week 3: The Anatomy of Disclosure: What is Being Disclosed and Why NOW?
Introduction to disclosure processes, how victimisation is revealed to the public – what exactly is being disclosed, and why  timing matters. Exploring disclosure using the svDPM framework, illustrating how social cues and both shame and invalidation influence the timing of public accusations.

Week 4: Public Reactions: Why Do Some Accusers Get Believed While Others Are Not?
Introduction to the different types of responses to disclosure, the effects they have on the victim, and the different factors that might influence a person’s response (e.g., rape myths). This lecture will have a particular emphasis on the connection between invalidation and shame.

Week 5: Rape Culture and the #MeToo Movement
Guest Lecture by Dr Tracey Nicholls.

Week 6: The Future of Disclosure: Navigating Accountability and Change 
Bringing it all together; synthesising the key themes from previous weeks about the disclosure process, shame, public reactions, and power dynamics. Illustrating how social, legal, and formal responses to sexual victimisation are evolving in a post-#MeToo world and what impact these changes are likely to have to victims.