Sexual Violence in Fanfiction: Fandom Trends
This is a post about the portrayal of sexual abuse in DBSK fandom. It may apply to other fandoms as well, but this is the one with which I am familiar.
TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR: sexual abuse, rape, and other sexual crimes.
Fandom Trends
Recently in DBSK fandom there has been a prominent trend in fanfiction where the psychological scarring that results from rape/non-con/dub-con/sexual violence/incest/molestation/underage sex is often made light of, if it is dealt with at all.
I don't know what the main issue is here:
(a) if authors think that such a portrayal is okay because "it’s just a story anyway";
(b) if authors are using reasoning such as: "it's the Internet, therefore what applies in real life does not apply here; or,
(c) if this is a matter of genuine ignorance about the issues resulting from serious trauma.
None of these reasons, however, make such a portrayal in fanfiction okay.
"It's Only a Story"
It does not matter if the fic is "only a story". Stories are reflections of life. They feel real to us because we can identify with the characters and with the situations in which those characters find themselves.
Effects of sexual violence in fanfiction, then, should be reflected in a real way in writing. Writing as though psychological effects of this type of violence are not real and harmful devalues the experiences of victims of sexual crimes. The responsibility to reflect life rests with the writer here, and in this case, that means writing about real, negative effects that people experience. To ignore these effects is to ignore what victims of sexual crimes have experienced.
But it’s only fanfiction, you say? Let’s look at the effects online life can have on life away from the Internet.
"It's the Internet"
I’ve heard explanations before along the lines of that since fanfiction is on the Internet, and the Internet is not the same as offline life, then certain allowances may be made online that would in no way be excusable offline.
But the Internet is part of offline life, whether we are ready to accept that or not. Its effects on culture since its invention have transformed how we search for and absorb information, and this includes the perspectives on sexual violence that we see in fanfiction.
Desensitization is a process through which people become less affected by certain stimuli after repeated exposure to them. The effects may be small: a young child may no longer flinch at a violent video game, or a brutal crime scene on television isn’t seen as outside the norm. This effect can cause what we see online to influence our perspectives off the Internet. In some ways, desensitization is a natural process that helps us deal with things that are difficult to see (think of a soldier at war, or a worker in a hospital’s Emergency Room). But it can also have very negative effects if it causes people to become more permissive of (or less bothered by) violent behaviour, and less concerned about the after-effects of such behaviour (or less likely to believe the stories of victims).
This effect is particularly prevalent when it comes to rape culture and the view of victims of sexual violence. It leads to a culture of blame and questioning the victim. This culture permeates all the way down to seeing a picture of your bias and saying, “I want to rape him/her.” Pause for a second. Think about what you’re actually saying.
Rape culture encompasses more than what I can say in this post, so please refer to this page for further information.
A Learning Experience: Educate Yourself!
** TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR THIS SECTION: sexual abuse, rape, and other sexual crimes.**
If portrayals ignoring the psychological effects of sexual violence stem from ignorance about the effects themselves, then education about the issues is the answer.
First: What is sexual violence?
Sexual violence is defined as: any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or advances, or acts to traffic, or otherwise directed, against a person’s sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting, including but not limited to home and work. (source)
Some statistics about sexual violence (from the US, as shown here):
ADULTS: In a nationally representative survey of 9,684 adults:
CHILDREN AND YOUTH (17 or younger): In a nationally representative survey:
PERPETRATORS: In a nationally representative survey:
Because in DBSK fandom we are dealing primarily with male/male pairings, here is some information about the effects of sexual violence on boys/men:
As is the case with female victims of sexual assault, research suggests that male victims are likely to suffer from a range of psychological consequences, both in the immediate period after the assault and over the longer term. These include guilt, anger, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, sexual dysfunction, somatic complaints, sleep disturbances, withdrawal from relationships, and attempted suicide. In addition to these reactions, studies of adolescent males have also found an association between suffering rape and substance abuse, violent behaviour, stealing and absenteeism from school. (source)
A list of other consequences by category can be found here.
More information on sexual violence in general can be found in the full guide here.
These are not issues that should be ignored, even when just writing about them.
What This Doesn't Mean
1. That you should/need to stop writing smut.
Becoming aware of the effects of sexual violence does not mean that you can’t write sex scenes into your fanfic! If the sex in your fic takes place between two consenting adults (however kinky it may be), write on!
2. That you should/need to stop writing fic that explores these issues.
Neither does it mean that you have to leave issues relating to sexual violence out of your fanfic completely. These issues are also part of human life, and if they are portrayed maturely with attention given to accurate portrayal of psychological after-effects, write on! These issues can be explored through writing, just as they can through essays and discussions on the subject.
Include a trigger warning with your post if it includes any potentially disturbing content. More information on trigger warnings can be found here. Trigger warnings do not completely alleviate the risk of someone being triggered by a specific situation/emotion etc., but when provided for larger issues such as rape or violence, they allow the readers to decide if they are in an emotional state where they can handle that content.
What This Does Mean
1. Be aware of what you are writing.
Be aware of what your writing says. Writing that makes light of the consequences of sexual violence, or acts as though those consequences do not exist, undermines the experiences of those who have been victims of sexual violence. Pause for a minute and think about what your portrayal is really saying.
2. Education is the most important thing.
If you don’t know enough about the consequences of sexual violence to work with it in your fanfic, either leave it out, or educate yourself on the issue. The Internet provides a wealth of information that is only a Google search away. When in doubt, look it up! Accidental ignorance is not a crime, but if you choose to write about sensitive issues, take the time to research them. The writing process may take more time, but the end result will be worth it. Educating yourself is not only beneficial online to your writing, but also to your interactions with people and media offline.
In Conclusion
If I've missed any important points, or if you have links you think are informative, by all means share! This is as much of a learning process for me as it is for anyone else, and I don’t pretend to have inexhaustible knowledge on the subject. My point of view is that of a white, queer, cis female in North America, and thus the points I bring up here may be different from what you have noticed. As such, please do share your thoughts in the comment section! The more perspectives available, the better.
TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR: sexual abuse, rape, and other sexual crimes.
Fandom Trends
Recently in DBSK fandom there has been a prominent trend in fanfiction where the psychological scarring that results from rape/non-con/dub-con/sexual violence/incest/molestation/underage sex is often made light of, if it is dealt with at all.
I don't know what the main issue is here:
(a) if authors think that such a portrayal is okay because "it’s just a story anyway";
(b) if authors are using reasoning such as: "it's the Internet, therefore what applies in real life does not apply here; or,
(c) if this is a matter of genuine ignorance about the issues resulting from serious trauma.
None of these reasons, however, make such a portrayal in fanfiction okay.
"It's Only a Story"
It does not matter if the fic is "only a story". Stories are reflections of life. They feel real to us because we can identify with the characters and with the situations in which those characters find themselves.
Effects of sexual violence in fanfiction, then, should be reflected in a real way in writing. Writing as though psychological effects of this type of violence are not real and harmful devalues the experiences of victims of sexual crimes. The responsibility to reflect life rests with the writer here, and in this case, that means writing about real, negative effects that people experience. To ignore these effects is to ignore what victims of sexual crimes have experienced.
But it’s only fanfiction, you say? Let’s look at the effects online life can have on life away from the Internet.
"It's the Internet"
I’ve heard explanations before along the lines of that since fanfiction is on the Internet, and the Internet is not the same as offline life, then certain allowances may be made online that would in no way be excusable offline.
But the Internet is part of offline life, whether we are ready to accept that or not. Its effects on culture since its invention have transformed how we search for and absorb information, and this includes the perspectives on sexual violence that we see in fanfiction.
Desensitization is a process through which people become less affected by certain stimuli after repeated exposure to them. The effects may be small: a young child may no longer flinch at a violent video game, or a brutal crime scene on television isn’t seen as outside the norm. This effect can cause what we see online to influence our perspectives off the Internet. In some ways, desensitization is a natural process that helps us deal with things that are difficult to see (think of a soldier at war, or a worker in a hospital’s Emergency Room). But it can also have very negative effects if it causes people to become more permissive of (or less bothered by) violent behaviour, and less concerned about the after-effects of such behaviour (or less likely to believe the stories of victims).
This effect is particularly prevalent when it comes to rape culture and the view of victims of sexual violence. It leads to a culture of blame and questioning the victim. This culture permeates all the way down to seeing a picture of your bias and saying, “I want to rape him/her.” Pause for a second. Think about what you’re actually saying.
Rape culture encompasses more than what I can say in this post, so please refer to this page for further information.
A Learning Experience: Educate Yourself!
** TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR THIS SECTION: sexual abuse, rape, and other sexual crimes.**
If portrayals ignoring the psychological effects of sexual violence stem from ignorance about the effects themselves, then education about the issues is the answer.
First: What is sexual violence?
Sexual violence is defined as: any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or advances, or acts to traffic, or otherwise directed, against a person’s sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting, including but not limited to home and work. (source)
Some statistics about sexual violence (from the US, as shown here):
ADULTS: In a nationally representative survey of 9,684 adults:
- 10.6% of women reported experiencing forced sex at some time in their lives.
- 2.1% of men reported experiencing forced sex at some time in their lives.
CHILDREN AND YOUTH (17 or younger): In a nationally representative survey:
- 60.4% of females and 69.2% of male victims were first raped before age 18.
- 25.5% of females were first raped before age 12, and 34.9% were first raped between the ages of 12-17.
- 41.0% of males were first raped before age 12, and 27.9% were raped between the ages of 12-17.
PERPETRATORS: In a nationally representative survey:
- In the first rape experience of female victims, perpetrators were reported to be intimate partners (30.4%), family members (23.7%), and acquaintances (20%).
- In the first rape experience of male victims, perpetrators were reported to be acquaintances (32.3%), family members (17.7%), friends (17.6%), and intimate partners (15.9%).
Because in DBSK fandom we are dealing primarily with male/male pairings, here is some information about the effects of sexual violence on boys/men:
As is the case with female victims of sexual assault, research suggests that male victims are likely to suffer from a range of psychological consequences, both in the immediate period after the assault and over the longer term. These include guilt, anger, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, sexual dysfunction, somatic complaints, sleep disturbances, withdrawal from relationships, and attempted suicide. In addition to these reactions, studies of adolescent males have also found an association between suffering rape and substance abuse, violent behaviour, stealing and absenteeism from school. (source)
A list of other consequences by category can be found here.
More information on sexual violence in general can be found in the full guide here.
These are not issues that should be ignored, even when just writing about them.
What This Doesn't Mean
1. That you should/need to stop writing smut.
Becoming aware of the effects of sexual violence does not mean that you can’t write sex scenes into your fanfic! If the sex in your fic takes place between two consenting adults (however kinky it may be), write on!
2. That you should/need to stop writing fic that explores these issues.
Neither does it mean that you have to leave issues relating to sexual violence out of your fanfic completely. These issues are also part of human life, and if they are portrayed maturely with attention given to accurate portrayal of psychological after-effects, write on! These issues can be explored through writing, just as they can through essays and discussions on the subject.
Include a trigger warning with your post if it includes any potentially disturbing content. More information on trigger warnings can be found here. Trigger warnings do not completely alleviate the risk of someone being triggered by a specific situation/emotion etc., but when provided for larger issues such as rape or violence, they allow the readers to decide if they are in an emotional state where they can handle that content.
What This Does Mean
1. Be aware of what you are writing.
Be aware of what your writing says. Writing that makes light of the consequences of sexual violence, or acts as though those consequences do not exist, undermines the experiences of those who have been victims of sexual violence. Pause for a minute and think about what your portrayal is really saying.
2. Education is the most important thing.
If you don’t know enough about the consequences of sexual violence to work with it in your fanfic, either leave it out, or educate yourself on the issue. The Internet provides a wealth of information that is only a Google search away. When in doubt, look it up! Accidental ignorance is not a crime, but if you choose to write about sensitive issues, take the time to research them. The writing process may take more time, but the end result will be worth it. Educating yourself is not only beneficial online to your writing, but also to your interactions with people and media offline.
In Conclusion
If I've missed any important points, or if you have links you think are informative, by all means share! This is as much of a learning process for me as it is for anyone else, and I don’t pretend to have inexhaustible knowledge on the subject. My point of view is that of a white, queer, cis female in North America, and thus the points I bring up here may be different from what you have noticed. As such, please do share your thoughts in the comment section! The more perspectives available, the better.