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Volume 10, Issue 2 (2025)Read More

Featured Content

Journal Article
1 January 2022

Neo-Emancipatory Sex Education in Germany: Sexual Abuse and Gender Confusion

Bernd Ahrbeck, Karla Etschenberg, Marion Felder
This article focuses on two related areas of concern with regard to sex education and implications for children and youth in Germany. The first one is the history of the currently dominant neo-emancipatory sexual education and its implications for today. This direction of sex education is highly influenced by theories of Helmut Kentler who with the help of the German city of Berlin youth protection services department sent homeless and troubled boys to known pedophiles for care. This experiment went on for 30 years, ending in 2001. Only now has the extend of this horrific practice been fully discovered. The authors will outline the fact that Kentler’s central ideas are still manifest in neo-emancipatory sex education in Germany today. The second area of concern is the dramatic increase in youth who question their biological sex and seek medical intervention to change it, even though the evidence base for medical intervention is controversial. The deconstruction of biological sex is also actively supported and fostered by neo-emancipatory sexual education. The authors will describe and demonstrate that both directions of neo-emancipatory sex education break down protective spaces for children and youth and make them more vulnerable for abuse and psychological and physical damage. Methodologically this is a literature review. Documents and books by Helmut Kentler himself are quoted and analysed. In addition, relevant, current literature about the topic of gender dysphoria is reviewed.
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Journal Article
1 February 2021

Pledged into Harm: Sorority and Fraternity Members Face Increased Risk of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment

Melissa Barnes, Alexis Adams-Clark, Marina Rosenthal, Carly Smith, Jennifer Freyd
The purpose of this manuscript is to examine the risk of sexual exploitation (both assault and harassment) associated with sorority and fraternity membership on U.S. college campuses. The results from this study come from data collected through an online survey. Participants (N=883) at a large Pacific Northwestern university provided information related to their sorority or fraternity membership, experiences of sexual violence (i.e., assault and harassment), and alcohol use. We both replicated and extended past research. Corroborating prior research, Greek-affiliated students experienced higher rates of sexual assault than non-affiliated students. We extended past research by focusing on sexual harassment experiences within the Greek life culture. Both male and female Greek-affiliated students reported higher rates of sexual harassment particularly unwanted sexual attention, compared to their non-Greek-affiliated peers. We also found that both sorority membership and alcohol-related problems predicted unique variance in women’s exposure to nonconsensual sexual contact, attempted/completed rape, and unwanted sexual attention. Fraternity membership but not alcohol-related problems predicted unique variance in men’s exposure to nonconsensual sexual contact and unwanted sexual attention. Implications discussed include the short- and long-term consequences of Greek-affiliation, institutional betrayal, and addressing sexual exploitation within this culture. Also identified are limitations of the current study and future directions for research on sexual exploitation within Greek life.
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Current Articles

Journal Article1 March 2025

Wells of Pain, Walls of Silence: October 7 and Sexual Violence Against Women at Wartime

Shulamit Almog, Gal Amir
This essay focuses on sexual violence against women during the October 7 massacre and the following captivity of female hostages in the Gaza Strip. Its premise is twofold. First, it puts forward the resoluteness with which sexual violence against women must be condemned, as it transcends any politics. Sexual violence against women is unacceptable under any circumstances and cannot be used as a weapon in any kind of conflict. Next, various silencing walls that obstruct both condemnation of such violence and full exposure of it will be delineated. These are walls of Political Silence, Collective Shame Silence, Victim’s Shame Silence, and Post-Traumatic Silence. While these categories may overlap, this taxonomy helps illuminate the various factors that perpetuate silence regarding wartime sexual violence against women. These walls of silence not only obstruct truth-finding but also impede accountability and the development of effective preventive measures against future sexual violence against women. As concluded, there is an urgent need to dismantle themechanisms that obscure wartime sexual violence and to invest efforts in strengthening new strategies that will effectively protect women from sexual violence in wartime.
Journal Article1 March 2025

Hijacking Frederick Douglass: How Conservatives Exploit His Legacy for Political and Ideological Gain

Kenneth Morris
Conservatives distort Frederick Douglass’s legacy to advance political and ideological narratives that contradict his advocacy for racial justice and civil rights. Among them, Black conservatives invoke Douglass to justify their opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts while appealing to reactionary audiences. By stripping his writings of historical context, they reshape his message in ways that obscure his calls for systemic change. Some exploit his name and image for financial gain. As Douglass’s great-great-great-grandson, the author directly confronts these distortions with historical evidence and personal insight. This work calls for an honest engagement with Douglass’s full legacy and challenges those who manipulate his words for political convenience.
Journal Article1 March 2025

Imposed Femininity and Women's Mental Health: The Case of the Hijab in Iran

Atefeh Batyari
The construction of feminine identity in Iran is deeply intertwined with the religious and political contexts surrounding the hijab. For Iranian women, the hijab serves as a significant femininity identifier that influences their body image and societal perception. The distinction between optional and mandatory hijab is crucial, as it leads to different outcomes in how femininity is expressed and perceived. When hijab is mandated, it creates a conflict between the official state culture and the popular culture of the people, resulting in a complex social dynamic. The ambivalence surrounding the hijab issue underscores the disparities between the Islamic Republic regime's stance on hijab and the diverse opinions of its citizens. The tension surrounding the hijab issue has become one of the significant social challenges in Iran, raising concerns about women's mental health. The ongoing dialogue surrounding the hijab in Iran serves as a critical lens through which to understand the complexities of Iranian women's identity in a rapidly changing world. By recognizing the diverse perspectives on the hijab, society can strive towards a more inclusive understanding of femininity that respects individual choices and promotes women's rights. This recognition is essential for fostering a more equitable society where women's identities are embraced rather than restricted by rigid norms.
Journal Article1 March 2025

“I saw death with my own eyes”: Recent Women’s Protests and Punishments in Iran

Antonia Felix
The Islamic Republic of Iran’s brutal response to nonviolent protests exposes its tenuous hold on power over a youthful nation well familiar with 21st-century freedoms. Despite systemic discrimination and oppressive laws controlling and degrading the lives of women, ethnic and religious minorities, and the LGBTQ+ community, the Iranian government cannot halt public dissent that has continued to erupt since the 1979 Revolution. This article offers a brief overview of four major protests in the past 25 years as a context for discussing the two most recent movements focused on women’s rejection of the compulsory hijab and prisoners’ and activists’ fight to end the regime’s alarming surge in executions.
Journal Article1 March 2025

Feminists for Sex-Based Rights: Trump or Harris in the 2024 Election?

Kara Dansky
Some US feminists who support sex-based rights for women and girls voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 US presidential election; others voted for Kamala Harris. For an American feminist to vote for a female Democrat for president is not surprising. Still, because the Democrats embraced “gender identity” at the expense of women and girls as a sex class, some feminists chose to vote for Donald Trump. This article explores some reasons for voting one way or the other (or not at all).