Sex-Positive Criminology

Sex‐positive criminology: Possibilities for legal and social change

“…Sex-positive criminological approaches draw from other criminological approaches, such as: critical criminology's focus on the state's role in perpetuating harm and constructing deviance and how to challenge this system, all while addressing important topics outside of the criminological mainstream (DeKeseredy & Dragiewicz, 2018;Taylor et al, 1973); queer criminology's attention to the criminalization, victimization, and marginalization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ) 1 populations (Buist & Lenning, 2016) that aims to increase visibility while reducing inequality (Peterson & Panfil, 2014;Woods, 2014); and feminist criminology's contributions to studying the pervasive criminalization of girls' and women's sexuality (Pasko, 2010;Schaffner, 2006) and furthering reproductive justice (Flavin, 2009). Thus, the major work theorizing sex-positive criminology (Wodda & Panfil, 2021) regards it as a critical, queer/ed, feminist, intersectional lens. Sex-positive criminology is consistent with abolitionist approaches that center goals such as decriminalization, destigmatization, and harm reduction (Schenwar & Law, 2020).…”

“…The crimino-legal complex has historically been a deeply sex-negative entity with a focus on regulating and criminalizing sexuality (Wodda & Panfil, 2021). Sex-positive criminology directly responds to this by problematizing sex-negative laws, structures, and institutions and suggesting sex-positive interventions and remedies.…”

“…Sex-positive criminology directly responds to this by problematizing sex-negative laws, structures, and institutions and suggesting sex-positive interventions and remedies. Sex-positive criminology advocates for bodily autonomy, sexual agency, consent, harm reduction, education, access, and empowerment, particularly in contrast to criminalization and institutional harm (Wodda & Panfil, 2021). Therefore, the control, power, and violence inherent to the enforcement of sex-negativity in the crimino-legal complex provides an opportunity for critique.…”

“…Abortion rights are a hotly debated topic in the United States and abortion access is an important issue for advocates of reproductive justice. As we write this article, abortion remains legal in the United States due to the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade (1973); however, that decision is by no means secure, and access to abortion has been difficult in many states for the last few decades despite the legal right to obtain an abortion (Wodda & Panfil, 2021).…”

“…Additionally, stigma and regulation of sexuality contributes to the oppression of vulnerable and marginalized populations. While a certain degree of stigma and informal person-to-person regulation of sex is the result of repressive social norms, many violent and widespread sexual harms are state-perpetrated and emanate directly from law and law enforcement (Wodda & Panfil, 2021).…”