I think it’s important that *we* distinguish against a thread completely shaming, discrediting and tearing down all her work, personal life and professional values/status and one that is (I’d argue quite rightly) discussing concerns that many people seem to be having; as time goes on a that number seems to grow.
My point being is that what she see’s as bullying and harassment is, in many cases, not. There are only a select number where admittedly it is as such, but threads such as this one I believe are important for many reasons including discussion and accountability and fall under the latter above.
I, like many others, looked up to her not only for her views on a broad range of things (VAWG, feminism, oppression) and have talked at great length with others in my life (women and men alike) about the topics and used some of her work as examples, but also her determination to gain her PhD as someone who has struggled in academia but wants to progress in my professional field. I’ve followed her, and Jaimi, on socials for a while, I’ve bought her books and championed her on numerous occasions, but now her books sit unread on my bookshelf and I find myself more and more concerned with her professional and personal conduct on social media, as well as some of the views she now seems to hold that are broadcast as ‘my way or no way’.
For example, the minimisation and idea that personality disorders and mental health diagnoses for women who have been at the hands of abuse etc can all be grouped together as harmful and a way to label such women and girls in a negative way I find a dangerous and harmful bike to pedal. Do I agree some Dx are given out willy nilly for ease of explanation and a label? Yes, I think there are many cases where JT has a point. But also as someone else says the idea lacks nuance and it is dangerous and harmful to label ALL diagnoses as such; and this is how many of her views seem to come across to me at present. And if you disagree, the ‘I have a PhD and know more than you’ argument seems to be whipped out.
The situation with SA I think Accidental Academic outlines how I feel quite well below too.
Jess is deliberately trying to conflate criticism of her behaviour (however polite) with abuse, and she always has done this. Many of her followers will have seen misogyny directed at outspoken women online, and they'll naturally assume this is the sort of thing she means. It's unspeakably cruel that she's allowing and even actively encouraging people to believe that Sally Ann is some kind of evil mastermind orchestrating a harassment campaign, instead of a very vulnerable woman with severe trauma-related difficulties who is trying to regain a sense of control over her own life and story. She has been polite. She has done nothing except state clearly what happened, with screenshots to prove it. This is just extra heartache for Sally Ann.
I've said it before, but I can't emphasise it enough - this is why any research with vulnerable people requires a strong ethical framework to support participants. Sally Ann was not receiving support or therapy at the time she spoke to Jess. She was desperate. No researcher worth their salt would have used a story from a woman like that, precisely because publication might cause fresh distress. You should also be checking in with vulnerable participants at every step of the way. I had a young woman disclose some particularly horrific personal things during a research interview, and when I transcribed it, I wondered if she'd shared those things in the distress of the moment and if she might regret their publication. I contacted her to double-check if I should use those quotations or not. She told me not to use them and thanked me for being sensitive to her. This is the norm. You have got to be so so careful with this type of research because there is always the risk of further harm. It really doesn't matter how well-intentioned you are.
I doubt Jess published Sally Ann's story while rubbing her hands in glee at her unethical behaviour. I doubt it even occurred to her. Given how sloppily Why Women Are Blamed for Everything was put together (a copy-paste bonanza from the thesis and blog) I suspect she just hit Ctrl + V without a second thought what she was copying and pasting over. This sloppiness renders false one of the statements made in the book (that all women were receiving professional support at the time of writing). All the distress she's feeling now is rooted in her inability to just admit that she got careless and made mistakes. But no, she has to be right all the time, even if it means lying and distorting the facts, even if it means causing further trauma to women already traumatised enough. If she doesn't learn to reflect on and repair her mistakes she's going to end up very lonely.
I don’t see myself, or anyone else here, as part of a group wanting to discredit and tear down a highly successful, determined professional or woman alike. I see myself as part of a group here (some of whom are professionals in multiple fields like myself) who are trying to reach out to her and her supporters and get them to understand our views and concerns, which I feel come from a good and fair place. And I honestly wish she’d listen instead of continuing to perpetuate the idea of just pure solid abuse, harassment and bullying of her and Jaimi.
