Choreography, controversy and child sex abuse: Theoretical reflections on a cultural criminological analysis of dance in a pop music video

Dearey, Melissa

Abstract

This article was inspired by the controversy over claims of ‘pedophilia!!!!’ undertones and the ‘triggering’ of memories of childhood sexual abuse in some viewers by the dance performance featured in the music video for Sia’s ‘Elastic Heart’ (2015). The case is presented for acknowledging the hidden and/or overlooked presence of dance in social scientific theory and cultural studies and how these can enhance and advance cultural criminological research. Examples of how these insights have been used within other disciplinary frameworks to analyse and address child sex crime and sexual trauma are provided, and the argument is made that popular cultural texts such as dance in pop music videos should be regarded as significant in analysing and tracing public perceptions and epistemologies of crimes such as child sex abuse.

Citation

Dearey, M. (2018). Choreography, controversy and child sex abuse: Theoretical reflections on a cultural criminological analysis of dance in a pop music video. Theoretical Criminology, 22(2), 189-205. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362480617699159

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 21, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Mar 21, 2017
• Publication Date: May 1, 2018
• Deposit Date: Mar 22, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 22, 2017
• Journal: Theoretical criminology
• Print ISSN: 1362-4806
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 22
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 189-205
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1362480617699159
• Keywords: Child sex abuse; Choreography; Cultural criminology; Dance; Kinesthetics; Music video
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/449850
• Publisher URL: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1362480617699159
• Additional Information: This is a copy of the accepted manuscript of an article published in Theoretical criminology, 2017.
• Contract Date: Mar 22, 2017