Beyond the Carceral/Anti-carceral Binary: Considerations for Addressing Gender-based and Sexual Violence

Abstract This article aims to contribute to the burgeoning scholarship on carceral and anti-carceral feminist approaches to addressing gender-based and sexual violence (GBSV). Specifically, this article attempts to draw out the contributions and tensions of carceral and anti-carceral approaches towards the elimination of GBSV within the context of feminist social work practices and policies. Engaging in a reflexive process that draws on our collective experience of social work education, practice, activism, and research, we argue that, rather than reinforcing the carceral/anti-carceral binary, a critical consideration of current tensions and debates in this area may provide a more productive way forward in addressing gender-based and sexual violence more broadly.