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The "Monster" In All Of Us: When Victims Become Perpetrators, Abbe Smith

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

In this Essay, I will discuss the "cycle of violence”, that transforms victims into perpetrators, focusing on the Aileen Wuornos case. I will examine the odd lack of support for Wuomos and others like her as soon as they become perpetrators. I will then talk about men and boys who have been sexually abused and become perpetrators. I will conclude by arguing that the prevailing feminist approach to crime and violence has been too narrowly focused on victims, and has - witting or not - contributed to the nation's extraordinary and exclusive turn to punishment over the past three decades.