Sexual Violence and Social Media Discourse: Exploring Campus Climate Through the Lens of Twitter

Sexual violence is prevalent on college campuses, yet formal disclosure and open dialogue are often muffled. Social media has become a powerful platform for survivors and presents an opportunity for researchers to explore social discourse surrounding sexual violence on campuses. Healthcare providers must be knowledgeable of campus climate surrounding sexual violence to provide patient-centered, trauma-informed care and mitigate the detrimental, long-term effects experienced by survivors.

Twitter, a social media and networking platform, was used to explore online discourse regarding sexual violence among college students. A conventional qualitative content analysis was implemented using two coders to explore data before identifying themes.

The researchers identified 175 tweets that met the inclusion criteria. Three subthemes emerged: (a) lack of support, (b) powerlessness, and (c) victim blaming and shaming, which built the foundation for the overarching theme of rape culture.

Social media posts provide insight into survivor experiences and offer forensic nurses and healthcare providers the opportunity to discover information that survivors might not otherwise disclose. Forensic nurses should consider implementing innovative approaches to engage campus survivors and increase access to postassault care.