Instagramming Injustice: Social Media as a Platform for Victim Concerns about Sexual Assault on University Campuses

Author

Alayna Ross, Eastern Kentucky UniversityFollow

Abstract

Sexual assault, harassment, and rape are serious issues that many college students face today. Research shows that colleges and universities that students attend have failed to properly address these issues. The purpose of this research is to examine victim perspectives of their treatment by Universities following a sexual assault or harassment victimization with the expectation that victims’ perspectives posted on social media will exemplify how institutions of higher education and Title IX policies have not been sufficient in addressing cases of sexual assault and harassment on campus. I found that it was not just the policies hurting survivors but also the unsupportive campus environments and stigma surrounding sexual assault, especially in Greek life and athletics. I recommend that universities should work to not only improve their policies but also promote a positive and supportive environment on their campuses through the use of yearly sexual assault education/prevention programs for all students, improved mental health resources, enacting more policies that align with the feminist gender-based models of advocacy, and modifications to compelled disclosure policies, among others.

Semester/Year of Award

Spring 2021

Mentor

Victoria E. Collins

Mentor Department Affiliation

Justice Studies

Access Options

Restricted Access Thesis

Document Type

Bachelor Thesis

Degree Name

Honors Scholars

Degree Level

Bachelor's

Department

Justice Studies

Recommended Citation

Ross, Alayna, "Instagramming Injustice: Social Media as a Platform for Victim Concerns about Sexual Assault on University Campuses" (2021). Honors Theses. 836.
https://encompass.eku.edu/honors_theses/836