Citation

Barta K. Inf. Commun. Soc. 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/1369118X.2021.1962946

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Aside from #MeToo and similar campaigns, sexual assault survivors use social media to disclose personal experiences. This paper uses a mixed-methods approach and draws on network ethnography (Howard, 2002) to explore the visibility of these 'everyday' sexual assault disclosures and how such disclosures further survivors' disclosure motivations. Social network analysis of 23 Twitter hashtags related to sexual assault shows minimal engagement with disclosive tweets, while interviews with survivors (N = 27) indicate that hashtagged disclosures can result in impactful interactions with other survivors, particularly via less visible social media channels, such as direct messages. In combination, results suggest (1) that survivor networks can and do form around mundane hashtags, and (2) that highly visible hashtagged disclosures act as beacons to other survivors and are employed in pursuit of motivations such as supporting other survivors and challenging stigma associated with sexual assault.

Language: en

Keywords

disclosure; hashtag; sexual assault; Social media; visibility