Media and Communication Ph.D. Dissertations

Sexual violence in higher education: the role of interactive media resources in how LGBQ+ students understand their experiences

Date of Award

2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Department

Media and Communication

First Advisor

Sandra Faulkner (Committee Chair)

Second Advisor

Dawn Anderson (Other)

Third Advisor

Laura Stafford (Committee Member)

Fourth Advisor

Joshua Atkinson (Committee Member)

Fifth Advisor

Ellen Broido (Committee Member)

Abstract

The organization Campus Pride found that LBGTQ+ students were 23% more likely to experience some form of harassment compared to non-LGBTQ+ students. Despite this fact, many LGBTQ+ students do not seek help from campus support resources after they are sexually assaulted because they fear being turned away, judged for their identity, or having their experience devalued. Existing research tells us that the majority of sexual violence resources available on campus reinforce stereotypes about sexual violence, for instance, that it can only occur between heteronormative and cisgender men and women who are strangers. These representations are problematic because they exclude the diverse experiences of LGBTQ+ students that do not align with this idea. For this reason, in this project I explored how LGBTQ+ students used interactive media resources like forums, blogs, and other social networking platforms to access to sexual violence narratives to find support after a sexually violent experience as well as make sense of what happened to them. I found that through interactive media, participants were able to receive support from other LGBTQ+ individuals who experienced sexual violence. They could communicate with them directly (by messaging one another) and indirectly (by just reading over the stories and comments posted on social media without direct engagement). This direct and indirect support and engagement exposed LGBTQ+ to alternative narratives of sexual violence that did not treat their LGBTQ+ identity as separate part of themselves; instead, it helped LGBTQ+ students navigate feelings of isolation that often coincides with both the aftermath of sexual violence as well as a marginalized social position.

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