WED-070 - A Content Analysis of Three Subreddits Examining Discourse Following Sexual Violence
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM PST
Location: Pacific I/II, 2nd Floor
Area of Responsibility: Area IV: Evaluation and Research Subcompetencies: 4.3 Manage the collection and analysis of evaluation and/or research data using appropriate technology., 4.4.6 Synthesize findings. 4.4.7 Develop recommendations based on findings. Research or Practice: Research
Associate Director of Health & Safety Delta Sigma Phi South Bend, Indiana, United States
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Describe how Reddit, or other social networking platforms, can be used for research purposes.
Identify ways Reddit, or other social networking platforms, can be a useful tool for survivors of sexual violence to seek social support.
Describe how to conduct a content analysis of existing data on Reddit or other social media.
Brief Abstract Summary: The use of online forums has emerged as an increasingly popular tool for seeking support support for survivors of sexual violence. Reddit, a popular social networking site, is a common choice of site for survivors seeking support. Part of Reddit’s popularity among survivors is its ability for survivors to maintain anonymity which helps reduce the shame and stigma surrounding seeking support following sexual violence. The present study examined the content of three subreddits. Data was extracted from the subreddits and were then analyzed for content and themes using inductive thematic analysis. Themes reveal that individuals turn to these subreddits to seek validation, ask questions, find resources, and experience a community of those who have been through something similar. This study provides insight into what support individuals need following sexual violence and highlights the comfortability that the anonymity of Reddit, and other similar forum sites, provides for survivors.
Detailed abstract description: The use of online forums has emerged as an increasingly popular tool for seeking support support for survivors of sexual violence. Reddit, a popular social networking site characterized by its forums or “subreddits,” is a common choice of site for survivors seeking support. Part of Reddit’s popularity among survivors is its ability for survivors to maintain anonymity which helps reduce the shame and stigma surrounding seeking support following sexual violence. The present study examined the content of three subreddits, r/sexualassault, r/rapecounseling, and r/rape. Data was extracted through Reddit’s application program interface (API) utilizing Google Colab for code and data extraction. The data extracted included the content of the posts and engagement metrics. The data were then sorted by engagement, and the top 5% of each subreddit (n=288) were then analyzed for content and themes using inductive thematic analysis. Themes reveal that individuals turn to these subreddits to seek validation, ask questions, find resources, and experience a community of those who have been through something similar. This study provides insight into what support individuals need following sexual violence and highlights the comfortability that the anonymity of Reddit, and other similar forum sites, provides for survivors. The implications of this study include information on what survivors need from support systems and out of community and also show how we can better support survivors in face-to-face contexts.
