"What does the university have to do with it?”: Perceptions of rape culture on campus and the role of university authorities
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Date
2020
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch University
Abstract
In April 2016, the #Endrapeculture protests spread across South African university campuses.
These protests raised awareness of university policies regarding rape and sexual assault cases
on campus. The protesters accused the university management of perpetuating a rape culture
through policies which reinforced victim-blaming and protected perpetrators of sexual assault.
Through the use of hashtag campaigns and public demonstrations, the movement quickly gained
momentum across social and mainstream media. This momentum served to put pressure on
university administrations to be accountable for cases of sexual assault on campuses. Movements
calling out universities for perpetuating a rape culture are not unique to South Africa; as similar
movements have been initiated at other university campuses across the globe. This article
examines the rape culture discourse that emerged on Facebook following the #Endrapeculture
protests. Specifically, we look at how people perceived rape culture and the role of university
management in handling sexual assault.
Description
Keywords
Social media, Naturalistic observation, Rape culture, University authorities, Sexual assault
Citation
Orth, Z. et al. (2020). "What does the university have to do with it?”: Perceptions of rape culture on campus and the role of university authorities. South African Journal of Higher Education,34(2), 191‒209. https://doi.org/10.20853/34-2-3620