Abstract
Although there have been policies implemented across universities that aid in providing safety and transparency to students reporting Campus Sexual Assault (CSA), the literature suggests that many campus sexual assaults are still underreported. The present content analysis aims to illuminate common themes within narratives of CSA survivors to better understand survivors’ experience about the incident and will highlight thoughts and feelings on the reporting process. Results of this research inform therapeutic interventions, policy making, and the process of reporting sexual assault at universities in the United States. To develop a nuanced understanding of survivors’ experiences reporting CSA, the authors analyzed 208 posts on a public Instagram account titled, Campus Survivors where CSA survivors write about their experiences anonymously. Themes that emerged included emotional responses resulting from CSA, identifying the assault as CSA, decision to report the assault, and feelings of injustice and powerlessness. Implications for mental health clinicians and recommendations for treatment are presented and discussed.