“We Demand Answers, Solutions, and Results’: An Investigation of Institutional and Student Responses to a Local Sexual Violence Crisis”

Ramirez, F., Lance Porter, Hewitt, C., Stanley, K., Barclay, A., Jensen, G., Mandell, L., & Cantrelle, C. (2025). “We Demand Answers, Solutions, and Results’: An Investigation of Institutional and Student Responses to a Local Sexual Violence Crisis,” in Kotaman, A. & Sener, G. (Eds.), Feminist Activism in the Digital Era: Cultural Perspectives (pp. 267-299). Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. 10.24329/aspikom.v7i2.1146   

Abstract: The authors analyse the institutional and community reactions to the sexual violence crisis at Louisiana State University (LSU) following the tragic death of Madison Brooks. The study uses critical discourse analysis to examine how different groups—university administrators, student organizations, and the public—interpreted and communicated about the incident. The authors highlight the persistent issue of rape culture on college campuses and advocate for a discourse of community repair that prioritises the voices and needs of students, urging universities to engage more meaningfully with student activists and eliminate rape myths from their communications.