#WhyIDidntReport: Using social media analysis to inform issues with sexual assault reporting

The #MeToo movement allowed victims of sexual assault to go public with their stories. When Dr. Christine Blasey Ford came forward with allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in September of 2018, she was scrutinized by President Trump for not reporting the incident to authorities “when it happened nearly 30 years ago.” Promptly, #WhyIDidntReport came to fruition on Twitter, uncovering the shame victims feel and the complexities behind why so many individuals didn’t and still don’t report their assaults. Victim-service agencies “provide victims with support and services to facilitate their physical and emotional recovery, offer protection from future victimizations, guide victims through the criminal justice system, or assist them in obtaining restitution.” Unfortunately, the utilization rate of victim-service agencies is still only 8% for all violent crimes— not just rape and sexual assault. The purpose of this study is to identify contemporary themes around sexual assault and to determine what factors impact reporting and utilization of sexual assault services in the U.S. By using social media this study identified barriers and challenges victims face when reporting sexual assaults. From this data, I was able to recommend best practices for engaging with the public in online spaces in order to increase agency utilization

Ramifications of status non-disclosure by people living with HIV/AIDS in Alice, Eastern Cape

Non-disclosure of HIV/AIDS status is a topical issue in South Africa and across the globe. This study explored the ramifications of status non-disclosure by people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Alice, Eastern Cape. The study aimed to explore the benefits and opportunities associated with HIV/AIDS disclosure; to examine the underlying factors discouraging Alice PLWHA from disclosing their status; to ascertain the ramifications of HIV/AIDS non-disclosure and to describe the coping strategies PLWHA and their families adopt in dealing with the ramifications of non-disclosure. The study employed the qualitative case study design, which was underpinned by the interpretive paradigm. The key informant’s method, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were the main data collection methods. The sample of 35 participants was selected through the purposive and snowballing sampling technique. This sample comprised of 10 PLWHA, 20 family members and 5 key informants. The data collected from this sample was analysed through thematic content analysis. Findings indicated that PLWHA who disclosed their status accessed benefits and opportunities such as medication, psychosocial support, employment and the helping hands needed to manage their illness. In addition, the findings revealed that stigma, discrimination and socio-cultural factors inhibited some PLWHA from disclosing their status. Consequently, non-disclosure resulted in PLWHA experiencing ramifications such ramifications such as internal stigma, conflict in relationships, diminished career and educational achievement

Growing forward together: exploring the design of social support interventions alongside women living with HIV in the UK

The provision of social support services for those living in the UK with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a complex research context for critically exploring Digital Health and Design. Extant work in the HIV sector and in the field of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) has highlighted the need to further understand the contexts in which HIV digital tools and services are created and used. The design and use of digital services and tools for women living with HIV is particularly under-researched, despite women making up over half of the global population of people living with HIV. Women living with HIV are uniquely affected by intersectional inequalities that may limit or negate the effectiveness of digital interventions; these same factors increasing need for HIV social support services. In the UK, this need has exceeded service availability, as austerity measures continue to limit or reduce service provision. HIV social support providers continue to adapt; however, community-based digital innovations are largely uncaptured within academic discourse. I take a Community-Based Participatory Design (CBPD) approach to explore and build upon current HIV social support service provision (and its use of digital technologies) for women living with HIV in the UK, addressing the gap in contextual use knowledge, and pushing towards possible futures. I have combined qualitative research with design practice across four studies, working alongside UK-based HIV social support service providers to collaboratively define community knowledge and cocreate design artefacts. This approach differs from existing HCI studies on HIV that largely focus on the evaluation of researcher-led digital interventions. I argue that, within a design praxis, a researcher-led approach risks perpetuating inequalities and does not ethically engage with the communities it seeks to support. My thesis contributes empirical insights and a novel methodological extension to CBPD for Fourth Wave HCI designer-researchers working alongside marginalised communities