Reference no: EM133316586

Introduction

Social media plays a vital role in society, not only does it contribute to expanding the way we live but also persists to do so in the future. That's because social media is a great platform to get new information, connect people, and voice opinions. For those reasons of being a free tool to share people's thoughts and experiences, social media has contributed to an increase in sufferers of sexual harassment speaking out. Sexual harassment is an ongoing problem that has been largely ignored in today's society; however, a new stage has risen through social media known as whistle-blowing which gives the courage to speak out. Everyone has chosen social media platforms such as Twitter to describe their sexual abuse along with other victims; including celebrities, journalists, and everyday people who contribute their thought through social media. In the case of sexual abuse/assault disclosure, the use of social media to deliver the message of survivors has gained collective force. Sexual abuse survivors have found a voice through the medium of social media after long periods of silence and being silenced; They are turning to this medium for validation after people and traditional systems have failed them - and it also provides a symbolic feeling of justice. (Wang and Alaggia, 2020).

Ref: Alaggia, & Wang, S. (2020). "I never told anyone until the #metoo movement": What can we learn from sexual abuse and sexual assault disclosures made through social media? Child Abuse & Neglect, 103, 104312-10.

Focus group and surveys are primary research tools to analyse and gather information for our research. Typically, in focus groups, the researchers conducted in-person interviews sometimes with small groups. This technique was a type of qualitative research concentrated on the nature of people's preferences and thoughts. Rather than polling large numbers of people with straightforward questions, focus groups would be used for exploratory research. The goal of the focus group is to recognise one's ideas, emotions, and perspectives. Unlike focus groups, survey online targets a large number of people. It is a popular method that often uses to collect data about general opinion.

Our topic is sexual harassment which is a personal issue; to be able to reach the goal focus group and survey are needed. Compared to another research method, these two methods are most effective for qualitative research, as they let the interviewer explore their point of view and attitudes ( e.g. How they feel about sexual harassment and what improvement social media give them strength to speak out).