SOCIAL MEDIA DISCOURSE OF SEX FOR GRADES PHENOMENON IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

Social media has enabled the evolution of movements, campaigns and platforms of expression on social issues, using hashtags. Sexual harassment is a global issue and its prevalence is significant. This study examined the social media discussion on the sex for grades phenomenon in Nigerian Universities, premised on an expose documentary by the BBC: Africa Eye. A quantitative content analysis was conducted on 453 posts which carried the hashtag #sexforgrades, on Facebook and Twitter. The central findings are: Males slightly superseded women in the discourse and the #sexforgrades phenomenon was limited to the discussion of the events in the documentary. The stance of the public on sexual harassment is provictim. A more conscious media social responsibility in the framing of controversial matters such as sexual harassment and other human rights issues that are shared to the public is recommended, to enhance audience understanding and creation of safe space for victims.