Perceptions of Sexual Assault at Music Festivals

Abstract

This article examines perceptions of sexual assault at music festivals. The context of a music festival tacitly encourages women to dress in a way that is consistent with the atmosphere of the event, and in ways that are "on trend." However, there is strong evidence that victims who dress in more revealing attire face issues in relation to victim blame, with their own culpability questioned. Given recent reports on sexual assault at music festivals, research investigating perceptions by the general public of sexual assault at such festivals, is timely. Utilizing netnography and an instrumental case study approach, data were collected via a discussion forum on the Daily Mail website, with over 900 responses examined. Employing thematic analysis, core themes to emerge included: victim blame, self-responsibility for safety and its connection with dress, context and location, that no assault occurred, and aspects of the victim's appearance. These themes are unpacked and then discussed as reflective of the broader issue of rape culture. Practical implications regarding policy and event reputation are provided.