Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Jul 4, 2023
Date Accepted: Feb 13, 2024
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Mapping and Analyzing the Use of Twitter by Sexual Assault Centers, Crisis Line and Support Services in Canada: A Study of presentation and practices
ABSTRACT
Background:
Social media platforms like Twitter have gained popularity as communication tools for organizations to engage with their clients and the public, disseminate information, and raise awareness about social issues.
Objective:
This study investigates the current utilization of Twitter by sexual assault centers, crisis lines, and support services in Canada.
Methods:
We used purposive sampling and analyzed 124 sexual assault centers with Twitter accounts across nine provinces in Canada. Descriptive analysis was conducted to determine the number of centers, their distribution by province, and the average age of Twitter accounts. Geolocation mapping was used to visualize the locations of the centers.
Results:
Ontario had the highest number of sexual assault centers with Twitter accounts, followed by British Columbia and Quebec. Geographic distribution maps visualized the concentration of centers in these provinces. The analysis of Twitter account creation years showed a peak in 2012, followed by a decline in new account creations in subsequent years. The average age of Twitter accounts also differed among provinces, ranging from 3.34 years in Yukon to 12.77 years in the Northwest Territories. Monthly tweet activity showed November as the most active month, while July had the lowest activity. The average monthly tweet count per center ranged from less than 20 to 180.
Conclusions:
Findings contribute to a better understanding of the social media landscape of sexual assault organizations in Canada and their communication strategies within the nonprofit human services sector.
Citation
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Copyright
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