Social Media Framing and Victim-Blaming in Trinidad and Tobago

Dana Ramona Ramkissoon

Department of Behavioural Science, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.

Abstract

This study investigates social media framing of gender-based violence (GBV) incidences in Trinidad and Tobago. It specifically explores how GBV cases are framed and interpreted within the online sphere of Facebook. This research was guided by two objectives: (1) to analyse how news outlets frame GBV in their article previews on Facebook, and (2) to examine how Facebook captions frame GBV incidences. This study was grounded in the theoretical framework of framing theory. It employed contemporary global and Caribbean studies that implemented the framing theory in social media discourses. The theory was also utilized to uncover how media framing and language can promote and publicize pro-victim-blaming attitudes online.

Methodologically, the study adopted a qualitative research design using Social Media-Critical Discourse Studies (SM-CDS). This allowed for the critical analysis of framing patterns, language use and text within the realm of Facebook. Six Facebook posts published between 2020 and 2025 (one post for each year) were purposively selected.

The findings revealed that each of these Facebook posts framed the GBV incidents in ways that shifted responsibility onto the victims. Firstly, the findings revealed that the use of sensationalist and morally suggestive headlines within the framing of GBV on social media by newspaper houses. In each of the stories, the woman was framed by the headlines as either engaging in irresponsible behaviour, and on that premise, responsible for her own sexual abuse or death. With most related studies concentrated in the Global North, this paper seeks to address the academic gap on the intersections of GBV, victim blaming and Facebook in Trinidad and Tobago.

Keywords: Facebook, Victim blaming, Gender-based violence (GBV), Framing theory, Social Media-Critical Discourse Studies (SM-CDS)

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