Consent, Not Content, as the Central Discourse of Campus Sexual Violence Regulation

There have been diverse public reactions regarding the Ministerial Regulation on the Prevention and Handling of Sexual Violence in Higher Education. This research aims to map the network coalition of the discourse in news articles published in online media. Five online media outlets were chosen for this study, ofwhich 100 articles were selected. Using the method of Discourse Network Analysis, this study employs a combination of qualitative and quantitative data analysis. This research adopts the Discourse Coalition Framework to analyze the problem by assessing the discourses and network coalitions related to the regulation. The study finds that a discourse coalition formed in favorof the regulation, consisting of universities, government ministries, and human rights organizations. Among the discourses were filling the legal gap related to the prevention and handling of sexual violence in the university, the deterrent effect, and providing a safe learning environment. There was also a discourse that related the regulation to the deliberation of the bill on Sexual Violence Crime, supporting the House of Representatives to pass the bill. On the other side, opposing discourse appeared from religious-based political parties and civil society organizations, particularly related to the consensual aspect of sexual violence. They claimed the regulation contradicted religious values and called for the government to revise it. This study contributes to understanding cross-sectoral discourse development in the context of government regulation and underscores the importance of public policy communication in the early stages of policymaking.