ABSTRACT
This study explores how exposure to sexual assault victimization narratives in popular media can influence adolescent girls’ ability to understand sexual assault and imagine whether they would share a similar story, should they be in the protagonists’ place. Using an experimental design, the authors examined whether viewing a sexual assault victimization narrative that was supportive or unsupportive, in comparison to a control, impacted teen girls’ self-efficacy for sharing such a story. Findings provide some evidence that watching such narratives can influence sense-making and that stories that are negatively framed may negatively impact adolescent girls’ self-efficacy in sharing such a story.
