Himpathy, Herasure, and Down Girl Moves: A Critical Content Analysis of Sexual Assault in Young Adult Literature

Abstract

Numerous scholars have called for young adult literature (YAL) to be a pedagogical avenue for educating secondary and postsecondary students about sexual violence, who are often socialized into harmful beliefs about victims. In this study, we draw on Manne's theorizing of “himpathy” and “herasure” to explore the ways in which YAL considers the ideological and systemic dimensions of misogyny leading up, during, and after incidents of sexual assault. The results of our critical content analysis of eight contemporary novels reveal several themes that offer insight and implications for English educators who want to use YAL to unpack misconceptions about sexual violence.