Poster #224 - The Relationship between Mass Media Consumption and Fear of Sexual Assault

• In Event: ASC Poster Session I

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between mass media consumption and fear of sexual assault, offering three contributions to existing research. First, we investigate the direct connection between mass media consumption and fear of sexual assault—a relationship previous studies have not conclusively established. Second, we analyze how various forms of media consumption specifically influence the fear of sexual assault, extending beyond the well-documented research on the general fear of crime. Third, we employ geographically diverse samples to assess mass media's impact on fear of sexual assault, addressing limitations of previous studies that relied primarily on localized young adult populations from one or two academic institutions. Responding to consistent calls for more representative sampling in the literature, our research utilizes random samples (N=2,302) from multiple regions to empirically advance an understanding of mass communication effects on fear of sexual assault.

Authors

• Dennis Heeuk Lee, Weber State University

• David Kim, Austin Peay State University

• Benjamin Morley, Weber State University