Acts of sexual violence and rape, as well as the ensuing treatment of survivors and those who perpetuate the crimes, are pervasive in canonical texts that populate mandated reading lists in secondary English classrooms. Given the outsized role the literary canon places in English curriculum, we believe English teachers must develop practices that…

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…

In the following article the authors detail important concepts surrounding sexual harassment when teachers address such topics in their classrooms. The article considers activities and resources for teachers that should be taught to middle school students in tandem with the literary titles. Middle grades literature, when paired with intentional…

This article reports on one undergraduate student's journey toward critical literacy about rape culture as a result of reading and discussing a young adult novel in a book study with peers. Using ethnographic and case study methods, the author examines the personal and cultural resources the student brought to the experience, the critical stance…