Media narratives about intimate partner violence (IPV) against women
significantly shape public perceptions and intentions to engage in
activism in support of survivors. This series of studies investigated
how the communication of IPV events, particularly through depictions
of survivors, impacts public support intentions by addressing the roles
of emotions, attitudes, and stigma. In the first study (N = 235),
portraying survivors as proactive and resilient reduced negative
emotions in readers; however, this reduction was paradoxically
associated with lower intentions to engage in activism in support of
survivors. The second study (N = 105) demonstrated that similar
portrayals increased victim-blaming attributions, which mediated a
decrease in public support intentions. Lastly, the third study (N = 302)
found that the way IPV is communicated influences beliefs in IPV
myths, which in turn affect intentions to engage in activism. The
direction of this effect, however, remains to be clarified. These
findings offer a nuanced understanding of how communication shapes
public responses to IPV. Highlighting survivors' agency and resilience
can reduce stigma and challenge harmful stereotypes but may also
produce unintended effects, such as reinforcing victim-blaming
attitudes or reducing public motivation to act. This underscores the
need to craft IPV narratives that balance these goals, fostering empathy
and meaningful activism while minimizing risks.