Introduction to CSAReps Project, by CSAReps Team at Igel Conference May 2025

This paper examines how fictional representations of child sexual abuse (CSA) may influence audience perceptions, stereotypes and/or understanding of the lived experiences of CSA victim-survivors. Following a category-based coding procedure, we analysed 147 online IMDb reviews of Georgia Rule, a coming-of-age dramedy addressing the complex issue of CSA. We examined how this unconventional framing interacted with the views of a general audience and persons with lived experience. Our aim is to explore whether fictional representations can promote compassion and challenge harmful stereotypes associated with CSA, ultimately contributing to a more nuanced understanding of this often-silenced issue.