Abstract

The purpose of this research was to empirically explore the association between exposure to news of the nth Room Case, indirect trauma and world assumptions in adults in their 20s. A total of 228 adults in their 20s participated in an online survey designed to study the association above. Analysis using SPSS 25.0 showed that participants who were exposed to more news regarding the nth Room case immediately after it was revealed experienced a higher level of indirect trauma. Furthermore, indirect trauma fully mediated the relationship between exposure to the news of the nth Room Case and world assumptions. This study empirically demonstrated the impact of news exposure on world assumptions through indirect trauma, suggesting that, like disasters, sex crimes can cause indirect trauma to third-parties through the news. However, this study was limited to adults in their 20s, and most of the participants were women; therefore, future studies are called for with samples representing demographically more diverse groups. Future research could also examine the possibility of emotional contagion mediating or moderating the relationship between news exposure and indirect trauma.