Date Rape and Teen Drama: Analyzing Degrassi’s “Shout” Through the Lens of Polletta & Tomlinson

Authors: Francesca Polletta & Christine Tomlinson
Published in: Sociological Forum, Vol. 29, No. 3 (September 2014), pp. 527–548
DOI: 10.1111/socf.12102
JSTOR: https://www.jstor.org/stable/43653949

This article explores how Degrassi: The Next Generation confronts the issue of sexual assault in the two-part episode “Shout,” and how its narrative approach compares to the televised trends identified by Polletta and Tomlinson.

According to their 2014 study, date rape portrayals in teen television underwent three main phases from 1988–2008: an initial feminist-influenced era that emphasized survivor perspectives and legal accountability; a middle phase where sexual assault became a character device in romantic subplots; and a later period where it was depicted with detachment or normalized among many chaotic plotlines.

“Shout,” which aired in 2003, disrupts this later trend. Paige Michalchuk’s story is given narrative weight, emotional depth, and institutional context. Rather than reducing the rape to a dramatic turning point or dismissing it in favor of other storylines, the episodes focus on Paige’s trauma, the stigma she faces, and her attempt to report the crime — which ultimately fails due to a lack of evidence and systemic indifference.

This positions Degrassi as one of the few early-2000s teen dramas that still aligns with the original socially-conscious framework identified in the first phase of Polletta and Tomlinson’s model. While other series like Veronica Mars or One Tree Hill often portrayed rape through morally ambiguous or stylized lenses, Degrassi maintained a direct, realistic approach grounded in advocacy and awareness.

The episode reinforces the significance of media in shaping how youth understand consent, justice, and trauma — themes that remain essential in today’s cultural landscape.