What makes it even worse is when the author doesn’t treat the subject with the gravity it deserves. Instead of exploring the trauma, consequences, and impact on the victim, the scene is written in a way that feels fetishized or designed for shock value. At that point, it stops serving the story and starts feeling exploitative. Sensitive topics can be portrayed without turning them into entertainment
I’m getting tired of authors taking this approach. There’s a difference between telling readers that an assault or violent act occurred and graphically depicting every detail. I don’t need explicit scenes of assault or violence to understand the story. In many cases, those moments can be implied rather than shown. Whenever a chapter becomes overly graphic, I usually skip it because it adds little to my reading experience.