The impact of the narrative of victimization: an experiment with university students in Spain

ABSTRACT Narratives have become a promising approach in the study of terrorism due to their intrinsic value in understanding complex sociopolitical phenomena. In Spain, a ‘battle of narratives’ is developing in the current post-ETA period. This offers an interesting setting for the examination of their effects on their audiences among the growing remembrance policies and educational initiatives. This paper focuses on the narrative of victimization and its relevance in post-violent contexts. It uses the methodology of pre- and post-surveys to study the impact of the indirect testimonies of ETA’s victims on a sample of 225 undergraduate students in Navarre, a region with a high incidence of ETA terrorism.