A recent study conducted by the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University has found that people who watch "Law & Order SVU," a crime drama with graphic sexual assault depictions, are being educated on the important issue of sexual consent, according to The Huffington Post. 

Sexual consent involves explicit verbal approval of all participating parties. Under New York law, a clear and affirmative agreement is required between sexual partners to prevent rape. The new legal definition of consent is "yes means yes" in New York, as CBS News reported earlier this year. 

The study,  suggests that those who watch "Law & Order SVU" have a better grasp of what sexual consent is compared to viewers of crime dramas "NCIS" or "CSI,"  the New York Daily News noted.

"SVU" viewers understand a connection between sexual violence on TV and how people view consent, according to the study.

"Law & Order SVU" may be preventing rape because viewers "not only see the criminal act taking place, but they typically see the criminal punished," said researched Stacey Hust.

The study was published in the Sept. 29 issue of the Journal of Health Communication.