NCJ Number
101603
Date Published
1985
Length
217 pages
Annotation
This book reports on American and British women's common experiences and perceptions of men's intimidating and violent behavior toward them, their reactions to it, society's institutional reactions to it, and what can be done to address men's abuse of women.
Abstract
The study draws upon a literature review, personal interviews, and the author's personal observations. The violent and coercive experiences commonly reported by women include incest, battering, rape, and sexual harassment at work. The forms and frequency of such abuse are discussed, as are women's reaction to the abuse. Generally, women keep such abuse secret due to fear of further abuse by the perpetrator or the consequences likely to result from making the abuse public. Other feelings that foster secrecy are self-blame, humiliation, shame, loss of self-esteem, and powerlessness. The book examines how society's institutions, particularly the criminal justice system, have responded to abused women who have made their victimization public. The analysis of criminal justice decisionmaking demonstrates how the system reflects the conditioning of society's sexual sterotypes to the detriment of justice and support for abused women. Suggestions for improvement include support groups for female victims, organized challenges to particular manifestations of sex discrimination, and social reforms that promote gender equality. Chapter notes, 150-item bibliography, and subject index.