NCJ Number
161129
Editor(s)
J Temkin
Date Published
1995
Length
423 pages
Annotation
The last two decades have witnessed a radical reassessment of the crime of rape, rape victims, and the handling of rape by the criminal justice system; rape victims are now more likely to attract understanding and compassion, and the cruelty and sexism of the law and legal processes concerning rate have been widely exposed and significant reforms have been introduced.
Abstract
The first part of the book addresses the importance of research on the traumatic effects of rape and how these effects have served as a catalyst for change. Chapters examine the rape trauma syndrome and victim and crime factors associated with the development of post-traumatic distress disorder. The second part looks at the relationship between the victim and the police, with emphasis on police officer definitions of rape. The third part covers recorded rape offenses, specifically "classic" rape, when rape victims report, and contrasting perspectives on the nature of sexual assault. Subsequent book parts focus on unreported rape, the incidence and prevalence of sexual aggression and victimization among college students, the attrition of rape cases, and feminist perspectives on rape. The final part discusses rape laws, the regulation of sexual history evidence, the requirement of corroboration in sex offenses, and the role of expert psychological testimony on the battered woman syndrome in helping juries understand victimization. References, footnotes, tables, and figures