In our 20 years of campaigning to change the laws in 50 states, women often called to report their neglect by local agencies. Now, with the power given these women by Dr. Bergen′s excellent, definitive documentation, neither this issue nor these people can be neglected. --Laura X, National Clearinghouse on Marital and Date Rape "Raquel Kennedy Bergen′s impressive study challenges us to look seriously at a form of violence that has been largely ignored by researchers and practitioners alike. Wife Rape deepens our understanding of the devastating experience of marital rape. Further, the study illuminates the problems practitioners and activists face as they confront wife rape. Bergen′s important study promises to reopen the topic of wife rape. This book should be read by everyone involved in domestic violence research and intervention!" --Kersti Yllö, Ph.D., Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Wheaton College, Massachusetts Attending to a subject long-neglected by research and popular spheres, author Raquel Kennedy Bergen addresses the deep pain and humiliation of sexual assault suffered by countless numbers of women at the hands of their partners. Wife Rape lends voice to the personal testimonies of survivors and contrasts these stories with interviews of service providers, illustrating the lack of validation and insufficient assistance currently available to wife rape survivors. Offering insight and hope to survivors and providing critical information to service providers, this valuable volume helps readers better understand wife rape and the response of agencies to the problem. In addition, a special guide to service providers, a state law chart, and a list of organizations that provide information on rape make this book an important resource. Offering an essential check on the reality of Wife Rape, this timely and accessibly written volume is excellent reading for researchers, practitioners, policymakers, police officers, religious leaders, students, clients, and all those who would like to become better informed about this issue.

International Approaches to Rape gives an overview of rape law and policy in nine different countries, including the United States and Canada. Many governments have begun to take rape more seriously than in the past and have started to implement wide-ranging reforms; this book describes those reforms and assesses the degree to which they have been successful. Introducing readers to various national perspectives on rape, the contributors outline a comparative approach that highlights the similarities and differences between countries, contexts, laws, issues, policies, and interventions.

A result of a conference at the University of Trier, Germany, this volume mirrors its goals: * to provide an overview of recent advances in research on critical life events and the losses associated with them * to collect and stimulate new perspectives for the analysis of these events * to compare the psychology of victims experiencing stress and losses with the psychology of observers in their reactions to victims. Designed to prevent developmental psychological myths in the area of life crises, this collection questions, on an empirical basis, the adequacy of several widespread generalizations. At the same time its contributors attempt to draw paths to conceptualizations and theories in general psychology and social psychology which promise to be helpful in analyzing and interpreting phenomena in the field of life crises.

Research on violence against women has exploded in the past 20 years, particularly in the areas of intimate partner violence and sexual assault. Despite this outpouring of research, many gaps exist in our understanding of violence against women. For instance, reliable information on minority women's experiences with violence is still lacking. Few empirical data exist on the relationship between different forms of violence against women, such as victimization in childhood and subsequent victimization. Finally, empirical data on the consequences of violence against women, including their injury rates and use of medical services, are lacking. To further understanding of violence against women, the National Institute of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention jointly sponsored, through a grant to the Center for Policy Research, a national survey that was conducted from November 1995 to May 1996. The National Violence Against Women (NVAW) Survey sampled both women and men and thus provides comparable data on women's and men's experiences with violent victimization. Respondents to the survey were asked about: Physical assault they experienced as children by adult caretakers; Physical assault they experienced as adults by any type of assailant; Forcible rape and stalking they experienced at any time in their life by any type of perpetrator. Respondents who disclosed that they had been victimized were asked detailed questions about the characteristics and consequences of their victimization, including injuries they sustained and their use of medical services. This NIJ Research Report presents findings from the NVAW Survey on the prevalence and incidence of rape, physical assault, and stalking; the rate of injury among rape and physical assault victims; and injured victims' use of medical services. The data show that violence is more widespread and injurious to women's and men's health than previously thought—an important finding for legislators, policymakers, intervention planners, and researchers as well as the public health and criminal justice communities.

This innovative book looks at popular perceptions of sexual violence and asks such key questions as: How is rape' defined? Who is responsible for sexual assault? How can rape be prevented? The author critically examines feminist and psychological theory and research on attitudes towards rape. Drawing on case studies, survey research, experiments, fieldwork and action-oriented research from Europe, North America and Asia, Ward combines qualitative and quantitative approaches to understanding sexual violence. She highlights the negative consequences for rape victims of biased and prejudicial perceptions of sexual violence, including those of legal, medical and helping professionals, and discusses the impact of these attitudes on victims' self-perceptions. The book concludes by suggesting strategies for changing ideas about sexual assault, including, for example, action-oriented research which is designed to raise consciousness and improve services for victims.

This timely new edition provides an update on the advances in research, availability of data, and theoretical perspectives on the topic. The book continues to drive forward the debate on male sexual assault, co vering such issues as the prevelence pf sexual victimization, advances in the area of legel reform and the impact of these changes, and impr ovements in treatment for male victims of rape.

Renos K. Papadopoulos clearly and sensitively explores the experiences of people who reluctantly abandon their homes, searching for safer lives elsewhere, and provides a detailed guide to the complex experiences of involuntary dislocation. Involuntary Dislocation: Home, Trauma, Resilience, and Adversity-Activated Development identifies involuntary dislocation as a distinct phenomenon, challenging existing assumptions and established positions, and explores its linguistic, historical, and cultural contexts. Papadopoulos elaborates on key themes including home, identity, nostalgic disorientation, the victim, and trauma, providing an in-depth understanding of each contributing factor whilst emphasising the human experience throughout. The book concludes by articulating an approach to conceptualising and working with people who have experienced adversities engendered by involuntary dislocation, and with a reflection on the language of repair and renewal. Involuntary Dislocation will be a compassionate and comprehensive guide for psychotherapists, clinical psychologists, counsellors, and other professionals working with people who have experienced displacement. It will also be important reading for anyone wishing to understand the psychosocial impact of extreme adversity.