Overview

A frank examination of how rape denial endangers women and girls

A call to action to protect the human rights of women and girls, this exposé reveals how interest groups deny the seriousness of rape to further their political agendas. Through firsthand interviews with victims; medical and judicial records; social media; and statistics from police, the FBI, and government agencies, this analysis explains the tactics used by these groups. The personal stories of young rape victims demonstrate how assaults on their credibility, buttressed by claims of low prevalence, prevent many from holding their rapists accountable, enabling them to rape others with impunity. A resources section is also included for those seeking help, advice, or hoping to become involved in the struggle.

Reviews

"[A] meticulously researched and passionately argued rebuttal of those who would deny the reality and alarming prevalence of acquaintance rape." —Kirkus Reviews

"A compelling, grim account of the struggle for victims of sexual violence to be heard and believed." —Publishers Weekly

"Must reading for anyone wishing to understand how something as abhorrent as rape can ever be denied." —Military Review

"What makes all of Raphael's books special is that she focuses each one on one individual, but includes the research findings about the topics covered, letting readers know how typical her cases are, and what social scientists know about the entire subject discussed."  —Sexual Assault Report (for Listening to Olivia: Violence, Poverty, and Prostitution)

Author Biography

Jody Raphael, JD, is an attorney and a nationally known researcher, lecturer, and advocate on issues of violence against women. She is the author of Freeing Tammy: Women, Drugs, and Incarceration; Listening to Olivia: Violence, Poverty, and Prostitution; and Saving Bernice: Battered Women, Welfare, and Poverty. She lives in Oak Park, Illinois.