Rape, the Misunderstood Crime

Rape--it is probably the most misunderstood of violent crimes. Only two to five percent of rapists are ever convicted and when an accusation of rape is made, the victim often becomes the focus of attention. Unfortunately, one prototypical conceptualization--a madman who waits for his next victim with a weapon in hand--is still prevalent. Most rapes, however, are committed by someone the victim knows. Using theoretical, empirical, journalistic, and anecdotal sources, Rape: The Misunderstood Crime synthesizes the most current research available on this topic from a psychological perspective. Stranger rape, date rape, prevailing attitudes toward rape, the rape victim at trial, and negative reactions to the rape victim are explored. Allison and Wrightsman conclude with a look at rape prevention.

"This is an excellent resource book for professionals, and students of psychology, sociology, education, social work etc. on how to dispel ′′rape myths′′ and for developing a better understanding of the dynamics of the rapist and victim."

--The Hindustan Times

"The authors provide a thorough, well-written review of research on rape conducted over the last twenty years, including an extensive bibliography. . . . It is well-written, and should prove a valuable addition to the limited number of textbooks available in the area."

--Contemporary Sociology

"A comprehensive review of what is known about rape. The authors consider all forms of rape including stranger rape, spousal rape, and acquaintance rape. Sections focus on attitudes toward rape and rape victims, reactions of rape victims, legal issues, treatment, and prevention. The scope of the book is broad and coverage of issues and topics is extensive and thorough. . . . The text is smooth and relatively easy to follow throughout. . . . Recommended for all levels."

--Choice

"Some books arrive in my office and receive very little attention. It is very telling that as soon as this book arrived, it was snatched up by a member of my staff who then passed it along to a graduate student, who passed it along to another graduate student, who. . . . When it came time for me to review the book for this journal, I had to send out a search party and wrest it away from someone who ′′just needed it for a few more days.′′ I fought off the hordes of graduate students and suggested that they may want to invest in a copy for themselves. Rape: The Misunderstood Crime is not a book for the general public. It is a book for professionals, particularly researchers and teachers. However, it could also be used as a textbook for use within psychology, sociology, or criminology courses that focus on crime. This book is a scholarly review of the range of research on the topic of rape. . . . It is a well-written book, both readable and well organized. The authors, Allison & Wrightsman, not only make sense of some confusing areas of research, but they also provide insightful critique of the flaws of the research reviewed and the implications of these flaws. . . . I recommend it for basic background reading for those who are working on the topic of rape or who work with related populations. Enough said. There are two people waiting to borrow my copy."

--Patricia A. Resick

University of Missouri, St. Louis for the Journal of Traumatic Stress