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Rape and sexual assault

from Medical topics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 December 2014

By
Irene H. Frieze  and
Maureen C. McHugh
Edited by
Susan Ayers ,
Andrew Baum ,
Chris McManus ,
Stanton Newman ,
Kenneth Wallston ,
John Weinman  and
Robert West
Irene H. Frieze
Affiliation:
University of Pittsburgh
Maureen C. McHugh
Affiliation:
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Susan Ayers
Affiliation:
University of Sussex
Andrew Baum
Affiliation:
University of Pittsburgh
Chris McManus
Affiliation:
St Mary's Hospital Medical School
Stanton Newman
Affiliation:
University College and Middlesex School of Medicine
Kenneth Wallston
Affiliation:
Vanderbilt University School of Nursing
John Weinman
Affiliation:
United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's and St Thomas's
Robert West
Affiliation:
St George's Hospital Medical School, University of London
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Summary

Rape is one of the most feared events in the lives of many women (Rozee & Koss, 2001). There is no clear definition of rape (Frieze, 2005). It is seen differently by those who have experienced various types of forced sex and by therapists, other helpgivers and those in the legal fields (Kahn & Mathie, 2000). In one large US study of college women, only 46% of the women defined by the researchers as being raped thought of their own experiences as ‘rape’ (Fisher et al., 2000). However, even those who do not define what happened to them as ‘rape’ may suffer psychological or physical symptoms.

Rape is defined in various ways by different legal codes, but basically involves forced sexual contact. The most common form of rape involves a male perpetrator and a female victim, but other forms also exist. The rapist may be a complete stranger, someone who casually knows the victim, or someone who is well known. Marital rape is increasingly being recognized as a crime.

Studies attempting to determine the prevalence of rape provide widely varying estimates, depending on the specific definition of ‘rape’, the sample questioned and the methodologies used. Acts that are legally defined as rape may not be perceived as such by the victim. And, many rapes are never reported to authorities.

Type
Chapter
Information
Cambridge Handbook of Psychology, Health and Medicine , pp. 839 - 840
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2007

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References

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