Attitudes toward Rape Feminist and Social Psychological Perspectives [Paperback]

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 attitudeThis 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 attitude`An excellent introduction to much of what is known about the treatment of rape and rape victims in our society. The text is well-written, clear and easy to read, and will be particularly interesting as a general introduction to those not familiar with the area and to students/researchers who may find the book useful as a reference guide to the proliferation of studies on rape' - British Psychological Society Psychology of Women Section Nl3"