Victims of sexual assault experience their trauma in different ways, and often one path to recovery and healing is right for one person, but not right for another. While there are some general mental health effects of sexual violence, this book outlines and describes the impact of particular types of sexual violation. Whether the survivor has experienced childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault during adulthood, marital rape, sexual harassment, sex trafficking, or sexual violence within the military, they will find aspects of her experience in these pages. Once survivors understand the ways in which they have been affected, they are introduced to various pathways to surviving sexual violence and moving forward. The chapters provide case examples and specific activities which give a fuller description of the ways survivors can make use of the particular approaches, which include mind-body practices, counseling, group therapies, self-defense training, and others. Anyone who has been a victim of sexual violence, or knows and cares about someone who has, will find relief in these pages, which offer practical approaches to finding balance and healing.

This book situates the complexity of violence within its broader context and covers a wide span of sexual violence including sexual harassment, bullying and murder as well as domestic violence.

Based on a series of international workshops sponsored by the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundations, this cutting-edge volume advances theories, methodologies, and policy analyses relating to various forms of violence against women. Under the skillful editorship of Rebecca Emerson and Russell P. Dobash, Rethinking Violence Against Women is the joint effort of recognized anthropologists, psychologists, philosophers, sociologists, and historians in the field. Divided in three parts, this text takes a comprehensive examination of the following topics: +

This book examines how digital communications technologies have transformed modern societies, with profound effects both for everyday life, and for everyday crimes. Sexual violence, which is recognized globally as a significant human rights problem, has likewise changed in the digital age. Through an investigation into our increasingly and ever-normalised digital lives, this study analyses the rise of technology-facilitated sexual assault, ‘revenge pornography’, online sexual harassment and gender-based hate speech. Drawing on ground-breaking research into the nature and extent of technology-facilitated forms of sexual violence and harassment, the authors explore the reach of these harms, the experiences of victims, the views of service providers and law enforcement bodies, as well as the implications for law, justice and resistance. Sexual Violence in a Digital Age is compelling reading for scholars, activists, and policymakers who seek to understand how technology is implicated in sexual violence, and what needs to be done to address sexual violence in a digital age.

Research shows that intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) is the most common form of sexual assault. Professional focus is often on the victim, but more information is needed about the perpetrators in order to have a fuller understanding of this crime. The very nature of IPSV – sexual assault within a relationship – means that professionals who work with victims must understand the dynamics of perpetrators as well. This new book will distill the knowledge that exists about perpetrators of IPSV. It includes chapters by authors who have worked directly with IPSV perpetrators and covers important subjects such as addressing IPSV in batterer groups, police management strategies, the danger of IPSV to children, the different types of violence perpetrators use, and prevention approaches for young people. There is also still a widely held view that rapists are strangers in alleyways. This book is intended to educate professionals about who is a perpetrator, as well as to highlight the very real danger these perpetrators represent, including a heightened risk of lethality. The contributors look at the social context of IPSV and the implications for prevention and provide hands-on knowledge to practitioners in a number of fields. The book may also be used within the academic context in fields such as social work, sociology, counseling, psychology, medicine, nursing, criminal justice, and law.

The first book to interweave clinical and legal perspectives on such recently formulated diagnoses as rape trauma syndrome and battered woman syndrome, this up-to-date resource helps mental health clinicians better understand their role in criminal or civil proceedings related to sexualized violence against women and children. Foundational knowledge is provided on the nature, prevalence, and psychological consequences of a variety of crimes, including rape, spousal abuse, stalking, sexual harassment, and child sexual abuse. The ways victims and perpetrators are dealt with in the legal system are critically examined, and important recent reforms discussed. Presenting guidelines and findings that will improve forensic assessment, this is a vital sourcebook for those called on to serve as expert witnesses and an invaluable student text.

The purpose of this edited volume is to examine the disconnect in the sexual violence prevention field between legislation, research and practice. The work is focused primarily on United States policies and initiatives, with key case studies internationally. Contributions show that current policies are mainly based on repeat offenders: residence restrictions, registration and notification statutes, and post-sentence initiatives. While these initiatives address public fears, they are not evidence-based and do not necessarily reduce offending. Research shows that post-sentence policies may destabilize offenders and limit their ability to reintegrate with society at a critical period, therefore increasing the chances of recidivism. Furthermore, the majority of sex crimes (95%) are committed by first time offenders. This innovative book is divided into two parts juxtaposing what is currently being done legislatively with what the research evidence suggests would be best practice.

This book is designed to share preventative measures to help avoid sexual assault, guide victims to a better understanding of the chaos involved when it occurs, and to educate families & friends of victims in order to help them provide better support. Whether youre a victim of acquaintance rape, date rape, spousal rape, child sexual abuse, incest, drug facilitated sexual assault, male sexual assault, or any other variations of the offense, all victims of sexual violence are thrown into chaotic circumstances that theyre poorly prepared for. Victims must try to sort through the madness and confusion, while also struggling with a mass of erratic emotions, sense of security, and even their sanity. The emotional pandemonium that follows can be quite baffling to a friend or loved one that has never experienced such an incident. This book was designed to help inform and educate the victim, spouse, family & friends. Perseverance will explain what to expect in the stages from reporting to prosecution, tips for a healthy healing process as well as for perseverance, self-empowerment, other sources of safety, and even explanations of the Crime Victims Rights. Being that 1-in-6 women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime, this book is equally as informative to those that havent been affected by sexual violence. The best method of protection is prevention. By not putting yourself into defenseless positions, you've already greatly reduced your chances of being victimized. Inside youll find extremely helpful information regarding preventative measures, safety tips, and even a section on what to do in case you are attacked. The information inside this book is also particularly beneficial for law enforcement, first responders, victim advocates, and anyone else that encounters working with victims of sexual violence. Smaller cities and communities have very limited resources for training in sexual assault response, especially for victims with certain disabilities. The better you understand what could be going on inside the minds of these victims, the better you will be able to serve them. Most importantly, when the victim feels that their concerns are being handled in the most professional manner possible, then youre able to build that much needed rapport and theyre more likely to open up and be honest with a stranger.

What is Sexualized Violence? Intersectional Readings uses an intersectional, queer, and subject-oriented approach to examine how societies constitute subjects as abilized and vulnerabilized with respect to sexualized violence. Contributing to our thinking about the dynamic relationship between social structure, subject formation, intersubjectivity, and violence, this text deploys an intersectional reading to engage with the complex social topography that both offers and imposes violence as a socially mediated practice. Instead of discussing one particular group at the intersection of race and gender, this book discusses the constitution of positionalities through systems of oppression and includes racialization, gender, sexuality, disability, and age. Moreover, the text is also interested in explicitly engaging with how the history of disciplines, institutions, and organizations contributed to the current constitution of opportunities for violence. It gives us modes of thinking to confront sexualized violence as a social problem and challenge the discourses and social structures that uphold it. This book is meant to offer questions and approaches for students and scholars, practitioners and policy makers, and survivors of sexualized violence who have an interest in an intersectional perspective on sexualized violence.