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Stopping Rape: Successful Survival Strategies PDF

215 Pages·1985·8.404 MB·English
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StopP^ PERGAMON INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY of Science, Technology, Engineering and Social Studies The 1000-volume original paperback library in aid of education, industrial training and the enjoyment of leisure Publisher: Robert Maxwell M.C. Stopping Rape A THE PERGAMON TEXTBOOK INSPECTION COPY SERVICE An inspection copy of any book published in the Pergamon International Library will gladly be sent to academic staff without obligation for their consideration for course adoption or recommendation. Copies may be retained for a period of 60 days from receipt and returned if not suitable. When a particular title is adopted or recommended for adoption for class use and the recommendation results in a sale of 12 or more copies the inspection copy may be retained with our compliments. The Publishers will be pleased to receive suggestions for revised editions and new titles to be published in this important international Library. THE ATHENE SERIES An International Collection of Feminist Books General Editors: Gloria Bowles and Renate Duelli-Klein Consulting Editor: Dale Spender The ATHENE SERIES assumes that all those who are concerned with formulating explanations of the way the world works need to know and appreciate the significance of basic feminist principles. The growth of feminist research has challenged almost all aspects of social organization in our culture. The ATHENE SERIES focuses on the construction of knowledge and the exclusion of women from the process — both as theorists and subjects of study—and offers innovative studies that challenge established theories and research. ON ATHENE — When Metis, goddess of wisdom who presided over all knowledge was pregnant with ATHENE, she was swallowed up by Zeus who then gave birth to ATHENE from his head. The original ATHENE is thus the parthenogenetic daughter of a strong mother and as the feminist myth goes, at the "third birth" of ATHENE she stops being Zeus' obedient mouthpiece and returns to her real source: the science and wisdom of womankind Volumes in the Series MEN'S STUDIES MODIFIED The Impact of Feminism on the Academic Disciplines edited by Dale Spender MACHINA EX DEA Feminist Perspectives on Technology edited by Joan Rothschild WOMAN'S NATURE Rationalizations of Inequality edited by Marian Lowe and Ruth Hubbard SCIENCE AND GENDER A Critique of Biology and Its Theories on Women Ruth Bleier WOMAN IN THE MUSLIM UNCONSCIOUS Fatna A. Sabbah MEN'S IDEAS/WOMEN'S REALITIES Popular Science, 1870-1915 edited by Louise Michele Newman BLACK FEMINIST CRITICISM Perspectives on Black Women Writers Barbara Christian THE SISTER BOND A Feminist View of a Timeless Connection edited by Toni A.H. McNaron EDUCATING FOR PEACE A Feminist Perspective Birgit Brock-Utne STOPPING RAPE Successful Survival Strategies Pauline B. Bart and Patricia H. O'Brien NOTICE TO READERS May we suggest that your library places a standing/continuation order to receive all future volumes in the Athene Series immediately on publication? Your order can be cancelled at any time. Also of Interest WOMEN'S STUDIES INTERNATIONAL FORUM* Editor: Dale Spender * Free sample copy available on request Stopping Rape Successful Survival Strategies Pauline B. Bart UCLA Patricia H. O'Brien St. Xavier College Pergamon Press New York • Oxford • Toronto • Sydney • Frankfurt Pergamon Press Offices: U.S.A. Pergamon Press Inc., Maxwell House, Fairview Park, Elmsford, New York 10523, U.S.A. U.K. Pergamon Press Ltd., Headington Hill Hall, Oxford 0X3 OBW, England CANADA Pergamon Press Canada Ltd., Suite 104, 150 Consumers Road, Willowdale, Ontario M2J 1P9, Canada AUSTRALIA Pergamon Press (Aust.) Pty. Ltd., P.O. Box 544, Potts Point, NSW 2011, Australia FEDERAL REPUBLIC Pergamon Press GmbH, Hammerweg 6, OF GERMANY D-6242 Kronberg-Taunus, Federal Republic of Germany Copyright © 1985 Pergamon Press Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Bart, Pauline. Stopping rape. (The Athene series) 1. Rape-United States. 2. Rape-United States- Prevention. I. O'Brien, Patricia H. (Patricia Helen), 1949- . II. Title. III. Series. HV6561.B367 1985 362.8'83 85-6589 ISBN 0-08-032814-8 ISBN 0-08-032813-X (pbk.) All Rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission in writing from the publishers Printed in Great Britain by A. Wheaton & Co. Ltd., Exeter We dedicate this book to the women who shared their experiences with us, some of them enduring nightmares and anxiety at the thought of being interviewed and having to speak once more about their assaults. They did so because they wanted to give their suffering purpose by helping other women avoid sexual assault. We also dedicate this book to Maura and Jake, Pat's children, and Rebecca, Pauline's granddaughter, with the fervent hope, but not the expectation, that they will be able to live in a rape-free society. Contents Preface ix Acknowledgments xi Chapter 1 Why Study Women Who Avoided Rape? 1 2 What Constitutes Rape? How the Women Defined Their Situations 16 3 The Rape Situation 23 4 How Accosted Women Prevented Rape 32 5 Socialization and Rape Avoidance: Guise and Dolls 58 6 Ethnicity and Rape Avoidance: Jews, White Catholics and Blacks 70 7 Why Men Rape 92 8 Summary and Conclusion: What We Learned and What It Means 105 Appendices A Getting Better Estimates on Rape 129 B Strengths and Limitations of Our Sample 132 C The Women's "Legal Claim" 136 D The Conceptual Scheme 139 continued vii VIII E Self-Report Questionnaire 140 F Case Profiles 143 G Case Transcript 160 Bibliography 187 Case Index 193 Subject Index 195 About the Authors 201 Preface We became concerned about sexual assault long before writing this book, for fear of rape lies within the hearts of all women. We are warned to be wary of rapists at an early age (Griffin, 1971), and we are advised on how to avoid rape by family, friends, schools, legal institutions, and the media. This is not a recent trend. In 1857, the Macon Missouri Gazette presented women with the following cautionary note: A young lady of California recently broke her neck while resisting an attempt of a young man to kiss her; this furnished a fearful warning to young ladies. (State Historical Society of Missouri) We all know women who have been raped and who have avoided rape though they may not have told us. In 1973, one of us (Bart) was awakened by the telephone at seven o'clock one morning. It was a friend in tears. I had never heard her cry before; she was a tough woman. She told me that she'd been raped, that the police were there and that they were taking her to a nearby hospital. My roommate and I went to the hospital to meet her. She was in the examining room, legs up in stirrups, but we couldn't be with her. She was kept in that vulnerable position for what seemed to her an interminable length of time. After that, I was able to go with her to x-ray; had I not gone with her, she would have been by herself. She was treated very much as if she had suffered a sprained ankle, rather than having been violated for several hours in danger of being murdered. Later, her landlord refused to refund her apartment deposit when she wanted to move, as is common with women who are raped at home in their beds. He also warned her not to tell her experience to other women in the building. But a group of feminists said that they would picket the building unless he returned the deposit, so he relented. After the hospital experience she talked with my roommate, a feminist therapist. The next time I saw her, several hours later, was outside the Women and Health class that I was teaching. She said, "Pauline, do you think that it would be good for the class if I would talk about what happened?" I said, "It would be good for the class, but I don't know if it would be good for you, which is the most important thing." She thought it would be, so she decided to talk about it. SR-A1 IX

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