Rape Is Rape: How Denial, Distortion, and Victim Blaming Are Fueling a Hidden Acquaintance Rape Crisis

by Jody Raphael JD

Overview

“More than half of women and girls lie about rape . . .” “Feminists exaggerate rape prevalence to demonize men and raise money for their cause . . .” “Girls cry ‘rape’ when it’s nothing more than regret over bad sex . . .” Such emotionally charged false accusations have convinced much of the general public and the media that acquaintance rape is a figment of the imagination. As author Jody Raphael reveals in Rape Is Rape, the more acquaintance rape is reported and taken seriously by prosecutors, judges, and juries, the louder the clamor of rape denial becomes.

Through firsthand interviews with victims, medical and judicial records, social media analysis, and statistics from government agencies, Rape Is Rape exposes the tactics used by the deniers, a group that includes conservatives and right-wing Christians as well as some controversial feminists. The personal stories of young acquaintance rape victims whom Raphael interviewed demonstrate how assaults on their credibility, buttressed by claims of low prevalence, prevent many from holding their rapists accountable, enabling them to rape others with impunity. Rape Is Rape is an exposé of those using rape denial to further their political agendas, and it is a call to action to protect the rights of women and girls, making it safe for victims to come forward, and end the acquaintance rape crisis. A resources section is included for those seeking help, advice, or hoping to get involved.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781613744796
Publisher:	Chicago Review Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	04/01/2013
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	344,908
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Jody Raphael, JD, is an attorney and a nationally known researcher, lecturer, and advocate on issues of violence against women. She is the author of Freeing Tammy: Women, Drugs, and Incarceration; Listening to Olivia: Violence, Poverty, and Prostitution; and Saving Bernice: Battered Women, Welfare, and Poverty.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 Accusing Dominique Strauss-Kahn 7

Riley 9

2 The Distortion of Rape Statistics: Who's Doing It and Why 19

Tracy 35

3 The Feminist Attack: Acquaintance Rape as the Price for Women's Sexual Freedom 41

4 The Conservative Attack: Acquaintance Rape as the Result of Women's Promiscuity 53

Danielle and Shae 75

5 Is There a Rape "Epidemic"? 83

Megan 97

6 The Truth About False Rape Claims 101

7 Defending Strauss-Kahn 125

Blaming Tracy 129

8 Denial's Effects: Dangerous indifference 137

Punishing Megan 155

9 Freeing Strauss-Kahn 165

Believing Riley 169

10 A World Without Rape Denial 179

Epilogue 195

Acknowledgments 197

Notes 199

Resources 245

Recommended Reading 247

Index 251

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"[A] gripping story of one woman's journey through abuse, drug addiction, and imprisonment. . . . Freeing Tammy is an invaluable contribution to the field of women's criminology."  —Women's Review of Books

"[A] dynamic, stunning account . . . Raphael addresses the question of prison as punishment or rehabilitation. She leaves the reader with a piercing question of whether ex-felons should be viewed as "immoral convicts" or whether they should be treated as persons who need new opportunities to succeed. Recommended for students of criminology, public policy makers, and teachers and counselors who work with "at-risk" populations."  —Multicultural Review

"A compelling, grim account of the struggle for victims of sexual violence to be heard and believed."—Publishers Weekly

“[A] compelling account, . . . the second in a planned trilogy on impoverished woman and violence to give voice to poor women of color in prostitution, and to provide new perspectives, grounded in new research data, regarding the social implications of today's multibillion-dollar sex industry."  —Booklist

"What makes all of Raphael's books special is that she focuses each one on one individual, but includes the research findings about the topics covered, letting readers know how typical her cases are, and what social scientists know about the entire subject discussed."  —Sexual Assault Report

"A must-read for everyone who wishes to end not just welfare, but poverty 'as we know it."  —Patricia Ireland

“[A] harrowing account."  —Library Journal

Editorial Reviews

Attorney and advocate Raphael (Freeing Tammy: Women, Drugs, and Incarceration) effectively argues that “the time has come for rape denial to become as unacceptable as Holocaust denial.” Here she holds all parties accountable: male conservatives and right-wing apologists who push the idea of false rape claims as female revenge; feminists like Katie Roiphe, who suggests that those who claim to be victims of acquaintance rape may be confusing rape with “bad sex”; politicians like Todd Akin who distinguish between “forcible rape” and other assaults; police who neglect to test rape kits; victim advocates who use inaccurate statistics; and journalists who use a “he said/she said” model for reporting. The resulting culture of victim-blaming means that when victims do come forward, they can expect indifference, disbelief, and even punishment. Raphael presents clear statistics on rape prevalence and reporting, consistent with a number of studies often ignored by policymakers and the press. She juxtaposes this research with firsthand interviews with acquaintance-rape victims and in-depth discussions of recent rape cases in the news, including those involving the Duke lacrosse team and Julian Assange. The result is a compelling, grim account of the struggle for victims of sexual violence to be heard and believed. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"[A] meticulously researched and passionately argued rebuttal of those who would deny the reality and alarming prevalence of acquaintance rape." —Kirkus Reviews

"A compelling, grim account of the struggle for victims of sexual violence to be heard and believed." —Publishers Weekly



"Must reading for anyone wishing to understand how something as abhorrent as rape can ever be denied." —Military Review



"[Raphael's] eye-opening exposé shows how Americans, including some high profile feminists, ignore or underestimate the devastating nature of this form of assault." —Ms.


"[A] very important read about rape culture, rape deniers and recent rape cases. A must-read for all." —Entertainment Realm, blog


"This book would be timely no matter when it was published." —Colorado Springs Independent


"This book shocked, provoked, educated and is certainly one of the most profound and important books I have read this year." —Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave

"What makes all of Raphael's books special is that she focuses each one on one individual, but includes the research findings about the topics covered, letting readers know how typical her cases are, and what social scientists know about the entire subject discussed."  —Sexual Assault Report (for Listening to Olivia: Violence, Poverty, and Prostitution)

From the Publisher

Meticulously researched and passionately argued rebuttal of those who would deny the reality and alarming prevalence of acquaintance rape. An 11-year-old girl was gang-raped by 18 men and criticized for wearing provocative clothing. Another girl, 15, was gang-raped by men who got her drunk, and she received a ticket for underage drinking. Raphael (Freeing Tammy: Women, Drugs, and Incarceration, 2007, etc.) makes the strong case that these are the all-too-frequent outcomes for women victimized by acquaintance rape. Unlike victims of other crimes, such women often face "indifference, disbelief, or outright punishment." Social conservatives tend to blame rape on the sexual promiscuity of the victims. On the other end of the spectrum, some feminists view acquaintance rape as "an acceptable risk of sexual freedom." In addition, such deniers claim both that data on the frequency of rape are overinflated and that as many as 50 percent of rape accusations are false. Both claims, as Raphael shows, are entirely false. Countless reputable studies have shown that 11 to 16 percent of all American women have been raped sometime in their life, and numerous studies indicate the false report of rape to be in the 2 to 8 percent range. Further, most rapists are in fact known by their victim. But the deniers' damage is done, and too many in authority--universities, police, prosecutors and others--too easily dismiss acquaintance rape as "bad sex" at worst. Raphael hopes to change such attitudes, not only through the heavy dose of accurate data she presents, but also through the stories of several young women who were raped by someone they knew. These horrific accounts provide ample evidence of the need for change in attitudes and actions toward rape victims--a disturbing challenge to anyone who would dismiss the ravages of rape.

Kirkus Reviews