NCJ Number
179886
Journal
Journal of Sexual Aggression Volume: 4 Issue: 2 Dated: 1999 Pages: 105-124
Date Published
1999
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This article reports on an Australian study of the commonalities and differences arising from women's and men's definitions of sexual assault where acquaintances are involved.
Abstract
Six true vignettes involving problematic contexts were the basis of questionnaire responses and focus group discussions for 104 participants comprising six social categories: young, middle-aged, and older women; non-Anglophone women; feminists; and males. The beliefs of the latter four groups challenged the young and middle-aged women's underlying assumption that women can negotiate sex meaningfully with men. Key issues included the degree of coercion that is acceptable and the amount of blame attributed to the women, given the context of important generational differences of perception. The feminists also debated whether to adopt a definition of assault highlighting women's feelings or one that was narrower and more easily enforced. Despite more than 20 years of feminism and increased social awareness of the issues, the amount of discussion prompted by the vignettes suggests that there are still significant differences of opinion about the limits of acceptable sexual advances. Furthermore, the full range of opinions is likely to be considerably greater than those expressed in this study. Tables, references, appendix