NCJ Number
152030
Editor(s)
B Leone,
B Szumski,
K de Koster oster,
K L Swisher,
C Wekesser,
W Barbour
Date Published
1994
Length
320 pages
Annotation
Forty-two papers consider the following topics related to violence against women: causes of violence against women, rape causes, whether reforms in the criminal justice system can decrease violence against women, whether pornography promotes violence against women, how violence against women can be reduced, the scope of the rape problem, and whether the battered woman's syndrome is a legitimate defense for women who have killed their abusers.
Abstract
Although the authors agree that no one factor is at the root of violence against women, four papers attribute violence against women to traditional male/female roles, society's belief in family privacy, sexism, and men's participation in sports. A series of papers on what causes rape consider factors in the psychology and belief system of rapists, society's tendency to blame rape victims for their victimization, society's tendency to overlook rape by athletes, victims' naivete about protective measures, declining moral standards, and hatred of women. Papers present opposing views on whether reforms in the criminal justice system can decrease violence against women, whether pornography promotes violence against women, and whether the battered woman's syndrome is a legitimate defense for women who kill their abusers. Some suggestions for reducing violence against women are therapy for couples, physician preventive measures, action by churches, a reduction in societal violence, creation of a just economy, human rights measures, and international measures. A 51- item bibliography, a list of organizations to contact, and a subject index