Sex without Consent: Rape and Sexual Coercion in America

by Merril D. Smith (Editor)

A group of men rape an intoxicated fifteen year old girl to "make a woman of her." An immigrant woman is raped after accepting a ride from a stranger. A young mother is accosted after a neighbor escorts her home. In another case, a college frat party is the scene of the crime. Although these incidents appear similar to accounts one can read in the newspapers almost any day in the United States, only the last one occurred in this century. Each, however, involved a woman or girl compelled to have sex against her will.
Sex without Consent explores the experience, prosecution, and meaning of rape in American history from the time of the early contact between Europeans and Native Americans to the present. By exploring what rape meant in particular times and places in American history, from interracial encounters due to colonization and slavery to rape on contemporary college campuses, the contributors add to our understanding of crime and punishment, as well as to gender relations, gender roles, and sexual politics.

380 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2002

About the author

I am a poet and independent scholar. My most recently published book is Sexual Harassment: A Reference Handbook. I'm currently working on two poetry collections and have published poetry in various journals. I'm one of the hosts of dVerse Poets' Pub

Reviews

[Kidada · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very helpful for those who want to understand the origins of social and legal issues surrounding rape and sexual coercion in the US. In the decade that followed the publication of this collection, many of the contributors have since published book length projects relating to the subject. This is still an important book that approaches the history of rape and coercion from different angles.

[Ledena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used this book as a reference for organizing a "rape culture" training and including a piece on the history of sexual assault in the U.S. Helpful resource, as well as her Encyclopedia of Rape.