NCJ Number
93309
Date Published
1978
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This film portrays rape as a violent act meant to degrade women, discusses society's acceptance of rape, and provides instructions on rape avoidance.
Abstract
Rape is an act of violence perpetrated primarily against women of all ages, but especially against women in the 10-to-25-year-old group. Typically the rapist is not seeking gratification but an opportunity to humiliate, citing the excuse that the woman victim 'asked for it.' The offense, particularly in the case of incest, frequently goes unreported because of the reluctance of victims to expose themselves to further psychological pain. A historical overview from the Sabine women to German concentration camps and Bangladesh dramatizes the destructive barbarism and violence of rapes committed against women in wartime without reason or mercy. But rape is also portrayed as an element in today's popular culture, as evidence by ads, movies, record covers, and even department store window displays that represent brutality against women as chic and acceptable. Interviews with a prison inmate and with the families of women institutionalized in mental hospitals expose the dangers of assault to vulnerable, unprotected adults and children of both sexes. Throughout the film, method signs through which women can protect themselves against attack are illustrated. Protection services may take the form of public information compaigns such as that of Women Against Violence to Women or question-and-answer sessions on rape avoidance by women's organizations. Training in the martial arts allows women to resist physically, and special 'fashion shows' can make viewers aware of certain types of clothing which/that can help them defend themselves.