ABSTRACT
This book contextualizes the complexity of sexual violence within its broader context – from war to the resolution of interpersonal disputes – and covers a wide span including sexual harassment, bullying, rape and murder as well as domestic violence. Written by leading academics from a variety of disciplines, contributions also include commentaries that relate the research to the work of practitioners.
Despite advances made in the investigation of sexual offences, evidence still points to a continued belief in the culpability of victims in their own victimization and a gap between the estimated incidence of sexual violence and the conviction of perpetrators. Adopting an implicitly and explicitly critical stance to contemporary policy responses that continue to fail in addressing this problem, this book focuses on attitudes and behaviour towards sexual violence from the point of view of the individual experiencing the violence – perpetrator and victim – and situates them within a broader societal frame. It is through an understanding of social processes and psychological mechanisms that underpin sexual violence that violence can be combated and harm reduced, and at this individual level that evidence-based interventions can be designed to change policy and practice.
The Handbook is split into four sections:
- 'Legacies: Setting the Scene' offers a critical overview of historical, legal and cultural processes which help to explain the origins of current thinking and offer steers for future developments
- 'Theories and Concepts' examines contemporary thinking on sexual violence and reviews explanatory frameworks from a number of perspectives
- 'Acts of Sexual Violence' reviews a number of specific types of sexual violence, elaborating the range of circumstances, victims and perpetrators with a view to addressing the general and pervasive nature of such violence thus contradicting narrow cultural stereotyping
- 'Responding to Sexual Violence' overviews and evaluates current policies and practices and offers new ideas to develop different types of interventions.
The editors’ conclusion not only draws out the key themes and ideas from contributions to the Handbook, but also considers the nature of and the extent to which any progress has been made in understanding and responding to sexual violence.
This will be a key text for students and academics studying sexual violence and an essential reference tool for professionals working in the field including police officers, probation staff, lawyers and judges.
Preface: Standing the Test of Time? Reflections on the Concept of the Continuum of Sexual Violence, Introduction Part 1: Legacies: Setting the Scene Introduction 1. Sexual Violence in History: A Contemporary Heritage? 2. Sexual Violence in Literature: A Cultural Heritage? 3. The Legal Heritage of the Crime of Rape 4. Can You Count It? The Policy Heritage 5. Developments in Investigative Approaches to Rape and Domestic Violence: The Investigative Heritage 6. Practitioner Commentary Part 2: Theories and Concepts Introduction 7. Psychological Perspectives on Sexual Violence: Generating a General Theory 8. On Sociological Perspectives 9. Family Violence and Family Safety: Working Therapeutically with Victims, Perpetrators, Survivors and their Families 10. Violence and Prostitution: Beyond the Notion of a ‘Continuum of Sexual Violence’ 11. Practitioner Commentary Part 3: Acts of Sexual Violence Introduction 12. Silencing Rape, Silencing Women 13. Co-Ordinating Responses to Domestic Violence 14. Destroying Women: Sexual Murder and Feminism 15. Violence, Sex and the Child 16. Under their Parents Noses – Online Solicitation of Young People 17. Practitioner Commentary Part 4: Responding to Sexual Violence Introduction 18. Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Orientation in the Workplace 19. Public Sector and Voluntary Sector Response: Supporting Victims 20. Public Sector and Voluntary Sector Responses: Dealing with Sex Offenders 21. Changing the Community Response to Rape: The Promise of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Programmes 22. Practitioner Commentary 23. Conclusion; Taking Stock, Plus ca Change, Plus c’est la Meme Chose?
