RAPE - SCOPE, IMPACT, INTERVENTIONS, AND PUBLIC-POLICY RESPONSES

There are many ways for women to be victimized by strangers and by peo ple they know, but rape is the crime women fear most. The research on the frequency, psychological after effects, somatic consequences, and immediate as well as delayed interventions for rape is reviewed; a bri ef consensus of the literature within each of these areas is developed ; and the implications of the research for public policy are considere d. Among the suggested policy responses are improvements in the databa ses on rape frequency, increased attention to measurement, a higher pr iority for teaching about rape in the education of health care provide rs, increased funding and technical assistance to rape crisis centers, and more diversity of interventions and research on their effects.