“Focused and timely…. Chapters on special issues highlight marital rape, legal factors, the recovery process, and prevention. Important factual information is interspersed with painfully graphic first-person responses from survivors. This book is an important contribution to the trauma and recovery literature.” --Terry L. Sweig in READINGS: A Journal of Reviews and Commentary in Mental Health “This book addresses the problem of acquaintance rape and its complexity in a comprehensive manner. The book provides helpful information and treatment suggestions for those professionals who wish to know more about this important issue. It is a useful addition to the field of mental health.” --Doody's Health Sciences Book Review Journal “Spousal rape and acquaintance rape are treated in this book. It is an important text for therapists in the field.” --Ron MacIssac, review in What's Happening?, Victoria, B.C. Every year thousands of women are raped by someone they know and never report the sexual assault, partly because acquaintance rape is still widely misunderstood in our society and victims are often blamed for the crime. Addressing a need to change perceptions about this type of assault, this important book informs and educates about the nature of acquaintance rape and its impact on the victim, intervention, and prevention. The chapters on intervention include material on crisis intervention, tools for effective rape counseling, and strategies for meeting the psychosocial needs of survivors who are facing long-term recovery due to previous sexual assault victimization. Survivors vividly describe the events in their own words, bringing home the horror of acquaintance rape and the immediate need for action to prevent it. The authors also offer a special chapter on marital rape to expose this long-denied and insidious form of rape. In addition, a useful review of current literature pinpoints interventions crucial to rape prevention. Intimate Betrayal is essential reading for mental health professionals; crisis centers, student services, and law enforcement personnel; pastoral counselors, legal professionals; social workers; and advanced clinical students. But in addition to the helping professionals, this memorable book provides information important to any reader interested in understanding the nature and treatment of acquaintance rape.

The Assault

The assault

It can happen to anyone.

—An acquaintance rape survivor

In this chapter, we will study the circumstances surrounding the rape. Survivors will share information on where the rape by an acquaintance occurred. The survivors will discuss factors in their relationship with their perpetrators as they looked back on what happened that made them uncomfortable—but at the time they ignored. The use of drugs and alcohol by the perpetrator and survivor will also be reported from the research data.

The Setting

Where did the rape by an acquaintance occur? Table 3.1 presents an analysis of survivors' responses to this question.

TABLE 3.1 Where the Rape Occurred
PlacePercentage(n)
Victim's apartment or home29(69)
Perpetrator's apartment or home24(56)
Friend's apartment or home5(11)
Motel2(6)
At place of employment4(9)
Secluded area, public park5(12)
Car, boat17(40)
Dormitory or fraternity house3(6)
Other11(27)
Total100(236)

The largest percentage (58%) ...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles