Rape and the Law: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives

Rape and the Law: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives examines the legal history of rape to understand why modern audiences continue to disagree about the nature of the crime, why society as a whole often fails to believe and support victims, and how we can change our understanding of and approach to the crime.

The volume begins with an examination of American rape law, explaining the historical sources of the law and analyzing the meanings and ideas embedded i