Victims of Sexual Assault and Abuse (eBook)

Incidents of sexual abuse and assault are reaching epidemic proportions. Approximately 2.6 million women are victims of intimate partner violence annually, while as many as 15 percent of female college students have disclosed they were raped. Both new legislation and sweeping societal changes will be necessary to reverse this persistent trend.

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A team of educators, counselors, and scholars examine the widespread problem of sexual assault and abuse in the United States from a legal, criminal justice, psychological, clinical, and legislative perspective.The statistics on sexual abuse in the United States suggest that such crimes are perceived as socially acceptable, despite laws to the contrary. Thirty percent of women are battered at least once in their adult lives, while four million girls and women are trafficked annually. Seventy-five percent of employed battered women are harassed at their jobs by abusive husbands or lovers and half of them are murdered by these mates. At least twenty percent of women have been victimized by incest.Victims of Sexual Assault and Abuse serves as a reference guide for professionals working with victims and perpetrators. Topics addressed include assault within marriage, courtship violence, abducted and runaway youth, violence against pregnant women, cyberspace violence, and sexual harassment of students and employees. This multivolume set promotes legislation to break the cycles of violence and dispels myths about victims and perpetrators. Preventative programs, policies, and educational programs are emphasized.