Raphael, Jody. 2013. Rape is Rape: How Denial, Distortion, and Victim Blaming are Fueling a Hidden Acquaintance Rape Crisis. Chicago: Chicago Review Press
Review by Deanna McPherson, Washington University in St. Louis, Brown School of Social Work.
Jody Raphael has worked as Senior Research Fellow at the Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center at the DePaul College of Law in Chicago since July 2003, and is currently a visiting professor at the law school. An attorney by training, and a 25-veteran in practice in legal services programs for the poor in the Midwest, she is a noted national expert on violence against women and girls, with a special emphasis on the effects of violence on poor women of color. She is the author of over 20 research articles, and serves as an associate editor of the journal Violence against Women.
Raphael introduces the book Rape is Rape by highlighting the thoughts of congressmen on the definition of rape and what it consists of, as well as highlighting infamous cases and those that have garnered media attention. She also describes feminist approaches to the issue of acquaintance rape. Raphael utilizes this information to set the stage/tone of the book. Throughout the book she illustrates accounts of various women, and particularly of three key women: Tracy, Megan and Riley. She incorporates their stories, specifically indicating how they have been impacted by law enforcement, prosecutors, and their friends related to their rapes, as well as highlighting the outcomes of their assaults and their personal aftermath.
In Chapter 1, Raphael begins by discussing Nafissatou Diallo, a woman reportedly raped by Dominique Strauss-Kahn, and her account of what happened and the outcome of her rape case. She then introduces us to Riley, a woman with cystic fibrosis who fell prey to acquaintance rape. She details Riley’s story, the aftermath of her ordeal, and the consequent affect on her health and subsequent relationships. Chapter 2 begins with critically examining the phrase “bad sex.” She speaks of the high prevalence of acquaintance rape, while giving an overview of historical data on rape. Raphael highlights the different premises offered by various feminist perspectives on acquaintance rape, and how essentialist feminism has perpetuated an anti-male stance, fueling anti-feminist groups. She then discusses the perspective of anti-feminists, and the idea of men’s propensity to be violent towards women. Raphael provides an overview of research from Mary Koss and how her data continues to magnify this issue of accuracy and/or inaccuracy in the data around rape. In Chapter 3, Raphael explores the unintended consequences of awareness about rape and how it reinforces fear. She explains the feminist standpoint on rape, which includes the broadness of the definition, and its influence on women’s liberation. Raphael describes rape involving force or threat of physical violence, and relates it to the blame or onus placed upon women who drink who are raped, whose accounts of their rape (of those that come forward) are subsequently questioned. In Chapter 4, the author focuses on conservative thinking, which places blame for rape on a promiscuous culture. Raphael revisits the implications of alcohol when both parties are drinking, who is to blame, and how the definition of rape has conflated the trains of thought. The author divides the rest of this chapter through the following sections: Redefining Abortion Exemptions, Using Negligence as a Defense, and the Criminal Justice System. The author concludes this chapter by discussing two women’s accounts of their rapes in which alcohol was involved.
In Chapter 5, Raphael addresses rape prevalence including lifetime rape prevalence. She discusses researchers who are using consistent terms in asking about rape and how this is defined. The author discusses the following sections, emphasizing related contributions and confusion when obtaining statistics and data: Rape Statistics on College Campuses, The Rapists, Confusion about Uniform Crime Reports, and the idea of A Rape Epidemic. Raphael discusses false-claim rapes and provides more statistical references in Chapter 6. She states that the false-rape claims campaign has been successful in perpetuating lies about rape to the media. Raphael includes the following sections (indicated in bold): assertions of false-rape claims activists, in which she describes and distinguishes between false reports versus inconclusive or unsubstantiated reports of rape; the media’s role in false rape reports; how we as a society have built a cultural history of rape denial; and how false rape claim assertions are in action even in cases where the evidence speaks otherwise.
Raphael begins Chapter 7 by highlighting the reactions to the Strauss-Kahn case and his defense related to his societal position, which ultimately led to defaming Diallo. Raphael discusses the media’s character assassination, which highlighted all the ingredients for a false rape claim. In Chapter 8, Raphael focuses on the treatment of rape victims by the public, as well as citing rape reporting rates and how women who report rape are met with indifference, disbelief or outright punishment. She breaks down in different sections the indifferences by the police, the church’s role in covering up molestations, and educators’ inadequate responsiveness to rape claims. Raphael also includes the sections When Language Harms, “Rape” not “Sex” and leaves us with a section entitled Punishing Megan, which encompass all three indifference elements. Chapter 9 opens with evidence that undermined Diallo’s reliability, the court case dismissal, and how her account was deemed unfounded. She highlights the aftermath for Diallo, and how others conceived the possibility that she was actually sexually assaulted. Raphael ends this chapter with providing details about Riley, whose experience shows room for a world without rape denial—essentially an inclusive response from those involved, which ultimately led to convicting her rapist. In Chapter 10, Raphael stresses the difference between rape being about sex versus power and humiliation. She adds how neglectful responses to acquaintance rape further mitigate such self-blame for women who have been raped. Raphael lists approaches in this chapter on what a changed culture would look like from hospitals, colleges and universities, police, prosecutors, and the media. In addition, she states how rape research, securing a firm research base, reviewing the role of alcohol in acquaintance rape, and encouraging reporting, all play a role in advocating for sexually assaulted women.
Towards the end of the book, as referenced in Chapter 10 as well as in the Epilogue, Raphael leaves us with thinking about the role we all have to play in deconstructing myths and misconceptions about rape and henceforth being advocates/activists in order to overcome the culture of rape denial. We are all to blame for not upholding victims’ accounts of rape, as we have created a society that doubts such crimes, and until we re-examine our own thoughts such ill-conceptions will go forth.
Courses that would benefit from such a book would include: Criminology, Criminal Justice, Gender Studies, Social Work, Sociology, Public Health, Psychology and perhaps Anthropology. Both undergraduates and graduates would benefit from this book due to the nature of the topic.