Professors Mary Odem and Jody Clay-Warner examine the complex and painful issue of sexual violence from various social science perspectives. With contributors from a wide range of fields, including sociology, psychology, criminology, law, anthropology, public health, and women's studies, this interdisciplinary volume presents the leading classic and recent scholarship on the subject.

Yet the book's greatest strength lies in its broad sociological exploration of its subject. Confronting Rape and Sexual Assault looks beyond the stereotypical idea of rape - a woman attacked by an unknown assailant in a dark alley. Topics include sexual violence against men, date rape, marital rape, the effects of pornography, and the racial-ethnic issues surrounding rape.

Not only does this invaluable collection define and examine the prevalence of rape and sexual assault, but is analyses social and institutional factors that contribute to their occurrence and provides strategies for prevention and change. Confronting Rape and Sexual Assault has appeal for professors, students, and scholars in the social sciences as well as for general readers concerned with this troubling issue.