Prohibited Sexual Behavior and Sexual Violence

Sexual Violence: Rape: Summary 2

No matter how widely or narrowly a rape may be defined, no matter how reliable or unreliable the rapes statistics may be, there is general agreement that the best way of reducing this kind of sexual violence is prevention.
Obviously, general sex education in schools and colleges and the sexological training of physicians, nurses, social workers, psychologists, marriage and family counselors, clergy, and, indeed, the police, can greatly contribute to rape prevention. Individuals who understand their own sexuality and that of others may more easily recognize a dangerous situation and thus avoid an assault. In any event, those who are called upon to help rape victims need to understand the causes and forms of sexual violence. They have to consider the psychosocial context of each case and must know what it may mean to the individual’s sexual health.
Acting on this insight, a number of organizations are now offering a great deal of relevant information not only to professionals in various fields, but also to the general public. While they cannot help individual victims, they do provide links to other useful addresses and thus make an important contribution to the prevention of rape and other forms of sexual violence.

Two American Internet Resources
These centers offer useful information on many aspects of sexual violence
for both professionals and the general public. (Click on logos)