Issues in Intimate Violence

Raquel Kennedy Bergen is a Professor of Sociology at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She received her BS from Saint Joseph’s University in Sociology and her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania. She is the author or co-author of numerous scholarly publications and nine books on violence against women including, Wife Rape: Understanding the Response of Survivors and Service Providers; and Issues in Intimate Violence. With Claire Renzetti and Jeff Edleson she edited, Sourcebook on Violence Against Women and Violence Against Women: Classic Statements. She co-edited Violence Against Women: Readings from Social Problems with Claire Renzetti. She is the current Chair of Gender Studies at Saint Joseph’s and the faculty moderator for the Rape Education Prevention Program. Her area of expertise is sexual violence in intimate partnerships and she regularly provides workshops around the country to domestic violence and rape crisis programs to address this form of violence. She has volunteered as an advocate for battered women and sexual assault survivors for the past 27 years. Her current research continues in the field of violence against women—analyzing the intersection of women’s experiences of physical, sexual and emotional violence with their partners during pregnancy.

• Intimate ViolenceA Brief IntroductionPART ONE: CHILD ABUSEThe Youngest Victims - Richard J GellesViolence towards ChildrenWomen and Children at Risk - Evan Stark and Anne FlitcraftA Feminist Perspective on Child AbuseQuestions for DiscussionPART TWO: INCESTSexual Victimization of Children - Kathleen Kendall-Tackett and Roberta MarshallIncest and Child Sexual AbuseThe Making of a Whore - Diana RussellQuestions for DiscussionPART THREE: VIOLENCE IN DATING RELATIONSHIPSMale Peer Support and Woman Abuse in Postsecondary School Courtship - Walter S DeKeseredy and Martin D SchwartzSuggestions for New Directions in Sociological ResearchViolent Men or Violent Women? Whose Definition Counts? - Dawn H CurrieQuestions for DiscussionPART FOUR: VIOLENCE IN GAY AND LESBIAN RELATIONSHIPSViolence and Abuse in Lesbian Relationships - Claire M RenzettiTheoretical and Empirical IssuesUnderstanding Domestic Violence among Gay and Bisexual Men - Gregory S MerrillQuestions for DiscussionPART FIVE: ACQUAINTANCE RAPEFacing the Facts - Mary P Koss and Sarah L CookDate and Acquaintance Rape Are Significant Problems for WomenFraternities and Rape on Campus - Patricia Yancey Martin and Robert A HummerArrest and Conviction Rates for Athletes Accused of Sexual Assault - Jeffrey Benedict and Alan KleinQuestions for DiscussionPART SIX: WIFE ABUSEWhy Do Men Batter Their Wives? - James PtacekOld Problems and New Directions in the Study of Violence against Women - Demie KurzWomen′s Realities - Shamita Das DasguptaDefining Violence against Women by Immigration, Race and ClassQuestions for DiscussionPART SEVEN: WIFE RAPEMarital Rape - Patricia PeacockThe Reality of Wife Rape - Raquel Kennedy BergenWomen′s Experiences of Sexual Violence in MarriageQuestions for DiscussionPART EIGHT: ELDER ABUSEViolence and Violent Feelings - Karl Pillemer and J Jill SuitorWhat Causes Them among Family Caregivers?Abuse of African American Elders - Linner Ward Griffin, Oliver J Williams, and Joyce G ReedQuestions for Discussion