Woman-to-Woman Sexual Violence: Does She Call It Rape?

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Awoman raping another woman is unthinkable. Our legal system is not equipped to handle woman-to-woman sexual assault, our women’s services do not have the resources or even the words to reach out to its victims, and our communities face hurdles in acknowledging its existence. Already dealing with complex issues related to their sexual identities, and frequently overwhelmed by shame, lesbian and bisexual survivors of such violence are among the most isolated of crime victims. In a work that is sure to stir controversy, Lori B. Girshick exposes the shocking, hidden reality of woman-to-woman sexual violence and gives voice to the abused. Based on a nationwide survey and in-depth interviews, the work explores the experiences and reflections of seventy women, documenting what happened to them, how they responded, and whether they received any help to cope with the emotional impact of their assault. Ranging from acquaintance rape, to sexual abuse by partners, to sexual harassment in the workplace, these harrowing stories provide a fuller understanding of woman-to-woman sexual violence than exists anywhere else. This provocative book offers much-needed insights on a subject rarely discussed in the literature on domestic violence, and it does so with compassion. Above all, it recommends how agencies can best provide services, outreach, and treatment to survivors of woman-to-woman rape and battering, using suggestions by the survivors themselves. WOMAN-TO-WOMAN SEXUALVIOLENCE Does She Call It Rape? L o r i B . G i r s h i c k 172 Black 239 SOCIOLOGY/ LESBIANAND GAY STUDIES/ THE NORTHEASTERN SERIES ON GENDER,CRIME, AND LAW LORI B. GIRSHICK is a sociologist and community activist. She is the Outreach Coordinator atThe Brewster Center, a domestic agency inTucson,Arizona. She is a national speaker and trainer on same-sex domestic and sexual violence . She is the author of No Safe Haven: Stories of Women in Prison, also published by Northeastern University Press, and Soledad Women:Wives of Prisoners Speak Out. Her current research is on gender identity. CLAIRE RENZETTI, editor of the Northeastern Series on Gender, Crime, and Law, is Professor of Sociology at St. Joseph's University. She divides her time between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Dayton, Ohio. Northeastern University Press Boston, Massachusetts 02115 www.nupress.neu.edu COVER DESIGN BY GARY GORE Woman-to-Woman Sexual Violence GIRSHICK 6X9 • 216 PAGES /360 PPI=.6 INCHES OR 44 PTS OR 9.6/16THS • GGG 12-3-01 UNTRIM SIZE OF FLAT COVER IS 13 1/8 INCHES X 9 1/4 INCHES. FLAT TRIM SIZE IS 12 IN. + SPINE BULK Proof4 ...