Rape Work: Victims, Gender, and Emotions in Organization and Community Context

Despite the proliferation of rape crisis centers and other improvements in the treatment of rape victims over the past 20 years, many victims still find themselves the victims of what has been called a "second rape" by doctors, lawyers, judges, police, and administrators that process them. This book takes a critical look at the organizations and officials that process rape victims to see how the structure of their respective organizations often prevent them from providing responsive care. Rape crisis centers are considered in detail and compared with mainstream organizations such as hospital emergency rooms, law enforcement and the judicial system. These comparisons are then used to offer positive models and suggestions for change. Martin concludes by looking at examples of responsive processing in mainstream organizations and considering the rape crisis center as a woman's movement organization.