Presents an original perspective on the subject of rape and sexual violence by scrutinising existing social psychological research on rape and, in particular, rape perception research.

Accounting for Rape" provides a critical interrogation of the dominant theories and methodologies, focusing on: how the gender and sexual orientation of alleged victims and perpetrators is crucial to social participants when making sense of a rape report and in apportioning blame and sympathy; how arguments that are critical of alleged victims are built in ways that are 'face saving' for the participants in the conversations, and how victim-blaming arguments are presented as 'common sense'. The potential of applying this approach in both professional and academic contexts to promote attitude change. This book will be of great interest to those studying social and clinical psychology, cultural studies, sociology, women's studies and communication studies.

Rape Supportive Culture. The Social Psychology of Rape Perception. Toward a Feminist Discourse Analysis of Accounts for Rape. Talking about Female Rape: The Social Construction of Hazard/Risk and Accountability. Making Sense of Male Rape. Metaphors about Female and Male Rape. Conclusions.