Diana E. H. Russell - Research and Writings On Rape and Sexual Abuse

Research and Writings On Rape and Sexual Abuse

Rape and other forms of sexual exploitation and abuse of women has been one of the primary focuses of Russell’s research and writings. In her book, The Politics of Rape (1975) Russell suggested that rape was a display of socially defined perceptions of masculinity instead of deviant social behavior. Her other books in this area are Rape in Marriage(1982), Sexual Exploitation: Rape, Child Sexual Abuse, and Workplace Harassment (1984). In 1986, Russell published the The Secret Trauma: Incest in the Lives of Girls and Women (1986). It was one of the first scientific research study of incestuous sexual abuse to be published. For it she received the C.Wright Mills Award in 1986. In 1993, she edited an anthology on pornography, Making Violence Sexy: Feminist Views on Pornography. Her 1994 book, Against Pornography: The Evidence of Harm which includes 100 pornographic photos, was a study establishing how pornography encourages men to rape and leads to increased incidents of rape.