In 1987 and 1988, Dr. Diana Russell journeyed from the United States to the land of her birth to learn about the special role of women in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. The fruit of her research is this extraordinary book: the first hand accounts, in their own words, of 24 courageous risk-taking women activists (portraits included). These are not only world-famous leaders like Winnie Mandela and Albertina Sisulu (although their stories are included in the book) but ordinary women who were trade unionists, members of radical organizations, student activists -- black and white, African, Indian and Coloured, young and old.

"Lives of Courage: Women for a New South Africa" compellingly dramatizes the little-known role of women who fought apartheid and its cruel apparatus -- banning, banishment, house arrest, imprisonment, and torture -- even as they strove to keep together their beleaguered families. With rare candor, they speak of the price they and families paid for their activism, of the difficulties of being a woman in a racist and sexist society, of the terrors they had endured, and of the dreams they nourished of a new South Africa. The fighting spirit of these women, their courage and conviction in the face of a modern state's vindictiveness, shines from every page of this inspiring book.

"This is a groundbreaking contribution to the literature of sexual assault and family violence." Susan Brownmiller

" Russell] has done a superb study which yields comprehensive and undeniable findings about a subject no one had even whispered about before... a classic work." Phyllis Chesler

One out of seven American women who have ever been married has been raped by a husband or ex-husband. Written by the principal investigator for the National Institute of Mental Health study that discovered this shocking statistic, this book is a monumental, eye-opening work that dispels misinformation and illusions about a previously ignored aspect of family violence."

?The authors clearly document the nee for special techniques when interviewing about sensitive sexual issues, and their defense of Russell?s prevalence rates is convincing. Readers will gain an understanding of the impact of research methods on results and the interplay of political agendas and research interests. Extensive references as well as clear tables and figures. Highly recommended for academic collections.? ?Choice ?This is a fascinating book which will have wide appeal to academicians and scholars in the field. Dr. Russell?s outstanding reputation in the field should sell any book and this book is another example of her excellent work. . . . I offer my highest praises for this book and believe it will become an instant ?classic?.? ?Helen M. Eigenberg, Ph.D., Professor and Director of the School of Social and Community Services This long-awaited follow-up to Diana Russell''s landmark 1984 book Sexual Exploitation examines the many ? and often conflicting ? findings of studies that have since been conducted on the incidence and prevalence of rape and child sexual abuse in the United States. The wide variation in prevalence rates obtained by these studies ? for example, rape rates ranging from 2.6% to 44% ? has led many hostile critics to attack the high rates as misleading and alarmist. Diana E. H. Russell and Rebecca M. Bolen''s careful evaluation of 14 government- and privately-funded studies (including Russell''s own) provides a definitive statement on the realities concerning the prevalence of rape and child sexual abuse. Their evaluations consider the various definitions researchers have used for rape and child sexual assault, as well as their methodologies for collecting data. The authors also address in particular the sexual victimization statistics reported by two important U.S. government agencies, the FBI and the Bureau of Justice Statistics, both of which have reported relatively low incidence rates. This book also addresses the widely-publicized backlash criticism ? from both anti-feminists and a new breed of feminist critics ? claiming that high sexual assault rates are greatly exaggerated. Armed with the belief that accurate information about the magnitude of sexual assault in society is vital to the theory, prevention, and treatment of these crimes, the authors have produced a ground-breaking resource that is a must-read book for those who study, educate about, and help the women and girls who are victims of sexual assault.

Diana E. H. Russell, well-known for her pioneer research on the prevalence of rape and child sexual abuse, the reality of wife rape, the trauma of incestuous abuse, and the misogynist killing of women (femicide), breaks new ground once again in her analysis of pornography and its relationship with misogyny and rape. In this unflinching and uncompromising volume, Diana E. H. Russell examines the relationships between pornography, misogyny, and rape. As the title implies, Russell contends that these relationships are in fact dangerous to women. Dangerous Relationships begins by dealing with the vexing and thorny issue of defining pornography and considers the various types of pornographic materials that are commonly available. Russell turns to the notion that hatred of women is a predominate aspect of pornography and that racist undercurrents are often exploited in visual pornography of all types. She examines the conception of pornography as a cause of rape and provides a rich body of statistical evidence supporting the relationship. Dangerous Relationships argues forcefully that pornography indeed has victims and is a call to arms against the misogyny it engenders. Because pornography is increasingly accessible through the Internet, CD ROMs, digital cameras, and new technology, Dangerous Relationships will be important to scholars in the fields of violence against women, child abuse, interpersonal violence, deviant psychology, sociology, and criminal justice.

"The Secret Trauma" remains the definitive argument for the overwhelming prevalence of incestuous abuse. Based on findings about San Francisco, the book makes a persuasive case for an epidemic of abuse on a national scale. In her nuanced and sophisticated analysis, Russell carefully explores the complex variables of incestuous abuse: the changing incidence of abuse over time, the severity of th abuse, the victim's age, factors of class, race, and ethnicity, and long term effects on victims.In a new introduction to the revised edition, Russell takes on the most important issue to arise in the field since the book was originally published in 1986: the serious backlash that followed the outpouring of reports by victims/survivors, and the controversy over false accusations and "false memories."

In every field there are a few conceptual thinkers who are able to compile what is known about a subject in ways that advance us to the next level of knowledge. Diana Russell is such a scholar, and this book represents such a step. By presenting the findings from her own ground-breaking research on the prevalence of rape and child sexual abuse in the context of the major causative theories of our time, she has provided an unparalleled synthesis of the magnitude and causes of sexual exploitation. This book represents an eloquent diagnosis of an untreated societal disease of epidemic proportions. --Kee MacFarlane, Director, Child Sexual Abuse Diagnostic Center, Children's Institute International, Los Angeles "The discussion . . . on the causes of child sexual abuse is the best I have seen. It is clear that this abuse is going to occupy considerably more attention than it has done previously. Russell's analysis should establish itself as an essential source for all who work in the area, or think about it." --Annual Survey of Family Law "Offers (along with an extensive review of the literature on all three forms of exploitation and a feminist critique of non-feminist work in the field) . . . a substantial and fascinating body of information about women's experience of rape and sexual abuse. . . . Well worth reading." --The Women's Review of Books "Challenges us to face the fact that this culture's notion of masculinity--particularly as it is applied to sexuality--predisposes men to violence, to rape, to sexual harassment, and to the sexual abuse of children. . . . Russell establishes sexual victimization as a unitary phenomenon with several interrelated manifestations that are linked by their causal commonalities. This, in itself, is a new and important contribution to our understanding of the problem. However, Russell does not stop here. She uses this perspective to illuminate a primary causal factor that cuts to the core of sexual abuse--a factor that, as a society, we are reluctant to see--perhaps because its implications are too threatening to the current social order." --Response "A powerful statement on the truly epidemic proportions of rape and other forms of sexual exploitation." --Lynda Lytle Holmstrom, Professor of Sociology, Boston College "Diana E.H. Russell's superb analysis of empirical research on several forms of sexual exploitation is as insightful as it is comprehensive. Including the important new information from her own unparalleled study, Russell's critical synthesis doubles as a reference update and a stimulating yet balanced contribution to the debate on sexuality and violence." --Catharine A. MacKinnon, Associate Professor, University of Minnesota Law School "An impressive reference book for students new to the subject area of sexual exploitation and its prevalence and incidence. . . . Diana Russell's book is important. It provides a basis from which I hope, others will start to analyze the links between sexual exploitation and patriarchal attitudes in our society. In the process, many of the myths surrounding sexual exploitation may be shattered once and for all." --Youth & Policy "Because of all the literature she has integrated, Russell's book is an invaluable resource. Her survey on sexual assault is the best that's been done. With this book, the impressive findings from that survey are finally available to the public and professionals. Russell convincingly shows that sexual exploitation occurs in mammoth proportions, and she presents the first hard data to answer dozens of questions that up until now have only been the subject of heated debate. This is a giant step forward in our accumulation of knowledge about rape, sexual abuse, and sexual harassment." --David Finkelhor, University of New Hampshire