ABSTRACT
One major philosophical question investigated was the wrongness of rape. I argued that rape is specifically a violation of sexual self-determination, and that the seriousness of the act should be measured in terms of the degree of trauma caused to the victim. This involves, particularly, not simply treating rape as another physical assault. In terms of the discussion in the rest of the book, this conclusion points towards more investigation of the degree of trauma inflicted on the ‘hidden’ victims, that is, those women seen as rape victims by investigators on the basis of their questionnaire responses but who do not report the event to the police or a counselling service. This research could also be extended to victims of ‘hidden’ attempted rape, pressurised sex, unwilling lesser contacts, etc., and also to male ‘victims’ of similar acts. Once this is carried out we will have a clearer picture of whether the researchers discussed in Chapter 3 are discovering a concealed well of misery or inferring assaults from ambiguous answers or something in between. This should also inform legislation on sexual assault: the more an act is usually traumatic the more the law should try to protect people from it.
