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Abstract: 

Almost 30 years ago the author interviewed 40 women about their experiences of intimate partner sexual violence for a book, “Wife Rape: Understanding the Response of Survivors and Service Providers”. Marital rape was not a widely accepted concept at the time and many of the victims interviewed felt that they were “shuttled” between service providers because nobody knew what to do with their particular type of problem and did not receive adequate support from law enforcement or the service providers who they contacted. In the intervening years, there has been additional research in this area—but not nearly enough. In this article, Dr. Bergen addresses the current state of the law and research on intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV)—prevalence, understanding women’s experiences, sexual violence at the end of relationships, coerced viewing or participating in pornography, reproductive coercion, and support resources for victims.

Keywords: Interpersonal Sexual Violence (IPSV); Prevalence of Marital Rape; Sexual Violence at the End of Relationships; Reproductive Coercion; Health Consequences of IPSV

Affiliations:  1: Saint Joseph’s University.