Women's History Resources: Criminal Justice

The line between sexual consent and sexual coercion is not always as clear as it seems -- and according to Harry Brod, this is exactly why we should approach our sexual interactions with great care. Brod, a professor of philosophy and leader in the pro-feminist men's movement, offers a unique take on the problem of sexual assault, one that complicates the issue even as it clarifies the bottom-line principle that consent must always be explicitly granted, never simply assumed.

The MeToo movement has shined much-needed light on the pervasiveness of sexual harassment and abuse and created unprecedented demand for gender violence prevention models that actually work. The Bystander Moment tells the story of one of the most prominent and proven of these models - the innovative bystander approach developed by pioneering scholar and activist Jackson Katz and his colleagues at Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society in the 1990s. Drawing on examples from news and entertainment media throughout, Katz introduces the basic ideas and pedagogical practices that inform the bystander approach, which has now been implemented across the professional and college sports culture, in all branches of the US military, and in a growing number of corporate and other institutional settings.

How did date rape shift from a "shockingly frequentoutrage," as Newsweek once called it, to a controversy over "crying rape," as New York Magazine later labeled it? Academy award-winning screenwriter Callie Khouri (Thelma & Louise) guides us through complicated intersections of gender, sex, power and violence, while Susan Faludi, bell hooks, and others expose this shift as a classic case of media "backlash" against women's autonomy.

IT WAS RAPE gives human faces and voices to statistics, breaking through the silence, denial and victim blaming that allow an epidemic to thrive. Eight women of different backgrounds, ages and ethnicities relate personal stories of surviving sexual assault in their younger years, as well as their struggles toward healing, empowerment, and finally speaking ou

In this provocative presentation, Anne Munch, a career prosecutor and advocate for victims of gender violence, examines how cultural attitudes shape the outcomes of rape and sexual assault cases. Drawing on years of experience prosecuting sex crimes, Munch shows how rape cases often turn on the involvement of an "unnamed conspirator" -- the complex of myths and stories we tell ourselves as a culture about sex, gender, power, and responsibility.

Rape is the most underreported crime in America. One in six victims of sexual assault are under the age of twelve. Pre-teen and teen victims are often silenced by fear, shame, guilt, and threats of reprisal. Talk to Me allows five brave young women to speak directly about their painful experiences of sexual violence. The film will be a catalyst for dialogue between students, parents, teachers and counselors.

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV)'s mission is to lead, mobilize and raise our voices to support efforts that demand a change of conditions that lead to domestic violence such as patriarchy, privilege, racism, sexism, and classism. We are dedicated to supporting survivors and holding offenders accountable and supporting advocates.

Established in 1972, the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) is a federally funded resource offering justice and drug-related information to support research, policy, and program development worldwide.

The National Human Trafficking Hotline connects victims and survivors of sex and labor trafficking with services and supports to get help and stay safe. The National Hotline also receives tips about potential situations of sex and labor trafficking and facilitates reporting that information to the appropriate authorities in certain cases.

The non-profit, non-partisan Prison Policy Initiative produces cutting edge research to expose the broader harm of mass criminalization, and then sparks advocacy campaigns to create a more just society.

RAINN is the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization. RAINN created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE) in partnership with more than 1,000 local sexual assault service providers across the country and operates the DoD Safe Helpline for the Department of Defense. RAINN also carries out programs to prevent sexual violence, help survivors, and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.

The U.S. Sentencing Commission is an independent agency in the judicial branch of government created by the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984. Congress enacted the SRA in response to widespread disparity in federal sentencing, ushering in a new era of federal sentencing through the creation of the Commission and the promulgation of federal sentencing guidelines.

The Violence Policy Center (VPC) is a national nonprofit educational organization that conducts research and public education on violence in America and provides information and analysis to policymakers, journalists,
advocates, and the general public.

Everyday, women and girls around the world face violence and discrimination. 1 in 3 women will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, regardless of age, background or country, and every country in the world has laws that treat women and girls as second-class citizens. Sexual exploitation, violence, harmful cultural practices and systemic inequalities violate their human rights and prevent them from reaching their potential.