Forced Sexual Intercourse in Intimate Relationships

Forced sexual intercourse has gained steadily in importance as the status of women in our society has increased. The confusion and lack of clarity in definition, including the inability to establish a clear set of types or clear boundaries around the phenomenon, is extensive and political. The rhetoric, intensity, and lack of specificity and accuracy in research and stated positions work to the disadvantage of the women who are the victims in most of the incidents in which forced sexual intercourse is alleged and in many of incidents in which force is used to gain sexual intercourse - but is not labeled as inappropriate or unacceptable.