I was glad to get a chance to see this book in physical form. I had a hard time with the ebook for some reason, but the physical book was exactly what I was hoping for. It would be a great read for teens interested in the topic and mature enough to handle it. (If they are mature enough to have sex, they are mature enough to read this book). I will for sure be adding it to my high school library's collection.

American's don't like rape. According to this book, they don't like it so much they try their hardest to belittle it when it happens. Keyser breaks down why she believes this is so by scrutinizing rape culture in the United States. People dismiss rape because it gives them a sense of security that it won’t happen to them or anyone they know because the victim must have been at fault. Another reason is they simply refuse to see a person that they know in a bad light… I had an abuser and my family didn’t believe me because he was so nice to them that I must be making it all up. People also choose to believe that unless it is evidently clear that the rape was an extremely violent encounter then it must not be true. This is simply not always the case

Here are some statistics I found disheartening.
1 and 5 women and 1 and 71 men will be raped during their lifetime.
In 2014 Dorothy Espelage, a professor of Psychology at University of Florida Gainsville found that
- 25% of middle-school girls experience sexual harassment
- That number rose to 68% for high school

I related very much to many of the actions women take to be vigilant. We accept a baseline fear that we could be harassed or assaulted. I also love the #metoo movement because it gave women and girls the push they needed to speak up about their experiences and know they are not alone. I become very angry when people try to belittle it. Other experiences I have had in my life growing up... people have told me it is just boys being boys and if he teases or torments you it means he likes you. I have learned to be a nice girl so when I would use my passive voice my rejections were not taken seriously and often found myself in less than desired situations. Being assertive often meant bodily harm or gaining a stalker.

What this short book does that I don't often see from random conversations on the internet is it offers up solutions to the problem. The last chapter contains a lot of useful information on how to start the process of deconstructing rape culture. Not wanting to be raped is not a hate message to men. I don't know why some men feel this way. I am married to one and not once has he ever been inappropriate.

*I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity.