Chapter 9: Sexual Vulnerability of Boys
Chapter 9 deals with the sexual vulnerability of boys. The sexual vulnerability of boys is being particularly preoccupied in the 20th and 21st centuries, as compared to the 19th century. Freedman states, "Social reformers have questioned the long-standing Anglo-American conception of rape as a heterosexual act (168)." As such, only girls were used as victims of rape in the 19th century.
The topic that appears in this chapter is the metamorphosis of rape within society and the realization of the insecurity of boys. The motif that transcends the whole segment is the child's sexuality. The protection of the sexuality of the boy child is a milestone in widening the global definition of rape and the gender neutrality in addressing the issue of rape. The fundamental question that arises from the chapter goes, what is the trigger event or issue that led to the inclusion of the boy child as a potential victim of rape in a heterosexual society?
Chapter 11: After Suffrage
Chapter 11 in the book is titled After Suffrage. The section enables one to have an understanding of the legal basis for the prosecution of rape. The post 19th amendment has led to reforms in the judicial system that further resulted in women constituting jurists. According to Freedman, "critics of men’s 'marital rights' urged husbands to be considerate lest they undermine the possibilities for intimacy and 'sexual harmony' (227)." After the suffrage, there has been active advocacy about women's sexuality and the reproductive rights of many women in society. Having women in positions of decision-making is a significant step to institutionalizing their sexual rights and redefining rape as an offense. The question that arises is, when was rape viewed as a capital offense?
Works Cited
Freedman, Estelle B. Redefining Rape: Sexual Violence in the Era of Suffrage and Segregation. , 2013. Internet resource.
Freedman, Estelle B. Redefining Rape: Sexual Violence in the Era of Suffrage and Segregation. Place of publication not identified: Harvard Univ Press, 2015. Print.
