Rape is a crime of violence and sexual assault typically committed by men motivated by rage and a sense of powerlessness. Rape is a means of demeaning and degrading a woman while exercising power over her. All women are at risk for rape, but there are protective steps that can reduce the likelihood of being raped. Protective steps in the home include the installation of strong locks on all doors and windows, lowering shades at dusk, listing one's last name and first initial in the phone book, and not letting anyone in your residence about whom you have doubts or uneasy feelings. Protective measures outside the home include ignoring men who give unwanted attention, walking near the curb, walking purposefully, being careful with men who are overly friendly, not hitchhiking, and not attracting attention through appearance when anticipating walking alone in deserted areas. Suggestions are also offered for how to deal with a potential attacker so as to avoid being raped. Recommendations for what to do if raped are to go directly to a hospital or a rape crisis center for a physical examination, a pregnancy test, a test for sexually transmitted diseases, and the collection of physical evidence, followed by help in dealing with emotional reactions to the attack. The stages of recovery from a rape are profiled.