The material is based on research that involved 278 women who had experienced sexual assault from an acquaintance. Of these women, 40 were raped by their husbands. Data on this subsample are reported in a separate chapter on marital rape. The first chapter introduces the problem of acquaintance rape and defines the key terms. Subsequent chapters focus on findings from interviews of the research participants. Four chapters address the nature of the assault, the survivors' response to the assault, and its impact on their lives. Following the chapter on marital rape, a chapter presents theoretical frameworks for understanding acquaintance rape. Legal aspects of acquaintance rape are discussed in another chapter. Two chapters focus on the recovery process from the perspectives of the therapist and the survivor. The final chapter presents recommendations for the prevention of acquaintance rape. The appendix includes a copy of the research instrument and materials that can be used in educational prevention programs. 166 references and a subject index