THE 1975 PUBLICATION OF SUSAN BROWNMILLER'S AGAINST OUT WILL, THE MAJOR FEMINIST STATEMENT TO DATE ON THIS CRIME, BROUGHT THE SUBJECT OF RAPE INTO NATIONAL PROMINENCE. ITS THESIS, THAT RAPE IS 'A CONSCIOUS PROCESS OF INTIMIDATION BY WHICH ALL MEN KEEP ALL WOMEN IN A STATE OF FEAR,' AND OTHER THEORIES PROFFERED BY FEMINIST WRITERS ON THE NATURE AND EFFECTS OF RAPE ARE DISCUSSED AT LENGTH. AMONG THE SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH IN THE FIELD, PATTERNS OF FORCIBLE RAPE BY MENACHEM AMIR IS REGARDED AS A LANDMARK STATISTICAL STUDY. THE CONCEPT OF 'VICTIMPRECIPITATION' OR VICTIM VULNERABILITY AS TREATED BY AMIR AND IN OTHER WORKS IS EXAMINED. AREAS IN WHICH FURTHER EXPLORATION IS CALLED FOR INCLUDE: (1) GENERAL CORRELATES OF REPORTED RAPE; (2) VICTIM-RELATED RESEARCH; (3) STUDIES ON RAPE OFFENDERS; (4) CROSSCULTURAL WORK, INCLUDING ANTHROPOLOGICAL RESEARCH; AND (5) LEGAL MATTERS. EXISTING STUDIES ON EACH OF THESE ASPECTS ARE SUMMARIZED. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED.