THE DISCUSSION FOCUSES ON RAPE AS AN ASSAULT RATHER THAN PRIMARILY A SEXUAL ACT. IT IS NOTED THAT, ALTHOUGH MUCH OF THE LITERATURE FOCUSES ON STUDIES OF RAPE IN URBAN AREAS, WOMEN OF ALL AGES IN ALL ENVIRONMENTS ARE AT RISK. RAPE IS NOT AN URBAN CRIME, ALTHOUGH WOMEN IN URBAN AREAS SHOW A GREATER WILLINGNESS TO REPORT THE CRIME. THE BIBLIOGRAPHY REPRESENTS A SAMPLING OF WORKS ON RAPE FROM THE TURN OF THE CENTURY THROUGH THE MID-1970'S. MATERIAL WRITTEN PRIOR TO THE 1920'S IS SAID TO SUGGEST A CURIOSITY ABOUT RAPE AND AN EXPRESSION OF MALE FEARS. FROM THE 1920'S THROUGH THE 1950'S, THE LITERATURE CENTERS ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MEDICAL EVIDENCE AND STANDARDS FOR DETERMINING WHETHER A RAPE HAS BEEN COMMITTED. THE 1960'S SAW A GROWING OPENNESS IN DISCUSSING THE EFFECTS OF RAPE ON VICTIMS, TOGETHER WITH MOUNTING ANGER AND ACTIVISM AMONG FEMINISTS. THE LITERATURE OF THE 1970'S DEMONSTRATES A CALL TO ACTION WITH REGARD TO ASSISTING RAPE VICTIMS. APPROXIMATELY 160 BOOKS AND ARTICLES ARE CITED.