THIS ANALYSIS OF RAPE EXPLAINS ITS WIDESPREAD EXISTENCE AS AN OUTCOME OF A PATRIARCHAL SOCIAL STRUCTURE. RAPE PREVENTION THUS CALLS FOR FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WOMEN AND MEN. THE FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO WOMEN'S VULNERABILITY TO RAPE ARE LACK OF INFORMATION ABOUT AND UNDERSTANDING OF RAPE; WOMEN'S SUBORDINATE RELATIONSHIP TO MEN; WOMEN'S SOCIALLY REINFORCED PHYSICAL WEAKNESS AND PASSIVITY; WOMEN'S ISOLATION FROM OTHER WOMEN; AND WOMEN'S ISOLATION IN THE COMMUNITY. PREVENTING RAPES MEANS MORE THAN REDUCING THE INCIDENCE OF RAPE OR PROVIDING SECURITY FOR SOME WOMEN. PREVENTION MEANS ELIMINATING RAPE SO THAT ALL WOMEN WILL BE FREE FROM THE THREAT OF ASSAULT. STRATEGIES WHICH ALL WOMEN CAN IMPLEMENT TO REDUCE THEIR VULNERABILITY TO RAPE INCLUDE REDEFINING RAPE IN TERMS OF SHARED KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE AND MAKING RAPE A PUBLIC ISSUE; CHANGING THE POWER-DEPENDENCE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN A PATRIARCHAL CULTURE; DEVELOPING PHYSICAL STRENGTH AND SKILLS; ASSERTING FEMINIST RIGHTS; LEARNING TO RECOGNIZE FEMINIST POWER AS A GROUP; ORGANIZING FOR COMMON DEFENSE IN NEIGHBORHOODS; AND MAKING WOMEN'S SAFETY A COMMUNITY PROJECT. PHOTOGRAPHS ILLUSTRATE THE BOOKLET. (MJW)