BECAUSE STUDIES VARY WIDELY ON MOST RAPE ISSUES. THIS STUDY SUGGESTS THAT DIFFERENCES IN VIEWPOINTS MAY BE DUE TO THE TYPE OF SEXUAL ASSAULT STUDIED, THE AGE OF THE VICTIMS STUDIED, THE DEFINITIONS OF RAPE, THE SOURCE OF SAMPLE SELECTION, REPORTED VERSUS UNREPORTED CASES, AND LACK OF CONTROL GROUPS AND FOLLOWUP STUDIES. FORCIBLE RAPE, INCEST, AND CHILD SEXUAL ASSAULTS, AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RAPE VICTIM BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE RAPE ARE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF THESE QUESTIONS: WHO IS THE RAPE VICTIM? WHAT DEMOGRAPHIC FEATURES, FAMILY AND SOCIAL BACKGROUND, PERSONALITY, SEXUAL, AND BEHAVIORAL CHARACTERISTICS PREDISPOSE ONE TO A HIGH RISK FOR RAPE? IS THE RAPE VICTIM A VIRGIN? IS THE VICTIM IN ANY WAY RESPONSIBLE FOR HER PREDICAMENT? WHAT HAPPENS TO THE VICTIM WHO REPORTS THE CASE, AND THOSE WHO DO NOT? ARE THERE LONG-TERM PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF RAPE? A MAJOR FINDING OF THIS ANALYSIS IS THAT RAPE IS VERY SIMILAR TO ALL OTHER CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS. THE VICTIM POPULATION IS DEMOGRAPHICALLY LIKE OTHER VICTIMS OF SERIOUS CRIMES, AS ARE THE PROFILE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OFFENDER AND THE HIGH RISK SETTING. HOWEVER, RAPE IS THE ONLY VIOLENT CRIME IN WHICH THE SURVIVING VICTIM IS THOUGHT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENED TO HER. BECAUSE OF THIS ATTITUDE, A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE RAPE VICTIM MUST BE DEVELOPED. FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND PROFESSIONALS MUST HELP THE VICTIM OVERCOME HER TRAUMA AS THEY WOULD ANY OTHER VICTIM OF VIOLENCE BECAUSE MOST RAPE VICTIMS DEVELOP PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS FOLLOWING A RAPE. CRISIS INTERVENTION AND SHORT-TERM COUNSELING HAVE BEEN PARTICULARLY EFFECTIVE IN HELPING THE RAPE VICTIM. ALL CHILDREN ARE HIGH RISK FOR SOME FORM OF ADULT SEXUAL ABUSE, ESPECIALLY AMONG THE POOR AND MINORITY GROUPS. FORCIBLE RAPE, CHILD SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND INCEST ARE SERIOUS SOCIAL CRIMES THAT NEED PUBLIC ATTENTION AND UNDERSTANDING TO PROMOTE SERIOUS EFFORTS AT PREVENTION. RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MADE AS TO LEGAL REFORMS, TREATMENT, PREVENTION, AND FURTHER STUDY. TABLES SUPPLEMENT THE TEXT. (MHP)