Handbook on the Study of Multiple Perpetrator Rape — A Multidisciplinary Response to an International Problem

Whilst there is considerable literature on rape from various perspectives, there is very little that focuses on rape committed by multiple perpetrators (also referred to as group or gang rape). For the first time, this handbook brings together international multi-disciplinary perspectives on multiple perpetrator rape.

The book is organised to provide readers with a comprehensive account of the thinking, theorising and empirical evidence on multiple perpetrator rape to date. Aspects covered include: different contexts in which multiple perpetrator rape occurs such as gangs, war, fraternities, South Africa; experiences of women and girls as victims and perpetrators; offence characteristics such as leadership and role taking, aggression and violence; the importance of group size; the prosecution of and treatment of offenders; and approaches to prevention.

The contributions to this collection are written by leading academics and practitioners from a variety of disciplines who bring together research and practice on multiple perpetrator rape by presenting new data from a strong theoretical and contextual base. This book will be a key text for students and academics studying multiple perpetrator rape and an essential reference tool for professionals working in the field including police officers, educationalists, forensic psychologists, youth workers, probation staff, lawyers, judges and policy makers.

Miranda A.H. Horvath Ph.D. is the David Jenkins Chair in Forensic and Legal Medicine (2012-2013) and a Senior Lecturer in Forensic Psychology at Middlesex University, where she is also Deputy Director of Forensic Psychological Services. Miranda’s research focuses on sexual violence and violence against women. She has worked on many aspects of these topics both as a researcher and evaluator. She has published over 35 journal articles, chapters and reports and was co-editor of the collection Rape: Challenging Contemporary Thinking (Willan, 2009). Miranda is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Sexual Aggression and member of the Editorial Board of Women’s Studies International Forum.

Jessica Woodhams Ph.D. is a Forensic Psychologist and a Senior Lecturer in Forensic Psychology at the University of Birmingham, UK. She has been researching sexual offending (including multiple perpetrator rape) for the last ten years. She has written more than 20 journal articles and book chapters on sexual offending and she has been awarded several research grants on the topic. Her research on multiple perpetrator rape has included the use of violence and aggression by offenders, leadership and victims’ behaviours. In 2010, she received an award from the European Association for Psychology and Law for her early career achievement.