1. Mary Gaitskill believes that it is important for victims of sexual violence to face their feelings about being victimized. She discusses her own rape experiences to help support her conclusions. How does her use of personal testimony influence your opinion of her viewpoint? Are you persuaded by her argument? Why or why not?
2. Carol Tavris asserts that therapists and self-help books for incest survivors have caused many adults to wrongly conclude that they were sexually abused as children. Lisa Sigler refutes Tavris’s contentions, arguing that the problem of sexual violence against women and children has reached epidemic proportions. Which viewpoint do you most strongly agree with, and why?
3. Abbe Smith argues that expert testimony on battered woman syndrome should be allowed at jury trials involving women accused of killing their abusive husbands. Michael Weiss and Cathy Young contend that the existence of self-defense laws...