Rape by Acquiescence

Abstract

In this article, the author examines women's processes of acquiescence to unwanted sex in marriage. Through analyses of 41 interviews with women who have experienced some form of unwanted sex in a marital or long-term intimate relationship, the author uncovers five types of acquiescence to unwanted sex and discusses the conditions under which women adopt a given type. This research extends Finkelhor and Yllo's nonphysical types of coercion to better understand the contexts in which women experience unwanted sex in marriage. It is argued that the processes and consequences of “giving in” to unwanted sex with an intimate have not been given as much scholarly attention as other forms of forced sex that have traditionally been identified as rape.