The acknowledgement of sexual violence as a major
social problem occurred relatively late in our country’s
history, emerging during the 1960s and 1970s. This was
largely due to the efforts of the anti-rape movement which
was born out of the civil rights and feminist movements
(Bevacqua, 2000). Since that time, advocates have achieved
numerous, far- reaching milestones to make the problem of
sexual violence more visible. Major and positive shifts have
occurred in the way our society responds to and views sexual
violence (Gavey, 2005). Such shifts include: increased public
awareness of the problem, many more services for survivors,
widespread legislative reform, additional research and funding
to understand the issue, and implementation of prevention
education in communities across the country.