This book investigates how organizations and communities manage the emotional and logistical labor required to support victims of sexual assault. Patricia Yancey Martin, a sociologist specializing in gender and organizational behavior, utilizes extensive field research to analyze the institutional responses to rape. She argues that the work performed by advocates, police, and medical personnel is deeply gendered and often constrained by bureaucratic structures that prioritize procedural efficiency over victim-centered care.

Experts in sociology and gender studies recognize this work as a foundational text for understanding the institutionalization of rape crisis services. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the rigorous sociological methodology applied to sensitive subject matter.