However, despite an encouraging decline in the overall incidence of rape from 1993 to 2002, rape remains a widespread and serious problem in the United States. According to the Rape,Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN), every six minutes a rape or attempted rape takes place somewhere in America. For sexual assault—a broader category that the U.S. Department of Justice uses to classify rape, attempted rape, and other violent felonies that fall short of rape—the estimated frequency is every two minutes. And the group at greatest risk for rape and sexual assault is teenagers, especially teenage girls.

Rape is a topic that makes many people of all ages uncomfortable. Few people think of themselves as potential rape victims, and even fewer consider themselves capable of the rape of another. The natural reluctance to talk about the issue and the widespread existence of mistaken ideas about...