Jailbait
Subtitle: The Politics of Statutory Rape Laws in the United States
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Published: May 2004
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 256
ISBN-13: 9780791459065
Subjects: Criminal law; Political science & theory; United States; Politics/International Relations; Legal Reference / Law Profession; Political Science; Teenagers; USA; Public Policy - Social Policy; Criminal Law - General; Government policy; United States - 20th Century; Marriage; Sexual behavior; Statutory rape
Description: "Jailbait investigates the double-edged nature of legislation aimed at both protecting and punishing adolescent sexuality. Carolyn E. Cocca explores how, throughout the history of the United States, the regulation of sexual behavior was seized upon as a means to alleviate larger problems, be they moral, social, political, or economic. Feminists, religious conservatives, and legislators, each with their own agendas, have at times both conflicted and cooperated over legislation, leading to uneasy compromises that play out in the ways in which the laws are implemented today. Using both detailed case studies and quantitative analysis, Jailbait examines important changes made to statutory rape laws since the 1970s, including prosecutions under the laws. Among the more surprising findings is that changes to statutory rape laws were sometimes made in opposition to prevailing public opinion, contrary to previous studies that have asserted morality policy is especially responsive to public opinion."--BOOK JACKET.