Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Alisa Kessel argues that preventing sexual violence requires confronting rape as a political act rather than a natural sexual impulse, miscommunication, or ethical failure. She asserts that rape culture identifies who is dominable and who holds dominance, reinforcing hierarchies of race, gender, sexuality, and class. In the United States, sexual violence functions as a deliberate tactic to maintain and embolden these social structures. Kessel offers an intersectional analysis, revealing how rape culture evolves to discipline groups that challenge the sociopolitical order. She highlights how the myths and practices of this culture ensure sexual violence persists as a reliable technique of political domination. With an ambitious and original approach, Kessel exposes the deeply entrenched systems that perpetuate sexual violence.</jats:p>