Public opinion leads society to believe in the stereotype of the "good woman - foreigner rapist". In reality, women are typically victims of known perpetrators. According to Catalano (as cited in Kappeler and Potter, 2005, p.43), of all rapes and sexual assaults, seventy percent of women were perpetrated by someone known to the victim; thirty percent were committed by strangers. When it comes to homicide, women are nine times more likely to be killed by a family member, a former or current lover, or an acquaintance. However, Alice Sebold's case actually played into the foreigner stereotype. Alice Sebold was beaten and raped when she was 18 at Syracuse University; the police officer told her that another girl was killed in the same place, making Alice "lucky" in comparison. Lucky is a memoir that tells Sebold's true story of her rape and the months following the ordeal. Alice mentions how she remembers the moments leading up to the rape, the act itself, and the months afterward. The rapist (unrecognized at the time, but later identified as Gregory Madison) threatened to kill Sebold if she screamed, but she did so anyway. Despite claiming to have a knife, he threw her to the ground and grabbed onto Alice's long hair. Sebold loses consciousness as the rapist slams her head into the hard concrete. As she wakes up, she looks him straight in the eyes, thinking about how he will die. During the rest of the rape, she willingly does everything she is commanded, even as she continues to beg for her life and her virginity. Over the next few months, Alice faces her friends and family, who look at her and treat her differently after the rape. He faces criticism from his family and fellow officials who question the act. Sebold deals with th...... middle of paper ......as with experienced violence. Lucky is inspiring that there are ways to improve the criminal justice system for rape victims. Police officers can be trained in the correct methods for obtaining an affidavit from a rape victim or how therapists should speak to a rape victim. Students can be coached on how to respond to a friend who has been a victim. Laws can be changed to clearly define rape and its punishments. Educating society about the effects of rape can change the entire criminal justice system. People must be willing to educate themselves and take a stand. If enough people fought for change, change could happen. Works Cited Kappeler, V. E. & Potter, G. W. (2005). The mythology of crime and criminal justice (4th ed.). Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press, Inc. Sebold, A. (2002). Lucky. Little, Brown and Company, Inc.