Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite

The ABC's of Sexual Assault by Michelle Ditton, RN, and Laurie A. Gray, JD, is a guide to the medical protocol and legalities following a sexual assault. The book covers everything from basic human anatomy and definitions of sexual assault to the response, reporting, and courtroom proceedings that occur in its aftermath. Detailed and comprehensive, despite its disclosure that it isn't all-encompassing, the scope of The ABC's of Sexual Assault seems to leave no stone unturned. It further aids professionals in law enforcement, the medical field, and in the legal practice in weeding out their own misconceptions and myths about what is and isn't possible, with a chapter of "Bunks" — the acknowledgement and re-education of several incorrect, but all too common, beliefs.

I found The ABC's of Sexual Assault to be immensely informative and extremely well assembled. Intelligently written, the guide presents a sensitive subject matter in a professional and easy to read and understand manner. As a layperson, this book opened my eyes to a topic I knew virtually nothing about, but did so in a way that invited every possibility to be explored. The use of real-life situations and stories — from both the perspective of the victim and the many professionals involved in a case —compel a reader to see not just the relevance of what is presented, but the necessity of knowing it. I would absolutely recommend Michelle Ditton, RN, and Laurie A. Gray, JD's The ABC's of Sexual Assault as a foundational guide, not just to professionals who deal with the subject matter, but to parents, school teachers, and anyone else who may need to have an understanding of everything associated with sexual assault.