Examines the development of statutory rape laws in the United States. The first book-length study of American statutory rape laws, Jailbait investigates the double-edged nature of legislation aimed at both protecting and punishing adolescent sexuality. Carolyn 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.

THE STORY: Through the course of one dizzying night at a club, JAILBAIT follows the parallel stories of two fifteen-year-old girls, desperate to grow up, and two thirty-something men who are looking to be twenty-one again. High-school sophomores Cl

2005 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title The first book-length study of American statutory rape laws, Jailbait investigates the double-edged nature of legislation aimed at both protecting and punishing adolescent sexuality. Carolyn 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.

Emily, a maturing teenage girl, lives in a small town in the hills of West Virginia. Her dad is a coal miner and money is scarce in their family. In fact, the entire town suffers for the same reason - a lack of money and just enough to make it from paycheck to paycheck. Being born into a family of poverty has caused Emily to be bitter with her family. She's so self-conscious of being poor that she actually becomes ashamed of her family and her home. She constantly daydreams of running away from home in hopes of finding a wealthy life. One morning Emily has a terrible fight with her mother. She leaves out the door in a rage without saying goodbye. On her way to school, as she approaches the forks in the road, she decides to run away from home. This decision drastically changes Emily's life... She finds herself a prisoner in a world of torture and sexual abuse with a constant desire to go back home, only to realize she is someone's ""jailbait."" Can Emily get herself out of this mess and come back home?

Andrea Robin Kaplan is a clique unto herself. In other words, she has no friends. Her only goal is get through high school with the least amount of humiliation possible, which should be easy— nothing ever happens in the suburbs, right? Wrong. One day, as Andi walks home from school, a little brown VW drives up and she meets Frank. Frank makes her feel beautiful and special. With Frank, Andi forgets how alone she is. From boundary breaking author Lesléa Newman comes a haunting story about a girl who is all alone, and a man old enough to know better. From the Hardcover edition.

The collected edition of this sexy camp series, written as a tongue-in-cheek B-movie serial by Mystery Science Theaters 3000's Mary Jo Pehl, "Jailbait" follows the adventures of an all-female undercover organization looking to hunt down predatory perverts by any means necessary and prevent children from becoming targets. It has been described as "To Catch a Predator" meets "Charlie’s Angels" meets Ed Wood’s "The Violent Years." Those who are big fans of MST3K will love this series!