Model and General Discussion of the Synthesized Theory (From Theories of Rape: Inquiries Into the Causes of Sexual Aggression, P 81-102, 1989, Lee Ellis -- See NCJ-118654)

• NCJ Number: 118659
• Author(s): L Ellis
• Date Published: 1989
• Length: 22 pages
• Sale Source: Hemisphere Publishing Corp
• Publication Type: Research (Theoretical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This chapter presents a synthesized theory of rape in graphic form -- drawing on the feminist, social learning, and evolutionary theories of rape -- and discusses how key concepts of the theory may be operationalized and incorporated into specific hypotheses for testing and contrasting its predictions with other theories of rape.

Abstract

The graph of the synthesized theory has a vertical axis showing population frequency for both males and females and a horizontal axis showing brain functioning patterns associated with a strong sex drive and a desire to possess and control multiple sex partners as well as with insensitivity to the suffering of others. A vertical line crossing graphs for both males and females indicates the forced copulation threshold. When the graph measurement is to the left of this line, there is no significant probability of forceful copulatory tactics. When the measurement is to the right of the line, the risk of rape progresses from low to high risk. The general guidelines presented for deriving and testing hypotheses from the theory are organized around the theory's key variables, which have been grouped into two classes called first and second order variables. The first-order variables consist of genetic and evolutionary variables, brain-functioning variables, hormonal variables, and the forced-copulation-threshold variables. The second-order variables consist of motivational and learning variables, individual-differences and racial variables, social stratification variables, and societal reaction variables.