NCJ Number
115351
Date Published
1982
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This chapter uses anecdotal and statistical data to expose the underlying foundations and refute six common myths about rape.
Abstract
The popular theory that rapists are insane is not borne out by research. Studies indicate that sex offenders do not constitute a unique psychopathological type, nor are they as a group invariably more disturbed than the control groups to which they have been compared. Another myth is that all men would rape if it were not for learned social controls. However, rape is not universal to the human species, most rapes are planned rather than an impulsive loss of control and can be viewed as extensions of learned sex-role stereotypes. That women secretly desire and enjoy rape is another myth associated with cultural stereotypes about male dominance and female passivity. The proposition that much rape is provoked by the victim also is a myth: Only 4 percent of reported rapes involved any precipitative behavior by the victim. In our culture, male eroticism is wedded to power. In rape, there is a combination of sex and aggression that are the basic elements of heterosexual relationships. Finally, the system of sexual values from which chivalry is derived celebrates male sexual dominance, justifies the rape of the 'unchaste' victim, and makes women perfect victims of sexual aggression. Rape is one of the most brutal uses of sex to dominate women. It has its roots in a patriarchal society and will not be eliminated until patriarchy ends.