NCJ Number
105033
Date Published
1984
Length
19 pages
Annotation
It is men who rape, who commit incest, who go to prostitutes, and who 'man' the control system: it is women who are the victims of rape, incest, child abuse, and pornography.
Abstract
From a social interactionist perspective, sex may be used to establish power in a relationship. Rape presents the clearest example of this. It is not simply a drive that erupts, but a social conduct used for social and psychic ends. Research conducted in the 1970's repeatedly found that rape has no simple sexual meaning to the offender. Like consensual sex, rape may be used to resolve personal problems, as an affirmation of self, as a challenge to authority, or a ratifier of solidarity. Other uses include as a means of gain, as a form of adult play, as a duty or habit, or as an expression of hostility and aggression. Two theses put forth to explain rape hold that it is a logical extension of the traditional male sex role or that men rape because their masculinity is at risk. In either case, rape is linked to the issue of male power and functions at both the individual and collective level as a means of keeping women in their place. These themes of male power and its relation to aggression are particularly evident in prison rape in which what otherwise would be viewed as a homosexual act is a means of asserting dominance and a form of scapegoating. 15 notes.