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Understanding the Causes and Impacts of Rape in Society

This text explores the incidence, types, impacts, and causes of rape, including societal factors, genetic theories, and psychological reactions. It delves into statistics, recovery, and various theories such as Narcissistic Reactance and Sperm Wars.

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Understanding the Causes and Impacts of Rape in Society

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  1. Carroll Chapter 17Baumeister & Tice Chapter 9 Sex By Force

  2. Forcible Rape • Sexual intercourse with a non-consenting person obtained by force or threat of force • Statutory (varies by state) • Spousal • Historically not viewed as a crime or viewed as a property crime if committed by another

  3. Incidence of Rape • NHSLS - 22% women reported being forced to do something sexual by a man • 500,000 women sexually assaulted every year • 170,000 rapes • 140,000 attempted rapes • Every 3 minutes a woman is raped in US • US (reported) rates 13 X higher than Britain & 20 X higher than Japan

  4. Types of Rapes • Stranger rape (rare) • Rape by assailant previously unknown to the person • Vulnerable victims

  5. Types of Rapes • Acquaintance rape (most common) • Rape by known person • Date rape • Often follows consensual behavior • 1/4 of female students raped by senior year • 1/3 male students report committing rape • Alcohol & myths • He said - she said

  6. Types of Rapes (NHSLS) • 96% of rapes committed by person known to victim

  7. Class 03 (N = 104, Females = 74) • Have you ever forced someone to do something sexual against their will? • YES Male (6.9%) Female (14.9%) • Have you ever been forced to do something sexual against your will? • YES Male (17.2%) Female (37.8%) • Video • MSNBC: Stories of acquaintance rape

  8. Impacts of Rape: Resick (1993) • Rape Trauma Syndrome • 1. Acute/Disorganization (weeks-months) • PTSD (nightmares, unreality, physical Sx, flashbacks) • Affect (fear, anxiety, depression, guilt) • Adjustment( low SE, work, suicide, sexual functioning, drug abuse, trust) • 2. Reorganization (months-years) • Reorganization of views of self & world • Regain sense of personal security, control & self-esteem • Lingering fears & expression of anger

  9. Impacts of Rape: Resick (1993) • Variables impacting recovery • Poor prior mental health & life stressors -> worse • Internal Locus of Control -> worse recovery • ‘Pressing charges’ -> better recovery (SE) • Adequate social support -> better recovery • Reestablish trust & attachment with others • Meaning making -> better recovery

  10. Reaction Paper VIII: Causes of Rape • What do you think causes most rapes? Do you think a single underlying factor causes all rapes? If not what are the different factors involved? • PLEASE TURN THIS IN AFTER CLASS!

  11. Causes of Rape • Victim precipitated (blame the victim) • Rape fantasies, style of dress or behavior • Few rapes involve victim precipitation • What else? • Sex v. power

  12. Causes of Rape • Sex • Male desire for sex from unwilling females • Use aggression to express/obtain sex (date rape) • Sperm wars & Reactance theory • Power/Dominance/Hatred • Use sexuality to expression aggression • Sociocultural factors encourage a culture of rape • Teach men that rape/violence against women is OK • Feminist theory of rape

  13. Sperm Wars • Rape very common (& likely inherited) • 50% known societies viewed as common • ~1/10 reported • Rape common among other animals (Ducks, monkeys, insects) • Commonly results in pregnancy • Rape adaptive reproductive strategy • Ancestors who raped had more offspring • Passed on tendency to rape • Most humans alive had ancestors who raped

  14. Sperm Wars • Rape reproductive strategy for men • Men who are very unappealing to women • Men who are average and use rape as an additional strategy (also mate w/ consent) • On average rapists produces more children • Not w/o risk (injury, death, incarceration) • Most successful those who effectively weigh costs & benefits of rape & implement this strategy only when costs low and benefits high

  15. Sperm Wars • Why do so few men rape? • Genetic minority • All men desire rape but sanctions prevent benefits from outweighing costs • Support: Rape f increases in war (more men rape) • War may swing balance towards benefits • Few males to protect females • Unlikely to be caught • Consequences seem minor in face of constant death

  16. Narcissistic Reactance Theory • Why do so few men rape? • Not all are narcissists • People want to maintain freedom to do what they want to do • Reactance occurs if freedom is threatened • Increased interest in forbidden behavior (X) • Initiate behaviors to reassert freedom (do X) • Aggress against person limiting freedom

  17. Narcissistic Reactance Theory • Women refusing sex produces reactance • Increased interest • Do forbidden behavior (rape) • Ex-spouses, stalkers reassert their sexual freedom • Most rapes perpetrated by former lover • Goal is stake their claim, posses woman • Pleasure often minimal for rapist • Aggression (resistance increases injury)

  18. Narcissistic Reactance Theory • Problems • Sexual refusal common rape rare • Most men do not rape • Solution: Men who rape see refusal at threat to freedom • Those are likely to be narcissistic men

  19. Narcissistic Reactance Theory • Narcissism = self-love, self-importance, uniqueness, special • Narcissists feel: • Entitlement - they are owed adoration, success, & sex • Associated w/ perceiving refusal as limiting freedom • Exploitation - positive attitude of using others • Lack of empathy - don’t think about others • Rapists don’t know victims feelings (not considered)

  20. Narcissistic Reactance Theory • High N -> strong reactance & more likely to rape • Rapists high on N • Conceited, think victims like them, multitalented • Peer groups emphasize sex (conquests = status) • Video • MSNBC: Motives of rapists

  21. Rape Is About Power: Feminist Theory (Brownmiller, 1975) • Rape is about power and violence • Political act to dominate women by fear • Keep women in an inferior place in society • Rape is rooted in patriarchal societies • North America & Western Europe rape cultures • Men taught it to sustain political status quo • Conscious process of intimidation • Few men rape but all men benefit from rape • All men consciously & deliberately support rapists

  22. Malamuth et al (1983) 1/3 - 2/3 of young men said they would rape if assured of not being caught All potential rapists support Brownmiller Other studies seem to fail to support this theory See textbook Studies Testing Feminist Theory

  23. Class 03 (N = 104, Females = 74) I would force if guaranteed I would not get caught 1 = strongly disagree 5 = Strongly agree MaleFemalep Mean 1.45 1.03 .001 % > 1 27.6% 1.4%

  24. Sociocultural Factors & Rape • Gender roles • Men sexually aggressive, women submissive • Media (videos, pornography) • Women are... • Sports mentality (‘score’, Spur Posse) • Myths (victim blaming) • Women want to be taken

  25. Problems W/ Single Cause Approaches • Many different causes/motives for rape • Anger rape (40%) • Vicious, unplanned rape • Power rape (55%) • Desire to control and dominate • Sadistic rape (5%) • Highly ritualized, savage rape • Sexually motivated rape? • Date rape

  26. Problems W/ Single Cause Approaches • Motives/Causes can fuse • Sex & aggression can fuse • Sexuality expressed through violence • Violence expressed through sexuality • Rape complex phenomenon unlikely to be easily explained w/ one catch-all cause

  27. Characteristics of Rapists • Self-identified sexually aggressive men • Condone rape/violence • Sexually experienced • Peer groups encourage sex • Use sex for social dominance • Controlling • No social conscience (uninhibited) • Traditional sex/gender role beliefs • Misogynistic • Sexist, degrading humor

  28. Ryan & Kanjorski (1998) • Examined link between enjoyment of sexist humor, acceptance of rape myths • Results: Men enjoyed sexist humor > women • Men: Enjoyment of sexist humor + correlated w/ • Rape myth acceptance • Likelihood of forced sex • Sexual aggression • Suggest that men likely to commit rape are those who regularly derogate women

  29. Group Activity VIII: Rape Myths • In a mixed-gender groups of four-five students each, address Qs 1 AND 2. • After 10 minutes, one student from each group should summarize your answers to the class. • Please turn these in after class!

  30. Group Activity VIII: Rape Myths • 1. Which myths showed a gender difference? • For 1 of these myths provide 1 reason why gender differences might exist & how they could -> rape. • 2. What myths were most/least accepted overall? • Why do you think those specific myths were so widely believed/disbelieved?

  31. Conclusions • Rape common • Most likely committed by known person • Causes are many from sex to power to sadism • Rapists tend to be misogynistic sociopaths • Believe in rape myths • Derogate women • Rape has damaging psychological impacts • Recovery is possible • Key is treatment, social support and meaning making

  32. Course Conclusions • Discussed many aspects of sexuality • Fetishes, sex drive, plasticity, gender, love, novelty, SO, rape and commercial sex • Emphasized phenomenology & causes • Two prominent themes: • Nature (Evolutionary Psychology, Sperm Wars) • Nurture (Social Psychology, Feminist theory) • Many features of sexuality have been explained w/ both • No behavior is 100% nature or nurture (ALL interactions)

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