Serial Rape

1. Serial Rape Presented by: Charles L. Feer, JD, MPA Bakersfield College Division of Behavioral Sciences Department of Criminology

2. Serial Rape • 2010 Reported 84,767 Forcible Rapes • 15,586 Arrests. (2,198 were under age 18.) • Estimates are that 64% - 96% of all rapes are NOT reported. (Other studies say 50% - 90%.) Safe to say, many rapes are not reported. • Estimated that 2% - 10% of reported rapes are false allegations.

3. Serial Rapes • There are estimates that 4% of the offenders are serial rapist, who account for about 28% of the reported rapes. • The distinction has to do with type of rape: • Stranger Abduction / Sexual Assault • Acquaintance (“Date”) Rape • Serial rapist who assault victims who are intoxicated or drugged.

4. Serial rape • Because rapists will use the same specialized method and select similar targets over the course of their offending, it is important to understanding victimology. • Rape Victims, who many prefer to be called “Rape Survivors” can be found across all social classes, occupations, races, ages and both genders and any geographical locations.

5. Serial Rape • Serial Rapist look for “vulnerable” victims. • They may be people they associate with, or otherwise somehow interact. • “Stranger” Rapes • Victim Selection: • A process which the offender chooses or targets a victim. • Each offender will have their own personal selection criteria.

6. Serial Rape • Victim Selection • “Rational” decision-making process: • Perceived characteristics of the potential victim, • Situational characteristics at the time. • Social, Physical and Geographic environments. • It is likely that the serial offender will use the same approach to selection and targeting victims. • Therefore, must be alert to cues and details that demonstrate the offender’s selection criteria.

7. Serial Rape • Three “Target Selection Scripts” • Home Track: Intrusion rapist breaks into the victim’s home while she is alone. • Uses a weapon to control the victim. • Enters via an entry point that is undetected. (i.e. Side door, window.) • Other method is to become acquainted and be invited in.

8. Serial Rape • Outdoor Script – Victims are outside when approached. • Serial Rapist will spend time preparing for the crime and selecting the victim. • Non-Coercive – they will approach without using violence. • Victims are jogging, reading, rapist will gain trusts and invite the victim to join him.

9. Serial Rape • Outdoor – Coercive Track • Offender waits outside for an opportunity and then attacks the victim. (Often times includes kidnapping the victim.) • Uses a weapon. [Teardrop Rapist – L.A. Ca. 1996-2005, 2011-current, 28 attacks.] • Social Script – victims are engaged in social or recreational activities prior to assault. (Bar, Concert, Gym, Swimming, Shopping.) No prior interaction.

10. Serial Rape • Research shows that some offenders are “crime switching” or engage in “crossover sexual offenses.” • Rapist are targeting victims from a variety of age, and relationship categories. • They are sometimes thought of as “opportunity rapist.” (Contardicts traditional sex offender typologies.)

11. Serial Rapist • Tend to target strangers. • Tend to be male. • Tend to target females. • Age 20 – 23 • Lives near 2 – 5 miles of the area of attacks. • Will prepare with detail the manner in which they will commit the sexual assault. (Single time rapist tends to act impulsively.) • Look to how the offender interacts or treats the victim. • May highlight how the offender interacts with others in his life.

12. Psychology and Rape • Not all rapist are alike! Typologies (text book): • Power Reassurance • Anger Retaliation • Power Assertive • Sadistic

13. Massachusetts Treatment Center • Classification System - 4 major types, 9 subtypes: • 1) Impulsive or Opportunistic Rapist • 2) Pervasively Angry Rapist • 3) Sexually Motivated Rapist • 4) Vindictive Rapist

14. Massachusetts Treatment Center • Classification System • 1) Impulsive or Opportunistic Rapist • Engages in sexual assault simply because the opportunity to rape presents itself. • Offender is driven more by situational factors and opportunity than any internal driven sexual fantasy. • They view their victims as sexual objects.

15. Massachusetts Treatment Center • 1) Impulsive or Opportunistic Rapist characteristics: • Callous indifference to the welfare or comfort of the victim. • Presence of no more force than is necessary to obtain the compliance of the victim. (Any excessive force or violence rules out this type of offender.) • Evidence of adult impulsive behavior, such as frequent fighting, vandalism, or other impulse-driven antisocial behaviors.

16. Massachusetts Treatment Center • Classification System • 2) Pervasively Angry Rapist • Displays high levels of anger that pervades all areas of his life. • Anger and assaultive behavior is directed at whoever gets in his way. • Relative stable occupational history. (Carpenter, mechanic, electrician, plumber.) • Perceives himself as strong, athletic and masculine.

17. Massachusetts Treatment Center • 2) Pervasively Angry Rapist characteristics: • Presence of a high degree of non-sexualized aggression or rage expressed through verbal or physical assault that clearly exceeds what is necessary to gain compliance of the victim. • Evidence of adolescent and adult violent and angry-driven antisocial behavior. • Carries out attacks that are usually unplanned and not premediated.

18. Massachusetts Treatment Center • Classification System • 3) Sexually Motivated Rapist • Presence of sexual or sadistic fantasies and thought processes that are strongly influenced of assaults. (i.e. Victim enjoys being abused.) • “Overt” Their sexually aggressive behaviors are directly expressed in violent acts. • “Muted” (Similar to overt) Offender’s motive is the victim’s “fear.” (Seeing the fear is what excites him.)

19. Massachusetts Treatment Center • 3) Sexually Motivated Rapist(Sadistic or Muted) characteristics: • A level of aggression or violence that clearly exceeds what is necessary to force compliance of the victim. • Explicit, unambiguous evidence that aggression is sexually exciting and arousing to the offender. This can be illustrated either by indications that the offender derives sexual pleasure from injurious acts to the victim, or by the fact that injurious acts are focused on parts of the body that have sexual significance. • Evidence that sexual fantasies of violence or the victim’s fear excite him.

20. Massachusetts Treatment Center • Classification System • 4) Vindictive Rapist • Driven by anger towards women. • Uses the act of rape to harm, humiliate and denigrate women. • Victims are brutally assaulted. (Biting, cutting, tearing of parts of the body.) • Offender will use a great deal of profanity and emotional abuse. • Most offenders are married. (See women as hostile, demanding, unfaithful.)

21. Massachusetts Treatment Center • 4) Vindictive Rapist characteristics: • Clear evidence, in verbalization or behavior, of the intent to demean, degrade, or humiliate the victim. • No evidence that the violent behavior is eroticized or that sexual pleasure is derived from the injurious acts. • The injurious acts are not focused on parts of the body that have sexual significance.

22. Serial Rapist • Stranger Rapes can be investigated from three levels: • A) Personal Level • B) Physical Level • C) Sexual Level

23. Serial Rapist • Personal level offender may apologize to the victim, force the victim to “participate” verbally. • Physical violating level offender’s actions will include verbal violence, anal penetration, demeaning the victim. There will be signs of multiple types of violence, tearing the victim’s clothing, binding, gagging, blindfolding. • Sexual level will include the acts involving kissing, fellatio, cunnilingus. Offender will expect the victim to make complimentary comments about his performance.

24. Serial Rape “Themes” • Control Theme • Hostility Theme • Involvement Theme • Theft Theme

25. Serial Rape “Themes” • Control Theme • Offenders regard the victim as an inanimate object. Offender will not demean the victim. • Will demobilize by using binding, blindfolding, gagging. • A weapon is often used. • Offender has no empathy and experiences no remorse.

26. Serial Rape “Themes” • Hostility Theme • Verbal violence, insulting, demeaning language. • Tearing the victim’s clothing.

27. Serial Rape “Themes” • Involvement Theme • Demonstrated offender’s desire for social contact and intimacy. • Victim is treated as a reactive, living person. • Offender may kiss the victim. Compliment her appearance.

28. Serial Rape “Themes” • Theft Theme • Rape occurs during the commission of other crimes. • Using the opportunities presented by the other crime. (i.e. Burglary, carjacking, robbery.)

29. Questions? • Quiz follows Separate piece of paper, with your name, today’s date, and the following two answers:

30. Quiz • Based on the M.T.C. Classification System (hand-out) and the description above; what Classification (description and type #) would the two case studies identify? • 1) Text page 155 • 2) Text page 163