Chapter 17: Sexual Victimization: Rape, Coercion, Harassment, and Abuse of Children

1. Chapter 17: Sexual Victimization: Rape, Coercion, Harassment, and Abuse of Children For use with Human Sexuality Today (4th Ed.) Bruce King Slides prepared by: Traci Craig

2. Chapter Overview • Rape • Sexual Harassment • Sexual Abuse of Children • Incest • Prosecution of Sexual Offenders • Therapy

3. Rape: Historical Perspective • Nonconsensual oral, anal, or vaginal penetration, obtained by force, by threat of bodily harm or when the victim is incapable of giving consent. • Biblical timescrime against a man’s property. • If woman was singlefather compensated and then rapist and victim were forced to marry.

4. Rape Statistics • 300,000 rapes and sexual assaults in 2000. • 1 in 5 chance of being raped in lifetime. • Most rapes committed by someone known to the victim. • Reporting rates are higher for stranger rape. • Rapists usually do some planning. • Seek vulnerable women who respond to a request for help (directions/time).

5. Rapists • Rapistsyoung men who repeat the crime. • Not sexual deprivation1/3 are married • Extensive sexual histories (starting early) • Aroused by rape-related stimuli • Usually abused themselves as children • Low self-esteem and difficulty forming intimate relationships.

6. Rapists • Lacking internal controlsfear, guilt, sympathy • Believe rape myths, accept violence toward women, lack empathy. • Women are seen as ‘wanting it’ or ‘deserving it’ • Distorted view of what indicates interest

7. Date Rape and Sexual Coercion • Acquaintance rapesocial encounter agreed upon, rape occurs one the ‘date’ • 21% of college women pressured into sex compared to only 3% of men • 15% of college men admit forcing intercourse on a date • Self-blame, episode doesn’t fit person definition of rape5% reported

8. Date Rape and Sexual Coercion • Men rationalize ‘she came to my apt, she wanted it’/‘she aroused me, I couldn’t stop’ • Roofies, date rape drugs, alcoholvictims have little or no memory of events • Reasonable person/Reasonable women • Using coercion (8-21% of men feel coerced)

9. Coercion • Men use physical coercion; women use verbal coercion • Poor communication skills: subtle cues misunderstood • 1/3 of women report ‘token resistance’ • Compliance—agreeing to do what you really do not want to do

10. Coercion • Men also engage in token resistance • 7th graders • 22% of boys and 10% of girls believe a man has a right to sex without consent if he spent a lot of money on her • 48% of boys believe that a man can force sex on a women if she let him touch her above the waist • 67% of boys and 59% of girls say marital rape is a right

11. Rape in Marriage • 17th centuryhusband has a right to sex, wife is property of husband • Marital rape crime in all states • Extraordinary violence • 9% of wives report being raped by husbands/ex-husbands. • 34% of cases  rape as punishment

12. Gang Rape • Victim is assaulted by more than one attacker • Prisons, Fraternities both emphasize machismo • Usually planned • Diffusion of responsibility, loyalty to group • More violent, outdo one another

13. Statutory Rape • Having sex with someone under the age of consent • Mentally ill individuals may also not be considered able to give informed consent • Prosecuting fathers of teens who are pregnant  reduce the teen pregnancy rate.

14. Same-sex Assault and Coercion • Male rape not just in prison. • Half of cases occur in childhood being gang raped by older boys. • Weapons, most rapists and victim identify as heterosexuals, also occurs between homosexual men. • ¼ of gay men report unwanted sex with their partner, rates are similar for lesbian relationships.

15. Can a Man be raped by a Woman? • Men can have erections during great fear or terror. • Women use physical force or weapons. • Victims under 16 were often raped by family members (mothers). • Victims feel guilty and think they have a problems as they responded sexually under the circumstances.

16. Explanations of Rape • Psychodynamic Theory: Different types of rapists. • Power rapists—premeditated acts to overcome insecurity or inadequacy • Humiliate or degrade the victim, threats and weapons. 55% of rapes are power rapes

17. Explanations of Rape • Anger rapists—unplanned assaults to express hostility or anger about some wrong done to him. • Punish victims, more physical abuse • 40% of rapes • Sadistic Rapiests—erotically aroused by physical force and pleasure from pain. • Torture, murder, extended duration • 5% of rapes • Rape is a crime of violence not sex

18. Explanations of Rape • Opportunistic rapists—motivation is sex, but men have distorted attitudes and beliefs. • Refers primarily to date rape • Feminist Theories • Rates are higher in the USencourage male aggression, sexually repressed societies • Rape is used to maintain this social order

19. Explanations of Rape • Social Learning Theory • Past abuse or growing up in a home where violence was commonmale rapists, female victims • Interpersonal Theory • Extreme gender stereotype endorsement misinterpret behavioral cues • Token resistance adds to this complication

20. Explanations of Rape • Evolutionary/Sociobiological Theory • Genetic basis for men to rape by maximizing reproductive potential • Does not explain rape of older women, children, or other men • Comprehensive Theories • Sexual aggression is the result of several converging factors

21. Misconceptions About Rape • Rape myths are widespread mistaken beliefs about rape. • Women provoke rape with dress and behavior. • Self blame, 33-50% believe this myth, blame victim • Women want to be raped. • Women frequently make false accusations. • False report of rape is lower than for any other crime and only 2%.

22. Reactions to Rape • Post-rape posttraumatic stress disorder • Acute phase—lasts several weeks, recover from physical damage, very expressive about feelings, crying, depression, angry, afraid, great anxiety or report no effect. • Long term reorganization—regain control, move, change jobs, lose desire for sex and arousal problems, poor general health.

23. Reactions to Rape • Family reactions are very important • Negativeincreased psychological problems. • Male victims may also doubt their sexual self-identity, less likely to tellincreases recovery difficulty. • Repeat Victims21-35% of rape victims have been assaulted before.

24. Reactions to Rape • Reactions to the Partner • Male partners may blame themselves for not being there. • Recovery is slow and victim need to make her own decisions. • Do not ask “Why?”, “What were you wearing?” • These imply it is her fault.

25. Reporting Rape • Rape Victim Advocate Programs • Do not shower go to hospital • Rape kit • Hair samples, nails cut, clothing bagged, evidence collection is thorough. • Medical treatment for STD’s and emergency contraception are often administered (at woman’s request).

26. Preventing Rape • Rapist focused prevention: better laws, more police, more arrests, longer sentences. • Potential victim: decreasing chance woman is a target. • Good door locks, avoid settings, look around the car before getting in, learn self-defense • This approach places blame on the victim before anything even occurs.

27. Preventing Rape • Social System Perspective • Change social attitudes about the way men and women relate to each other. • Change sexual scripts. • Where to get local help?

28. Sexual Harassment • Legal vs. Psychological definitions. • 5 types • Pressure for dates/relationships • Sexual comments • Sexual posturing • Sexual touching • Sexual assault

29. Sexual Harassment • Unequal power • Passivity vs. Confrontation • Women who label behaviors as sexual harassment are viewed more negatively. • More empathy using the ‘reasonable woman’ standard.

30. Causes of Sexual Harassment • Most common in blue collar jobs where women are underrepresented. • Men cannot distinguish between power and sexual attraction as motives for harassment. • Men who sexually harass believe in rape myths. • 2/3 of teenage girls have been fondled grabbed, or pinched in an explicitly sexual manner.

31. Causes of Sexual Harassment • Need to raise awareness among young men. • Misinterpretation of behavior as sexual interest. • Initial resistance is seen as a ‘game’. • College students: 17-33% of college women have been sexually harassed by an instructor.

32. Sexual Harassment • Female graduate students are most vulnerable to harassment by male faculty. • Men are also targets of sexual harassment. • Never appropriate for an instructor to make sexual or romantic overtures to a student in his/her class or under his/her supervision.

33. Dealing with Sexual Harassment • Assertive from the first sign of inappropriate behavior. • Speak or write a letter to the harasser • Relay facts and insist the behavior stop • Document all of the episodes, include names of witnesses • Follow your institutions grievance procedures.

34. Sexual Abuse of Children • Rate estimates range from 6-62% of girls and 3-31% of boys. • 15% of victims were abused for more than a year. • 10-15% of victims abused by more than one adult. • Usually involved fondling genitals • 10% of girls and 30% of boysoral sex • 14% of girls vaginal intercourse; 18% of boys anal intercourse

35. Sexual Abuse of Children • Age of consent varies • Who is a child? Prepubescent, 5 years younger than abuser, cultural differences. • Who molests children? • Known to victim • Fixated vs. Regressed • Preference vs. Situational molesters • Not all pedophiles

36. Sexual Abuse of Children • Incestuous vs. non-incestuous molesters • Not a useful distinction • Personally immature pedophile • Cannot develop adult relationships • Regressive pedophile • Impulsive with children who are strangers. • Aggressive pedophile • Sadistic, child rapists, antisocial behavior

37. Sexual Abuse of Children • Molesters • PedophilesMore than one victim • Non-pedophilesfather-daughter, stepfather-daughter relationships • 95% of abuse of girlsheterosexual men • Most cases involving boyshomosexual men who are not attracted to adult men

38. Sexual Abuse of Children • Heterosexual to homosexual pedophiles; 11:1 • Molestersshy, passive, unassertive, abused as children • Incestuous fathersdomineering, controlling • Motivated by need for affection or control • Begins early in life (1st offense at 16)

39. Sexual Abuse of Children • Female perpetrators • 20-30s old • Prolonged sexual abuse as a child • Average to low intellectual ability • Usually with male accomplice • Emotionally needy and manipulative seeking power and thrills

40. Effects of Abuse on the Children • Four outcomes • Children with no detectable problems • Children with a few symptoms (anxiety, low self esteem) not clinical • Children with major psychiatric symptoms (depression) • Children with posttraumatic stress disorder and other major psychiatric disorders

41. Effects of Abuse on Children • Some children are more resilient and some abuse is more minor than other abuse. • Frequent, long-lasting abuse, abuse involving penetration, force, threats, or violence, father/step-father abuser, little support from mothergreatest harm. • VictimsFears, poor self-esteem, inappropriate sexual behavior, depression, increased sexual risk taking.

42. Incest • Sexual activity between relatives too closely related to marry. • Illegal in all 50 United States. • Highest probability of producing defective offspring. • Only 2% of cases are reported to authorities. • Polyincestuous families: multiple abusers and multiple victims, across and within generations.

43. Incest between Siblings • 5 times more common than parent-child. • Distant or inaccessible parents or create a sexual climate in the home. • Sex playonly when siblings are same age and are not traumatized by adults when it is discovered, and there is not betrayal of trust.

44. Parent-child Incest • 80% are father-daughter/stepfather-daughter • Overprotective, selfish, and jealous with their children • Rationalize behavior by teaching their children about life. • Claim they were seduced by the child. • 2/3 of mothers don’t protect their daughters

45. Parent-child Incest • Mother-child: probably more underreported • Mother-sonusually disrupted families, mother seeks emotional support and physical closeness from her son • Usually abused as children themselves. • Grandfather-granddaughter incest is more common than other grandparent incest.

46. Effects of Incest on Children • Victims blame themselves. • Feelings of pleasure may intensify guilt. • Men incorrectly blame victims if the victim was an adolescent. • PTSD: anxiety, helplessness, and powerless. • Low self-esteem, poor self-image, loss of memory about self.

47. Family Dynamics • Incest more likely when… • All powerful, authoritarian man • Sets hard fixed gender roles for everyone • Strong external boundaries separating family from outside world. • Overdependent family members

48. Preventing and Dealing with Child Sexual Abuse • Educate yourself and your children. • Children rarely make up sexual molestation. • Teach children to be assertive. • Watch for out-of-character changes • Report the abuse to the appropriate offices locally.

49. Prosecution of Sex Offenders • Rape-shield laws: prevent the victim from feeling on trial. Previous consensual sex, victims sexual history, is not allowed to be presented during trial, but offenders’ histories are allowed. • Expert testimony about post-rape posttraumatic disorder to educate jurors.

50. Prosecution Sex Offenders • Child sexual abuseno witnesses • Court is traumatic for children • 6th amendment does not apply to individuals accused of child abuse. • Removing the child from the court room via one-way closed circuit TV or videotape. • Court appointed advocates for children.