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Rape. © 2011, John B. Pryor, Ph.D. Illinois State University. Rape Poem by Marge Piercy. There is no difference between being raped and being pushed down a flight of stairs except that the wounds inside also bleed.
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Rape © 2011, John B. Pryor, Ph.D. Illinois State University
Rape Poem by Marge Piercy There is no difference between being raped and being pushed down a flight of stairs except that the wounds inside also bleed. There is no difference between being raped and being run over by a truck except that afterward men ask if you enjoyed it. There is no difference between being raped and going head first through a windshield except that afterward you are afraid not of cars, but half the human race.
Brownmiller’s typical definition ...The perpetration of an act of sexual intercourse with a female, not one’s wife, against her will and consent, whether her will is overcome by force or fear resulting from the threat of force, or by drugs or intoxicants, or when because of mental deficiency, she is incapable of rational judgment, or when she is below an arbitrary age of consent.
Criminal Sexual Assault in Illinois • The accused commits criminal sexual assault if he or she: • (1) commits an act of sexual penetration by the useof force or threat of force; or • (2) commits an act of sexual penetration and theaccused knew that the victim was unable to understand the nature of the act or was unable to give knowing consent; or • (3) commits an act of sexual penetration with a victim who was under 18 years of age when the act was committed and the accused was a family member; or • (4) commits an act of sexual penetration with avictim who was at least 13 years of age but under 18 years of age when the act was committed and the accused was 17 years of age or over and held a position of trust, authority or supervision in relation to the victim. Source: Illinois Criminal Code
FBI Uniform Crime Report • Began in 1929 • Now covers jurisdictions • 96% of US population • Publishes “crime index” • of violent crimes, • crimes against property, • and total offenses
FBI Uniform Crime Report Forcible rape—The carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will. Rapes by force and attempts or assaults to rape regardless of the age of the victim are included. Statutory offenses (no force used—victim under age of consent) are excluded.
FBI Uniform Crime Report • 84,676 forcible rapes reported to law enforcement during 2010 • Lowest annual total since1999. • The rate of forcible rapes in 2010 was estimated at 54.2 offenses per 100,000 female inhabitants • By comparison, the rate per 100,000 was 58.6 in 2008 • When adjusted for population grow, rates have been steadily declining since 1990 • victims always female (by FBI definition) • approximately One Forcible RapeEvery 6 minutes
FBI Statistics involve women who report rapes to the police. How often is rape unreported?
Williams (1984) - Who reports rape? • sample - 246 victims from rape support organizations • 59% had reported to police • variables related to reporting rape 1) relationship of victim to offender - more when stranger 2) how the rapist came in contact with the victim - less in social situation 3) threat of force 4) use of force 5) degree of injury 6) whether the victim received medical treatment • report is more likely if the incident fits the stereotype of the classic rape situation
Surveys often show many more rape victims than police reports.
The National Crime Victimization Survey. • Ongoing since 1972, this survey of households interviews about 80,000 persons age 12 and older in 43,000 households twice each year about their victimizations from crime. • In 2003, this survey found 223,290 instance of forcible rape. • Only 39% were reported to law enforcement.
Rape on College Campuses • National sample of 4,446 women who were attending a 2- or 4-year college • 2.8% experienced rape or attempted rape • Estimated 350 women sexually victimized each year in colleges of 10,000 students • Most are not reported - less than half of those raped defined the behavior as “rape” Source Fisher, Cullen, & Turner (2000)
STATISTICS ON SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMENSOURCE: KOSS, WOODRUFF, & KOSS -- A CRIMINOLOGICAL STUDY AUGUST 1990 • More than half of college rape victims are attacked by dates. • More than 4 out of 5 rape victims know their attackers. • 1 in 15 rape victims contracts a sexually transmitted disease as a result of being raped. • 1 in 15 rape victims becomes pregnant as a result of being raped.
WHY DO MEN RAPE WOMEN? The Psychopathological Perspective The Social/Cultural (Feminist) Perspective The Social Dynamics of Date Rape
The Psychopathological Perspective • Assumes rapists are psychologically disturbed • Cohen’s Typology of Rapists • Aggressive Aim • Sexual Aim • Sex-Aggressive Aim • Impulse Rapists
Problems with the psychopathological perspective • Psycholopathological Profiles are based upon convicted rapists • A great many rapes are not reported to the police • Less than half of all police reports result in arrests • Many of those arrested plea bargain for lessor offences
The Social/Cultural Perspective • Assumes that cultural forces promote rape--misogynous forces, trad. sex roles... • Do we live in a “rape culture”? • Is rape a common experience for women in our culture? • Is a proclivity for rape common in our culture?
Malamuth’s LR Scale • How likely is it that you would rape someone if you thought you could get a way with it? 1 2 3 4 5 Not at Very all likely likely
Malamuth - 3 ways in which men who score high in the Likelihood to Rape Scale resemble actual rapists • Both tend to endorse rape myths • Both tend to be sexually aroused by rape depictions • Both are willing to physically aggress against women
Acceptance of Interpersonal Violence Adversarial Sexual Beliefs Endorsement of Sex Role Stereotypes Rape Myth Acceptance Likelihood of Rape
Malamuth's Study of Men's Reactions to Rape Depictions 8 High LR 6 Low LR Sexual Arousal 4 2 0 Mutually Consenting Sex Rape Victim Abhorance Rape Victim Arousal Film Types
If there are rape prone cultures, are there also rape prone subcultures?
FBI Campus Watch Report • Between 1984 and 1993, 93% of university-related rapes were committed by members of fraternities.
Where do rapes occur? • In the FBI Campus Watch Study, more alleged rapes occured within the property lines of fraternity and sorority houses than in any other specific geographic area in the US (excluding military bases and prisons).
Correlates of sexual aggression Canadian study of 86 college men Self-reported sexual aggression toward women was predicted by: Having engaged in acts of physical aggression Sex role stereotyping Fraternity involvement Source: Lackie & de Man (1997), Sex Roles
Rape-supportive beliefs • 477 male university students were surveyed on a large southeastern university campus • Fraternity men reported significantly greater agreement with five statements supportive of rape and adversarial gender beliefs than did controls. • Athletes reported significantly greater agreement with 14 rape-supportive statements than did controls. Source: Boeringer (1999)
Fraternity Men have been found to be more likely to endorse the use of force to get sex (Drapeau, 2003; study at Boston College) Average Endorsement Ratings Example Item
Gang Rape One review of 24 alleged gang rapes found that in 22 of the 24 documented cases, the perpetrators were members of fraternities or intercollegiate athletics teams. O’Sullivan CS. Acquaintance Gang Rape on Campus. In: Parrot A, Bechhofer L (eds.). Acquaintance Rape: The Hidden Crime. New York: Wiley, 1991: chap. 10.
Not all fraternities are alike • Fraternities vary with regard to their • Hostility toward women • Peer support for sexual aggression • Level of sexual aggression
Is the problem just in Fraternities or more generally in the Greek system?
Correlates of Rape while Intoxicated in a National Sample of College Women-MOHLER-KUO, DOWDALL, KOSS, & WECHSLER (2004) • Sample: over 22,000 college women from 119 schools • 4.7% reported being rapes • 72% of those raped were intoxicated at the time • Factors that were associated with being raped while intoxicated • Under 21 years of age • White • Resided in sorority houses • 8% of women living in sorority houses reported rape while intoxicated • 9% of women living in sorority houses reported any rape • Used illicit drugs • Drank heavily in high school • Attended colleges with higher rates of episodic drinking
The Role of Peer Influence in Rape Myth Acceptance Among Sorority Womenat Illinois State University<<•>> JOY EWOLDSEN and JOHN B. PRYOR
The Sample • 75 women • 5 different sororities • 13-18 in each sorority • 15 freshmen, 20 sophomores, 26 juniors, & 14 seniors © John B. Pryor, 1996
The Measures • Rape Myth Acceptance (RMA) (Burt, 1980) • Modern Sexism (MS) (Swim, et al., 1995) • Feelings of Group Cohesion • average RMA of other sorority members • average MS of other sorority members © John B. Pryor, 1996
Step 1 • Modern Sexism • Group RMA • Group MS R=.78 Rape Myth Acceptance Step 2 • Cohesion X • Group RMA • Cohesion X • Group MS R=.82 © John B. Pryor, 1996
Two Possible Explanations • Self Selection • Social Influence © John B. Pryor, 1996
Step 1 Freshmen & Sophomores • Modern Sexism • Group RMA • Group MS R=.62 Rape Myth Acceptance Step 2 • Cohesion X • Group RMA • Cohesion X • Group MS Not Significant © John B. Pryor, 1996
Step 1 Juniors & Seniors • Modern Sexism • Group RMA • Group MS R=.84 Rape Myth Acceptance Step 2 • Cohesion X • Group RMA • Cohesion X • Group MS R=.87 © John B. Pryor, 1996
Conclusions • Women who felt stronger bonds to their sorority sisters were more likely to conform to the group’s prevailing views about rape myths. • Those in sororities where beliefs in rape myths were prevalent came to endorse rape myths over time. • Those in sororities where doubts about rape myths were prevalent came to doubt rape myths over time.