NCJ Number
105038
Editor(s)
S Tomaselli,
R Porter
Date Published
1986
Length
303 pages
Annotation
Nine essays intend to advance the understanding of rape behavior by presenting divergent views without attempting to derive a consensus.
Abstract
A biological perspective poses the evolutionary hypothesis that rape is an evolved behavior used by men who lack the status and resources necessary to attract and reproduce successfully with desirable mates. An anthropologist draws evidence from non-raping societies to show that heterosexual cooperation is culturally induced as is violence between the sexes, thus arguing that innate male tendencies do not explain the incidence of rape. An essay on the media's treatment of violent male sexuality traces the development of popular cultural stereotypes of the rapist, which differ significantly from the characteristics of men who actually assault women. Other essays consider rape law reform; problems posed by rape for political policymakers and the criminal justice system; rape in art, Greek myth, and history; and the ambiguous legacy of Freud and psychoanalysis in providing an understanding of rape. Chapter notes, 32 suggestions for further reading, and a subject index. For individual papers, see NCJ 105039-105041.