Is rape motivated by aggression instead of by sex?

Resources used to support "yes"

Rape is forced sexual intercourse with a nonconsenting person. It is an aggressive act motivated by hostility and dislike for the opposite sex. Perpretators of this criminal act gain a sense of power and dominance by inflicting pain and terror upon t heir prey. Nearly all rapes result in bodily harm, and in most cases women suffer ongoing emotional trauma.

WWW

• Myths and Facts About Rape.

  Discussion of rape not being sex, but rather a crime motivated by a need to control, humiliate, and harm.

• Training Americans to Rape: The Role of Our Jails, Prisons, and Reformatories.

  Discussion concerning rape conduct in jails, prisons, and reformatories. Accusations of this sexual abuse being unreported and ignored by officials. Rape in these instituions is considered a form of violence against smaller, weaker, and younger victims as an effort for the perpetrator to prove his manhood.

• "Friends" Raping Friends- Could it Happen to You?

  Article discussing acquaintance rape. Includes a discussion on causes, danger signals, advice on what to do if raped, etc... Date/acquaintance rape is considered to be an act of aggression.

JOURNAL ARTICLES

• Allen, M., Emmers, T., Gebhardt, L., & Giery, M.A. (1995). Exposure to pornography and acceptance of rape myths. Journal of Communication, 45, (1), 5-26.

  Study showing that violent pornography has more effects that nonviolent pornography on attitudes toward rape.

• Boeringer, Scot, B. (1994). Pornography and sexual aggression: Associations of violent and nonviolent depictions with rape and rape proclivity. Deviant Behavior, 15, (3), 289-304.>

  Research on the relationship between pornography and sexual violence, with hard core pornography showing higher rates of rape attitudes and soft core pornography showing attitudes of force rather than rape attitudes.

• Cook, S.L. (1995). Acceptance and expectation of sexual aggression in students. Psychology of Women's Quarterly, 19, (2), 181-194.

  Study examining acceptance and expectations of sexual conduct in dating situations.

• Gillen, K., & Muncer, S.J. (1995). Sex differences in the perceived causal structure of date rape: A preliminary report. Aggressive Behavior, 21, (2), 101-112.

  Examines perception of date rape and finds males needs for dominance is a clear cause of date rape.

• Miner, M.H., West, M.A., & Day, D. (1995). Sexual preference for child and aggressive stimuli: comparison of rapists and child molesters using auditory stimuili. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33, (5), 545-551.

  Study testing convicted men of sexual crimes to determine convicts preference for children and tendencies of aggression.

• Olsen-Rando, R.A. (1993). Parent-child relationships and college men's sexual aggressive attitudes and behaviors. Dissertation Abstracts International, 54, (3-B), 1678.

  Father-child relationship and the tendency to teach sex role attitudes, behaviors, and aggression.

• Prentky, R.A., Knight, R.A., Lee, A.F., & Cerce, D.D. (1995). Predictive validity of lifestyle impulsivity for rapists. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 22, (2), 106-128.

  Showed that the hazard rate for high impulsivity grouped convicts was at least twice as high as the hazard rate of low impulsivity convicts.

• Seto, M.C., & Barbaree, H.E. (1993). Victim blame and sexual arousal to rape in rapists and nonoffenders. Annals of Sex Research, 6, (3), 167-183.

  Examines the effect of victim blame on sexual arousal. Subjects who raped strangers vs subjects who raped acquaintances blamed the victim for the rape.

• Weisz, M.G., & Earls, C.M. (1995). the effectys of exposure to filmed sexual violence on attitudes toward rape. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 10, (1), 71-84.

  Study showing that when males are exposed to sexually aggressive films, they tend to become attracted, vs. viewing physically aggressive films or neutral films. Also, males are less sympathetic to rape victims in sexually aggressive films vs. when they are exposed to physically aggressive films or neutral films. Female subjects opinions are not affected by film type.