Sexual offending - revision

The Sexual Offences Act (2003)

Sets out sexual offences in England and Wales

Creates a ‘tiering’ of sexual offences, with penetrative rape at the ‘top’ – implies that some sex acts (e.g. PiV) ‘count’ more than others (Popova, 2019)

• No penis = no rape

Rape according to the Sexual Offences Act (2003)

A person (A) commits an offence if—

(a) he intentionally penetrates the vagina, anus or mouth of another person (B) with his penis,

(b) B does not consent to the penetration, and

(c) A does not reasonably believe that B consents

Hetherton (1999) – 3 key rape myths:

• Sexual behaviour by women is gentle, nurturing, subtle, and not serious

• Sexual abuse by women is not harmful

• Women who sexually abuse do so under male coercion

Brownmiller (1975)

The notion of the reticent women who eventually succumbs is the basis for many rape myths often seen in literature and films

Johnson & Beech (2017)

Although many studies suggest that while there is a correlation between rape myth acceptance and sexual offending, RMA does not significantly predict sexual reoffending

• But this is almost entirely focused on male samples

Bohner et al. (2005)

• Men who accepted rape myths were more likely to use it to justify sexual behaviour which would be classed as rape

• Those who reported sexually coercive strategies in past were more likely to draw on their own use of rape myths to justify sexual aggression