Sex Crimes Quiz

First quiz of the semester

Cultural Standard

• Society’s structures, appropriate behaviors

• Folkways, mores, laws, and institutions control behaviors

  • Folkways - the normal, habitual ways of doing things; often, matter of good manners (saying pls, thank you, yes ma’am, etc.)

  • Mores (more-ayes) - behaviors or customs that must be followed to prevent the destruction of the common culture of society

Statistical Standard

• Quite simple and makes numbers the deciding criteria

• If more than 50% of the population practices a particular sexual behavior, it is then considered ‘normal’

  • EX: the divorce rate among couples married for more than 10 years in the US is slightly more than 50%; the argument would follow that divorce is a regular part of the institution of marriage

Religious Standard

• For many people, this is the most important standard

• This has evolved into something that has proscriptions against appropriate sexual acts

• Many people of religious belief will judge sex acts and their appropriateness by this standard

Subjective Standard

• Perhaps the most important in any person’s life

• This standard legitimizes behavior in the same fashion as the other 3 standards, but at a personal level

  • EX: Driving over the speed limit on an interstate; chances are many were passing you along the way - even though you were violating the speed limit, others were doing the same thing; this may have allowed you to rationalize you lawbreaking

Normal Sexual Behavior

• The social definition of sexual behavior would rely on the social demands and the necessity of the functional relationship between the social values and the actions by predators as well as other, normal people.

Fantasy

• Some are simple, some are complex, some can be aggressive, and some can be sadistic

• It is impossible to be sexual without some form of this

• Not all of these are sexual; some form of revenge, love lost, hatred, or what have you

History and Sexuality

• Analyze the certain family types that have expanded over time

  • The Hebrew Family, The Greek Family, The Roman Family, The Christian Family

Incest

• Any use of a minor child to meet the sexual or sexual/emotional needs of one or more persons whose authority is derived through ongoing emotional bonding with that child

• Physical types:

  • Kissing, fondling, touching of the genitals, rape, and others

• Non-physical types:

  • saying things that arouse the interest of the child, exhibitionism, voyeurism, and patterns of sex play where the child is a viewer of the sex acts

The Hebrew Family

• Had 4 distinguishing characteristics:

  • Patriarchal, patrilineal, patrilocal, polygynous

• Males (adult and child) were granted a higher status because of gender

• Males were seen as the ones that could provide for the family as well as capable of doing heavy lifting and acting as warriors in battle

• Wealth and prosperity was passed down from the father to the eldest legitimate son if there was one

• As in all patrilocal cultures, the eldest son lived close to the fathers home

• Divorce was NOT granted to women; only men were granted divorce and permitted to have multiple wives

• Sex in this family was primarily reserved for procreation and for the pleasure of the male

The Greek Family

• Sex was seen as a means to procreate and for marital enrichment

• One of the unique factors of sex stemmed from the strong public and communal encouragement of homosexuality

• The highest form of a love affair was considered to be that between 2 males, one an adult and the other a young boy before puberty

• Homosexuality and pedophilias were institutionalized in this society and were part of their common culture

• Women were of low status; had 2 roles - mother and wife

• Education was restricted for women and were seldom seen in public with their husbands

• * Educated women were called hetaera; they were prostitutes who were educated not only academically but also in ways to please their male customers

• Males could obtain a divorce, but it was extremely difficult, if not impossible, to do so

• Homosexuality, lesbianism, hedonism, polytheism, warlike, and monogamous family structure

The Roman Family

• Patriarchal, patrilineal, patrilocal, and monogamous

• Very important in the sexual history of the family because they were the first type that allowed equality for males and females

• Belief in equality of the sexes led to the concept of bi-humanity was good for one gender was good for the other

• Males were still the desired children; would carry on the family name and inherit the family wealth

• Men were seen as warriors, they could serve as elected officials in government

• Could sue for divorce; many of the rituals found in wedding ceremonies today come from this family

• Sex was not only for procreation but also recreational

• Worshipped the Gods of emotion and pleasure

• The Christian Family arose from all the special traits of this family

The Christian Family

• After years of persecution, this family gain power and recognition in Rome through an edict issued by Emperor Constantine in 313 AD

• Believed that it was better to remain single, but if you could not contain yourself, it was better to marry than burn in hell

• Insisted on monogamy; did NOT allow for divorce

• Sex was considered utilitarian, it was NOT to be used for recreation, only procreation

• Because of Eve, women were considered to be the source of evil; they were considered nothing but phlegm and bad blood

• Women wanted daughters because they stood a better chance at remaining virgins

• Sex is something that should be done with someone with whom one has a positive emotional relationship