chapter 15

Sexual Assault and Rape

  • Sexual Assault: Engaging in sexual activity without consent; includes various scenarios (all options qualify as assault).

  • Rape: Defined as nonconsensual sexual activity (all given options qualify).

  • Nonconsensual Sexual Activity: Includes various types of coercion or force (all provided options qualify).

Statistics on Sexual Assault

  • Highest Reported Rates: Alaska has the highest percentage of reported sexual assaults in the U.S. (FBI statistics).

  • Victim-Perpetrator Relationship:

    • Stranger: Women are more likely to report rape by strangers.

    • Friend/Acquaintance: Women are more often raped by someone they know (e.g., friend, roommate, or dating partner).

    • 90% of undergraduate women raped on campuses knew their assailant.

  • Male Victims:

    • Most male victims are under the age of 19 at the time of assault.

Forms of Rape

  • Date Rape: Equally severe as stranger rape, even without physical force.

  • Marital Rape: Includes various forms, but compliance rape is not recognized as a type.

  • Gang Rape: Perpetrators are typically less likely to know the victim compared to single perpetrators.

Behavioral Dynamics

  • Token Resistance: When someone says "no" but means "yes"; problematic as it fosters miscommunication and coercion.

  • Compliance: Engaging in sex to appease a partner despite lack of desire; may encourage persistence in future interactions.

  • Coercion Tactics: Tend to be verbal for both genders, although this statement is false in the context provided.

Legal and Cultural Perspectives

  • Laws:

    • "Romeo and Juliet Laws" protect teenage relationships in many states.

    • In ~40 countries across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, men can legally rape their wives.

    • Gang rape and rape are sometimes used as punishment in certain regions (e.g., South Africa, known as the "rape capital of the world").

  • False Reporting: Rape reports are less likely to be false than most other crimes.

Psychological and Evolutionary Insights

  • Hypergender Dynamics:

    • Hypermasculine men are more likely to rape.

    • Hyperfeminine women are more likely to be raped.

  • Evolutionary Theory: Rape may be a byproduct of ancestral adaptive behaviors.

  • Blame:

    • Women often face self-blame for rape, but the idea that men blame women more often is false.

Physical and Medical Considerations

  • Erections/Ejaculations: Can occur under extreme duress, independent of desire.

  • HIV Risk: The chance of contracting HIV during rape is extremely low.

  • Resisting Attack: It is not recommended to avoid resisting, as resistance can sometimes deter an attacker.

Sexual Harassment and Child Molestation

  • Sexual Harassment: Most common in hierarchical relationships (e.g., boss-employee, teacher-student).

  • Child Molestation:

    • Most molesters are known to the victim, often relatives.

    • Defined as both a criminal act and behavior.

  • Child Pornography:

    • Publishers/distributors can be prosecuted without requiring material to be proven obscene (Supreme Court ruling).