Why do men rape criminology essay

NameCourseWhy do men rapeRape is one of the oldest and commonest crimes in history. In the United States, approximately 188, 000 rape cases were reported in 2010 in victims aged over 12 years. Consequently, eradicating sexual violence has become an agenda in the United States and most nations across the globe. Rape is defined as the use of coercion or force to obtain oral, anal or vaginal penetration against the victim’s will and without their consent. Women account for the larger part of rape victims with 91. 9% of all reported rape cases in the United States being perpetrated on women. Researchers, psychologists and law enforcers in general have tried to explain the causes of rape. This paper focuses on the reason why men rape from a psychological and scientific point of view (Crime victimization in the United States, 2012). There are many theories that attempt to explain why men commit rape. The mainstream media is of the opinion that rapists are generally people who want to exert their power over others. Others quote mental and psychological disorders as possible reasons why men commit rape. However, psychologists and scientists are of the opinion that rape, being a very old crime has more deep-seated causes. Psychologists use the evolutionary psychology theory. Scientists also base their arguments on evolution while advancing them with the sexual selection theory. Gregory Clays a basis for the theories proposed by psychologists and scientists in his review of the book; ” The Causes of Rape: Understanding Individual Differences in Male Propensity for Sexual Aggression”. In his review, Declue brings to light the arguments proposed by the authors of the book. The book authors cite ‘ forced copulation’ in animals as the basis for understanding the possible causes of rape. In the animal kingdom, forced copulation which can be equated to rape in humans, ” is a tactic used by some males under some conditions to increase reproduction. ” (DeClue, 2005). The authors further argue that forced copulation is perpetrated by males who do not exhibit abnormal behavior and their target is usually fertile females. The authors also indicate that the high likelihood of particular males to engage in forced copulation. Comparing these findings to the human population, Declue reveals the authors’ findings that rape is commonly perpetrated by men who devalue women. Raping is an antisocial behavior used by men who are not necessarily sexually deprived to increase their pool of sexual partners, a tendency noted in the animal kingdom. Rapists rarely exhibit mental and psychological disorders but are generally antisocial and engage in rape when the perceived consequences of their actions are low. McKibbin et al (2008), expound on the arguments brought to light by DeClue (2005), using the evolutionary psychology theory. The evolutionary psychology theory is one of the best explanations of why men commit rape. The theory tries to understand human behavior; rape included, using evolution history and natural selection. It states that the human brain is made of psychological mechanisms that store information, and that have evolved over time to solve a recurrent problem in the human population. According to McKibbin et al (2008), rape behavior is complex and cannot be explained by simple factors such as drug abuse, mental disorders and culture. While these factors may increase the rape incidences, they do not offer a solid reason why men rape. McKibbin et al use animal behavior to try and explain the complex cause of rape. They postulate that rape occurs in communities where males are more sexually assertive and less particular when choosing mating partners. This argument is supported by Thornhill and Palmer (2001) and demonstrated using the examples of scorpion flies and orangutans. Male scorpion flies have a notal organ that is an adaptation for sexual coercion. However, in normal circumstances, males woo females by producing food. Males that are unable to do so resort to sexual coercion. The same case applies in orangutans. Large male orangutans easily attract females to mate with but the smaller ones do not and as such, use sexual coercion to mate. Based on these examples, McKibbin et al (2008) foster the opinion that human rape is as a result of evolutionary psychological adaptations that have developed in the male mind over time. Male evolutionary adaptations to rape are psychological as opposed to physical. One of the possible rape adaptations and reasons why men rape has been proposed as the need to reproduce by psychologists. If a man is unsuccessful in getting a partner to reproduce with, he might result to rape as the only chance to reproduce. In such a case, the man will target fertile women. Female fertility peaks in the twenties and it is therefore not surprising that women in their 20s are more likely to be rape targets and victims than women in other age brackets (McKibbin et al, 2008). McKibbin et al (2008) view rape as a conditional sexual strategy that can be used by many men in certain circumstances. According to these authors, approximately 33% of males disclose that they would rape in certain circumstances. Numerous men also report having sexual coercion fantasies which under some circumstances would result in rape. From these findings, it is evident that even though not all men commit rape, psychological rape adaptations are wired somewhere in the male brain. The circumstances under which one would commit rape differ. For some men, bare skin and cleavages would be a trigger while for others, it could be the need to reproduce. Classifying the different types of rapists also provides insight into why men commit rape (McKibbin et al, 2008). One of the common types of rapists is the disadvantaged male. This male exhibits a low level of attractiveness and usually comes from a low socioeconomic status. Generally, such a man is more disadvantaged in finding a partner. In such a case, he might try to compensate for his lack of physical appeal with sexual aggressions, something that could lead to rape . Another possible reason why men rape can be explained by the behaviors of psychopathic rapists. These rapists usually possess a higher level of sexual energy, aggressiveness and high self esteem. Under normal circumstances, these men pursue women normally but they do not spend on women unless they are getting something in return. When normal advances fail to work, these psychopathic rapists soothe their self esteem by raping women. The majority of men who perpetrate date rapes fall in this category especially when they finance the date and the woman fails to consent to sex. Specialized rapists offer more insight into the reason why men commit rape. These rapists are excited by violence and turned on by sexual coercion. The dire consequences associated with being caught further excite these men to commit rape. The reasons for such psychological behavior vary and can range from upbringing to personality types, and other psychological disorders. This type of behavior is identified in quite a number of inmates who have been convicted of rape. There are also men who rape when an opportunity arises. These are referred to as opportunistic rapists. Under normal circumstances, these men engage in consensual sex but may use sexual coercion when the risks of facing the consequences are relatively low. These men are likely to rape vulnerable victims such as women without male relatives or friends living nearby. These are also the kind of rapists who rape women during wars, when the possibility of facing the law for the crime are non-existent. An exploration into partner and marital rape also provides another possible reason why men commit rape. McKibbin et al (2008) argue that men rape their partners or wives in situations where there is an increased risk of reproductive competition. A man can rape a cheating wife to increase the chances of being the chances of being the father in the case of an eventual pregnancy. McKibbin et al (2008) refer to this as sperm competition although there is an element of struggle for power in this scenario. Men who have spent a considerable amount of time away from their partners are more attracted to them and copulation interest is high . In such a case, they are likely to assume their partners are as interested and to sexually coerce them if they are not receptive of their advances. Raping is a complex behavior that extends beyond environmental conditions. As such, it is difficult to cite a single reason why men rape. However, it is evident that the sexual desires of most men border the aggressive side and psychology explains this as a psychological mating adaptation. However, not all men are rapists and environmental influences seem to determine which men become rapists. Different rapists have different motivations for committing rape and in as much as rape is a conditional mating strategy for males, it is an act that is controlled by very many factors.