Comments on Chapter 3

Below are my follow-up comments on last Thursday's report on Chapter 3 of Crime Types.

Chapter 3: Violent Sex Crimes

A. Dabney opens by noting how sexual assault has a significant effect on the daily thoughts and actions of American women.

1. According to the NCVS for 2001, 250,000 women fell victim to some form of unwanted sexual advance.
2. It is estimated that some form of sexually assaultive action is present in 1 of every 10 violent crimes involving a female.
3. Surprisingly, however -- "Aside from murder, the crimes of rape and sexual assault occur with less regularity than any other form of violent crime." Collectively, rape and sexual assault offenses accounted for only a small fraction (4%) of the more than 5.9 million violent crime victimizations that occurred nationally, according to the NCVS in 2003.
4. Nonetheless, over a lifetime women have a 1 in 6 chance of being a victim of rape.
5. Also, reported rapes are one-third of NCVS figures, which is better than it used to be. Back in the 1960s the ratio was one in nine.

B. Dabney reviews various theories, which were brought out in the report. These appear on pp. 82-83 and you should know what they are. I simply want to make a couple critical remarks about a couple of the theories.

1. First, the gender inequality theory makes sense. However, if it predicts higher rates of rape in patriarchal societies where women are considered the sexual servants of men, this is contradicted by many Asian societies, such as Japan, which are patriarchal yet have very low rates of rape.

2. Also, I am a bit dubious about some of the evidence for the pornography theory. Correlating rape with the circulation rates of adult magazines in various states is hardly conclusive. There are so many other factors that could be considered as well.

C. Some other interesting statistics: (1) In 70% of all rapes and sexual assualts, the victim is known to the offender. (2) As you might imagine, drugs and alcohol are often involved -- in 46% of cases.

D. I was a bit surprised by a 1990 study (bottom, p. 85) which suggested that violent resistance to rape serves as an effective means of preventing rape completion and reducing the level of injuries sustained, which highlights the value of self-defense classes.

E. There is some confusion in recidivism numbers (p. 86). The overall recidivism rate of 42% (which would include being re-arrested for any crime) is low compared to other crime types. But then Dabney suggests that, according to one study, rapists are re-arrested for a sex crime at a high rate -- that one in ten rapists will be re-arrested for a similar crime at some point in the future. But that is only 10%, and I am not sure how that compares with other crimes. So I am not sure it is fair to say that is a high or disproportionate rate.


#6 "Riding the Bull at Gilley's"

A. This article poses a very basic question: is rape mainly attributable to "sick individuals" or a "sick culture." This article clearly challenges the psychopathology model and argues that rape is learned. (Which obviously suggests the possible application of Social Learning theory.)

1. Males being sexually aggressive is considered natural, normal. There is evidence of neutralization or rationalization of rape.

2. So, again, overall rape is seen as more a product of a "sick culture" than sick individuals.


#7 "Acquaintance Gang Rape on Campus"

A. Highlights the role of organizations such as fraternities.

B. Gang rape diminishes individual responsibility.

C. Participants often have very traditional values about sex roles.

D. Protective measures on campus are often aimed at "stranger rape," when we need to focus more on this acquaintance rape. One change needed being a profound attitudinal change among men.


#8 "Understanding Women's Experiences of Wife Rape"

A. This is a long descriptive piece which was covered in some detail in the class report. It basically dissects the motives of husbands who do this and the coping strategies of the victims. I believe it is important to note that only fairly recently has this come to be recognized as a criminal act.

B. Perhaps the "bottom line" might be that somehow men must be taught not to treat women as sex objects, even if they happen to be their wives.


That's all I have to add. Tomorrow we'll hear reports on Chapters 4 & 5. Remember, as I noted in class, I realize some families have lost members recently, so I expect there will be gaps in your reports. Just go ahead with what you originally planned to report on; you do NOT have to cover for family members who may have dropped out. AND ALSO REMEMBER THAT EVERYONE SHOULD BE READING THESE CHAPTERS AS WELL.