Chapter 17

Chapter 17 Sexual Coercion

Types of Rape • Stranger rape • Acquaintance rape • Date rape • Statutory rape

Prevalence of Rape • 11.9%-28% depending on study • 1 in 6 women, 3% of men • Underreported for many reasons – Victim’s self-blame or denial – Mistrust of police, legal system – Fear of retaliation from rapist – Concern about publicity

False Beliefs About Rape • • • • • •

“Women can’t be raped if they don’t want to be” “Women say no when they mean yes” “Many women ‘cry rape’” “All women want to be raped” “Rapists are obviously mentally ill” “Men can’t control their sexual urges”

Psychosocial Bases of Rape • Rape frequency influenced by the nature of relations between the sexes • Status of women • Boy’s attitudes – Rape-prone societies – Societies with no rape – Stereotyped gender roles – Peer group acceptance

Characteristics of Rapists • Embrace male-dominance • Anger toward women

• Alcohol may contribute • Self-centered; less sensitive • History of progressively more violent sexual offenses

Age Breakdown of Women Rape Victims

Acquaintance Rape: Role of Perceptions & Communication

• Sexual scripts • Misinterpretations & double messages • Nonverbal communication

• Justification

Aftermath of Rape • Initial feelings of shame, anger, fear, guilt, powerlessness • Self-blame • Physical symptoms frequently occur • Impaired sexual functioning • PTSD; distress developed after trauma • Less severe repercussions if counseling begun ASAP

Sexual Abuse of Children • Child-sexual abuse: adult sexual contact with a child • Sexual contact with a child is always coercive because children cannot give informed consent • Incest: with a relative • Pedophilia or molestation: with a non-relative

Sexual Abuse of Children • Prevalence – Girls – Boys

20-33% 9-16%

• Brother-sister & first cousin incest is most common • Father-daughter reported more & has greater negative impact