Adult Sexual Assault Flashcards
Problems with convictions as a measure of extent of sexual assault
Only 5% convicted
How many women are raped every year in UK (BCS, 2001)?
47,000
Percentage of women that have been raped since age 16 (BCS, 2001)?
5%
Percentage of girls who have friends whose bfs pressured them into sex (EVAW, 2006)?
47%
1 in 4 women experience sexual violence with their _____ (WHO, 2002)?
Partner
Parkhill and Abbey (2008) created which victimisation survey?
Sexual experiences survey
Who were the SES participants?
358 US male undergrads
What did the SES find?
58% men reported sex without consent of women and 52% while drunk
What were the SES items?
Sex play, using position of power
People at highest risk of sexual assault are:
Women 16-24, single, black, individualistic culture, alcohol involved
Offender characteristics
16-30, low SES, 50% married, 60% one child
Cowburn et al (2008) sex offenders in Uk prison:
8,106 in uk prison- 82% White; 55% over 40
According to AIUK (2007), % of victims that know the suspect?
85%
Typical sex offence characteristics in UK
55% in homes, May-November, Saturday, 8pm-2am
Groth et al (1977) rapist characteristics
Power assurance, power assertive, anger-relataliatory, anger-excitement
What is a power-assured rapist?
Dealing with insecurity over masculinity- COMMON
What is a power assertive rapist?
Expression of power over women, confident
What is an anger-retaliatory rapist?
High anger towards women; 40%
What is an anger-excited rapist?
Pleasure and sexual excitement from distressing victim; LEAST common (5%)
Rape motivations (Scully and Marlorra, 1985) according to 114 rapists:
Revenge and punishment, added bonus, date rape, impersonal sex and power, adventure
Scully and Marolla (1985) rape motivation results
86% guilty, 1% concerned for victim
The Massacheucetts Treatment Centre for Rape classification system
Opportunism, pervasive anger, sadistic sexuality, vindictiveness
Rape characteristics benefits
Good for profiling, to know the level of threat of suspect
Rape characteristics limitations
No comparisons between rapists and non-rapists, specific- can’t generalise to all rapists, change in public beliefs e.g. Feminist approach
The integrated approach to sexual assault was proposed by:
Marshall and Barbaree (1990)
Three factors of the integrated approach
- Influx of androgens e.g testosterone at adolescence
- Learn to distinguish aggression and sexual impulses
- Control aggressive impulses during sex
Developmental vulnerability (integrated approach)- vulnerability, adolescence and rejection
Role of attachment: (abuse = insecure attachment which has long term consequences- low self esteem, low self-efficacy)
Witnessing domestic violence- catch misogyny and avoid intimate relationships
5 causal factors of developmental experiences in the integrated approach:
Developmental vulnerability, Challenge of adolescence, rejection, situational factors
Situations factors in the integrated approach:
Disinhibitors, opportunity and circumstances
Positives of the integrated theory (Ward et al 2006)
Good focus on developmental processes and attachment
Clinical utility of integrated approach
Focus on developmental factors useful for assessment; reminder for clinicians to include cultural factors
Criticism of the integrated approach (Ward et al, 2006)
Mistake to explain all types of sexual offending with one theory (Ward et al, 2006)
Doesn’t explain the onset of late offending (Abel et al, 1985)
Ignores role of social factors e.g. Gender inequality, availability of porn
Evolutionary perspective was developed by
Thornhill and Palmer (2000)
Evolutionary perspective proposition
Men are all potential rapists
Hard wired in male brain
Rape is a reproductive act, an outcome of natural selection
Men have added ability to calculate cost benefit before raping
5 Limitations of evolutionary approach
- Based on uncritical analogies of scorpion flies and human CRIME of rape
- Doesn’t explain male on male rape
- Can’t explain offences against elderly
- Domestic violence- excluded
- Difficulty explaining fatal violence in some rapes
Feminist perspective prior views (Edwards, 1987)
Rape because of patriarchy
Current feminist approach
Male dominance can be maintained without direct force or violence- need to look beyond personality traits and at rape myths
Amnesty international (2005) victims:
36% victims believe rape was their fault
Who expanded the SES?
Abbey et al (2005)
What did the expanded SES include?
Advantage over intoxication, replaced position of authority with telling lies, making promises and guilt/displeasure/anger
What did expanded SES study (Abbey et al 2008) hypothesise?
Asking about strategy would enhance recall for VICTIMS and asking about type of sex would enhance recall for PERPETRATORS
What did expanded SES study (Abbey et al 2008) find?
69% men- tactics first- reported at least 1 perpetration experience compared to 36% type of sex
Lea and Auburn (2001) Nathan rapist characteristics:
Believed rape myths, dominant, misinterpreted questions of women as consent
Implications for treatment of rape crime:
Distinguish between rape and sex; don’t pathologize offenders and don’t ignore gender powered relations
Prevention for sexual offences advice by Parkhill and Abbey (2008):
Non-threatening and target young men (specifically who start to engage in crimes since they are at high risk of sexual violence)
Problems with official reports of sexual assault
2/3rds are false
