NCJ Number
46113
Journal
SIGNS - JOURNAL OF WOMEN IN CULTURE AND SOCIETY Volume: 3 Issue: 2 Dated: (WINTER 1977) Pages: 423-435
Date Published
1977
Length
13 pages
Annotation
A REVIEW OF RESEARCH BASED ON PSYCHOANALYTICAL, SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL AND FEMINIST THEORETICAL ORIENTATIONS IS PRESENTED. THE EFFECTS OF A TRADITIONALLY MALE-DOMINATED PSYCHOLOGY ON RAPE RESEARCH APPROACHES IS EMPHASIZED.
Abstract
FREUDIAN/PSYCHOANALYTICAL THEORY, IN GENERAL, IGNORED THE NOTION OF MALE CULPABLITY AND SUGGESTED THAT RAPE WAS BASICALY VICTIM-PRECIPITATED. MUCH OF THE FREUDIAN-ORIENTED RESEARCH WAS AIMED AT IDENTIFYING PSYCHOPATHOLOGY IN THE SEX OFFENDER. THIS WAS OFTEN SEEN AS THE RESULT OF AN ABERRATION IN PSYCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENT. A NUMBER OF STUDIES OF SEX OFFENDERS FOUND RAPISTS TO BE THE MOST ADJUSTED OF SEX OFFENDERS. PROJECTIVE MEASURES OF PSYCHOPATHOLOBY, SUCH AS THE RORSCHACH OR THE THEMATIC APPERCEPTION TEST, OFTEN FAILED TO DIFFERENTIATE AMONG SEX OFFENDERS OR BETWEEN SEX OFFENDERS AND THE CONTROLS. WHILE RAPISTS WERE OFTEN CHARACTERIZED AS LACKING SOCIAL SKILLS AND EVIDENCING IMPULSIVENESS AND IRRESPONSIBILITY AS WELL AS CONFUSION IN PSYCHOSEXUAL SELF-CONCEPT AREAS, THEY WERE NOT GENERALLY CHARACTERIZED IN SEXUAL ACTIVITY AS SEXUALLY DEVIANT. STUDIES OF TREATMENT OUTCOME INDICATED THAT GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY AND AVERSIVE CONDITIONING COULD BE USED TO REHABILITATE SEX OFFENDERS. A LARGE NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL STUDIES OF RAPISTS FURTHER IDENTIFIES WOMEN AS PRECIPITATORS OF RAPE. CAUSES OF RAPE HAVE VARIOUSLY BEEN TRACED TO DOMINATING MOTHERS AND WIVES IN GENERAL, AND TO PREGNANT WIVES IN IN PARTICULAR, WHO DEPRIVE THEIR HUSBANDS OF SEXUAL FULFILLMENT, OR TO OTHER WOMEN WITH PROVACATIVE AND MASOCHISTIC TENDENCIES. SUCH A PERSPECTIVE DERIVED FROM A DEROGATORY SOCIETAL VIEW OF WOMEN CONCEIVED BY A MALE-DOMINATED CULTURE AND PSYCHOLOGY. THE VIEW WAS SHARED, PROMULGATED, AND REFLECTED IN THEIR RESEARCH DESIGNS. RESEARCH IN THE 1960'S DEVOTED TO RAPISTS TYPOLOGIES IDENTIFIED MOTIVATIONAL THEMES UNDERLYING RAPE RATHER THAN SPECIFIC CATEGORIES. SEVERAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY STUDIES HAVE CENTERED ON THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG ATTRIBUTION TO THE VICTIM OF THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CRIME, VICTIM LOCUS OF CONTROL (E.G., CONTROL BY SELF OR BY ANOTHER), SPECTATOR REACTIONS TO RAPE, ATTITUDES TOWARD RAPE, VICTIM/RAPIST PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS, STATES OF SEXUAL AROUSAL, AND VICTIM RESISTANCE VS. RAPISTS FORCE. HOWEVER, SUCH RESEARCH HAS BEEN CRITICIZED AS INAPPLICABLE TO SETTINGS OTHER THAN THE LABORATORY AND HAS GENERALLY AVOIDED ISSUES OF STEREOTYPICAL AND SEXIST SOCIALIZATION. FEMINISM HAS RENDERED RAPE RESEARCH BOTH MORE LEGITIMATE AND MORE LUCRATIVE AMONG HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. SUCH STUDIES HAVE EMPHASIZED THE ROLE OF POWER, CULTURAL STEREOTYPING AND EXPECTATIONS, AND THE VICTIM'S POSTRAPE RESPONSES AND THEIR TREATMENT. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT FUTURE RESEARCH WILL REQUIRE THAT SEX-BIASED SCIENTIFIC METHODOLOGIES AND THEORIES BE ABANDONED. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (JAP)