Experiences and cognitions of individuals who commit rape (original) (raw)
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Addictive Behaviors, 2011
Sexually coercive experiences, heavy alcohol use, and alcohol-related problems occur at relatively high base rates in college populations. As suggested by the self-medication hypothesis, alcohol consumption may be a means by which one can reduce negative affect or stress related to experiences of sexual coercion. However, few studies have directly tested the hypothesis that coping motives for drinking mediate the relation between sexual assault and problem drinking behaviors, and no published studies have tested this in men. The current study tested this hypothesis using structural equation modeling in a sample of 780 male and female undergraduates. Results revealed that coping motives partially mediated the relation between sexual coercion and drinking and alcohol-related negative consequences. In addition, direct and indirect paths between sexual coercion and drinking were found for men whereas only indirect paths were found for women. Results provide support for self-medication models of drinking and suggest the importance of exploring gender differences in mechanisms for drinking.
Under the influence? Considering the role of alcohol and sexual assault in social contexts
2014
Alcohol is a feature in a high proportion of sexual assaults. It appears that alcohol has a multi-faceted role in facilitating sexual assault. There are social and gender issues around alcohol consumption that perpetrators are able to exploit to their advantage. Alcohol is used as a tool by perpetrators to increase victim vulnerability and enhance their own confidence. Alcohol is used as an excuse by perpetrators to reduce their culpability and accountability. Alcohol may be consumed voluntarily by victims or perpetrators may coerce consumption or covertly administer alcohol. Alcohol on its own is not a causative factor for sexual assault but it acts together with social and cultural factors that influence behaviour in relation to social scripts and sexual interactions. KEY MESSAGES Alcohol has a culturally accepted place in social situations, particularly when young people congregate, however, it is also widely acknowledged that alcohol is often present in many sexual assaults that occur within these social contexts. Although there is extensive research on the link between alcohol and sexual assault, there is still a lack of clarity about the exact role that alcohol plays in facilitating this type of sexual violence. Perpetrators are able to use alcohol to their advantage in a number of ways. Clearly, alcohol is not a causative factor on its own, as many people drink without perpetrating violence. It seems most likely that alcohol acts in multiple ways and interacts with a range of social and individual factors to influence the perpetration of sexual assault. 2 | Australian Institute of Family Studies ACSSA Issues are peer-review publications.
Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2006
Previous research findings indicate that women suffer a variety of detrimental effects from exposure to violent pornography. This study used an experimental paradigm to examine the effects of a moderate alcohol dose and alcohol expectancies on women's acute reactions to a violent pornographic stimulus. A community sample of female social drinkers (N = 134) read an eroticized rape depiction after completing an alcohol administration protocol. As predicted, intoxicated participants were less likely to label the depicted events as rape than their sober counterparts. A path analytic model illustrated that participants' self-reported sexual arousal to the stimulus, as influenced by alcohol consumption and expectancies, resulted in increased rape myth congruent perceptions of the victim and decreased labeling of the incident as rape. Findings suggest that acute alcohol intoxication during violent pornography exposure may ultimately result in women developing more calloused attitudes toward rape and rape victims. Kelly Cue Davis, PhD, is a research scientist in the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington. Her research interests include the effects of alcohol on sexual decision making, sexual risk taking, and sexual violence. Jeanette Norris, PhD, is a senior research scientist at the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute at the University of Washington. Her areas of research include the role of alcohol in sexual risk taking, condom negotiation, sexual victimization, and sexual aggression. William H. George, PhD, is professor of psychology at the University of Washington and director of the UW Institute for Ethnic Studies in the United States. Much of his research focuses on understanding the effects of alcohol and alcohol expectancies on sexuality and sexual victimization. Joel Martell, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow in addictive behaviors at the University of Washington. His current research focuses on the effect of alcohol on men's perceptions of sexual assault. Julia R. Heiman, PhD, is director of the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, and professor of psychology and clinical psychiatry at Indiana University. She took over that post in June 2004, after 23 years at the University of Washington School of Medicine where she continues to collaborate on research projects. Her areas of research are sexual psychophysiology and related methods, sexual disorders, and treatment for sexual problems. Davis et al. / Violent Pornography and Alcohol 1223
Motives and Manifestations of Sex as Self-Injury
The Journal of Sex Research, 2019
To view destructive sexual behaviors as a form of self-injury is a new concept in the research field that needs further exploration and conceptualization. The aim of this study was to explore experiences of sex as self-injury to identify motives and manifestations of the behavior. An anonymous self-selected openended questionnaire was used for the study, and qualitative content analysis was used to identify patterns and themes in the text. A total of 199 informants participated in the study (M = 27.9, SD = 9.3 years), all of whom were recruited via a range of websites of Swedish nongovernmental organizations. Sex as self-injury was described as voluntary exposure to sexual situations including psychological and/or physical harm. Affect regulation and receiving positive or negative confirmation emerged as important motives for the behavior. Respondents described sex as self-injury as difficult to stop when it felt compulsive and addictive, with ever-higher risk-taking and self-harming described. Our findings indicate that sex as self-injury often includes deliberate sexual violence, and is similar to other self-injurious behaviors, including non-suicidal self-injury. Sex as self-injury needs to be addressed in healthcare, such as in psychiatry and gynecology departments, to prevent further traumatization.
A review of cognitive factors in the etiology of rape
Clinical Psychology Review, 1999
In the past decade, research into the etiology of rape has increasingly focused on cognitive variables. The studies reviewed in the present article provide evidence that men with a high proclivity to rape have more rape supportive attitudes, are more likely to consider victims to be responsible for rape, and are less knowledgeable about the negative impact of rape on the victims. These men tend to misperceive cues emitted by women in heterosocial interactions; fail to generate inhibitory self-verbalizations to suppress association of sex and aggression; and have more coercive, sexual fantasies. Furthermore, a high proclivity to rape is associated with a semantic network in which concepts of sex and power are closely linked in such a way that power cues are necessary precursors of sexual feelings. Multivariate studies suggest that rape-supportive attitudes interact with noncognitive factors in the etiology of rape. Implications for rape prevention and treatment of rapists are considered. Finally, methodological issues are discussed, and recommendations for future research are given. © 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd SEVERAL EPIDEMIOLOGICAL studies indicate an alarming prevalence of rape. In North American samples of college students (e.g., and in community samples (e.g., , about one in four women report to have been the victim of a rape or an attempted rape. About 15% of male college students report to have attempted at least once to have intercourse with an unwilling female (Koss et al.,
The Spanish journal of psychology, 2010
This study analyzed the strategy of college men who give alcohol to girls to facilitate their acceptance when pursuing sexual relationships. It also studied the role of attitudes towards sexual assaults (rape myths) in the social perception of this practice; finally, this research examined how the fact that, in some cases, college women accept taking alcohol in their interactions with college men was perceived. Participants were 349 heterosexual students (154 men and 195 women) from the University of Granada. 28% of males reported having given alcohol to females in order to have sexual contacts with them, while 44% of females acknowledged having suffered this practice. Men, compared to women, were more favourable to this practice; however, this effect was moderated by their rape myths endorsements. It was also found that males and, in general, those participants who endorsed rape myths, tended to consider that girls who accept alcohol in their interactions with boys are promiscuous.
Clinical Psychology Review
In the past decade, research into the etiology of rape has increasingly focused on cognitive variables. The studies reviewed in the present article provide evidence that men with a high proclivity to rape have more rape supportive attitudes, are more likely to consider victims to be responsible for rape, and are less knowledgeable about the negative impact of rape on the victims. These men tend to misperceive cues emitted by women in heterosocial interactions; fail to generate inhibitory self-verbalizations to suppress association of sex and aggression; and have more coercive, sexual fantasies. Furthermore, a high proclivity to rape is associated with a semantic network in which concepts of sex and power are closely linked in such a way that power cues are necessary precursors of sexual feelings. Multivariate studies suggest that rape-supportive attitudes interact with noncognitive factors in the etiology of rape. Implications for rape prevention and treatment of rapists are considered. Finally, methodological issues are discussed, and recommendations for future research are given. © 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd SEVERAL EPIDEMIOLOGICAL studies indicate an alarming prevalence of rape. In North American samples of college students (e.g., and in community samples (e.g., , about one in four women report to have been the victim of a rape or an attempted rape. About 15% of male college students report to have attempted at least once to have intercourse with an unwilling female (Koss et al.,
Causal Attributions and Recovery from Rape: Implications for Counseling
One factor related to postrape trauma is the survivor's belief about the cause of the rape. Most research to date on the relation between causal attributions and postrape recovery has been guided by a theoretical model which proposes that certain types of self-blame can be adaptive for survivors. Specifically, behavioral self-blame is thought to be related to better adjustment because it is associated with a sense of future control. On the other hand, characterological self-blame involves attributions to aspects of self that cannot be changed, and hence cannot be seen as helpful. Moreover, and more often, thinking about why the rape occurred is associated with greater depression immediately postrape. This study examined the relations between attributions and recovery among female students raped an average of almost 9 years previously. Data were collected on 282 female undergraduate students, 60 of whom reported experiences that met the legal definition of rape. Participants who had been raped completed five 5-item Likert scales regarding their attributions about rape (behavioral self-blame, characterological self-blame, how often they thought about why the rape occurred, the extent to which the past rape was avoidable, and likelihood of future rape). Results indicated both behavioral and characterological self-blame are associated with poorer recovery for survivors of rape. Neither behavioral self-blame nor perceptions of past control were associated with the belief that future rapes are less likely. Future research thus should examine future control beliefs. Helping survivors achieve a sense of control over the future may be a more useful counseling strategy than focusing on why the rape occurred.
Self-Blame in Rape Victims: A Control-Maintenance Strategy
Two types of self-blame were investigated: characterological self-blame, corresponding to the popular negative view of self-blame; and behavioral self-blame, representing a positive attempt to reestablish a belief in control. Results of a questionnaire completed by rape crisis centers located across the country attest to the pervasiveness of self-blame among rape victims, yet indicate that victims of rape are far more likely to engage in behavioral self-blame than characterological self-blame. (Author)