Why does Rape exist?

[SIXVI06-M]

Ok this is a sensative issue I know, I know that rape is a very bad thing and I am in no way trying to downplay it

anyway I was just thinking, from mabye a natural or evolutionry pespective why does rape exist? has it got somthing to do with family bonds?

Mabye the definition of "rape" was very different in prehistoric times, do you supose it was still traumatic then?

I mean I know it can having somthing to do with asserting dominance, particually man on man

As far as I would assume- it's purely desperation - in our hypersexualised society and our already sexually wired psyche (which feed into one another) - there is something terribly unsound about the way a more impressionable person would be affected by this.

All that perceived tempting and taunting from the social forces around them. And of course- depending on upbringing, you will either be wired to find it repugnant or actually entertain the idea.

For all those people who say it's all about power and dominance; I would pose to you then a question - what of a brother that would go as far as raping his own sister? I know someone whom this has happened to - and I doubt it is anything about power. It was just the sheer ineptitude of impulse control, social standards, moral standards, and complete lack of role-model and guidance - but by and far- it is the decision of one who had already subscribed to the potential for such an action and is just waiting for an opportunity to enact it.

There's a lot more to it than just 'power' and 'dominance'. In fact- I would even go as far as to refute that most are about power and dominance, and more about sheer desperation and an absolute lack of integrity and disdain for life and life alike.

In the brother/sister case...it's still a power issue. Perhaps with someone with a sociopathic mentality, the appearance of another sibling in a household is a threat to one's security; a threat that one has no control over. Thus the advent of the rapist mentality in such a person. Maybe they feel like mom/dad love them more? Maybe they feel like his sister is more apt to be successful? Maybe they are just plain annoyed with her? I'm speaking from case studies here, it's usually not a sexual attraction thing; for some people, life is discharging their power unto a weaker entity. Machiavelli was right.

That's a lot of textbook assumptions.

There was a lot of cooing and comforting and even a trade being made about some things as 'concessions' even though the sister was not consenting - she was simply too young to fight back or say no - she was weaker yes, but that is not the cause, that was just merely one mitigating condition.

There was a lot of coaxing and fleshing out for an opportunity to do this.

The father is an abusive prick and cares little what the brother does. The sister cops a lot of abuse as it is.

The brother just wanted to fuck his sister because he wanted to fuck his sister.

To be honest- I find the whole 'power and dominance' theory to be atrociously insulting to rape-victims and sounds more like an excuse to use a more civil sounding rationalisation than just a sheer act of unadulterated barbarism. Power and dominance is already an assumed aspect - it's already being fulfilled, if not, it would never even come to mind. We already do things we are capable of - what is really missing is everything that is leading up to the reason for the decision to do it in the end.

 

[RodeyCap]

You kind of just said what I've been saying the whole time. Yeah, the person that does it is already powerful enough to do it, but it's just about showing someone else that they can do it; making them feel the effects of it; in their minds, "putting them in their place". There's a difference between knowledge that you can commit the act and actually doing the act. I know that I can make an accurate shot from great distance with iron sights, yet I go and do it nearly every weekend because I like to display that ability; show them that I've actually got the "goods" so to speak. Yeah, that's a really, really poor example...but it's the thing that first came to mind. You can see it in everything from sports to video games (I defy you to refute the power/dominance thing when it comes to XBL/epeen issues). It's a popular theory because it rings true.

Okay, the brother wanted to have sex with the sister, she didn't want to, but he did it anyway. How is that not a power issue? We're arguing semantics. It was him saying: "I don't care what you say, this is the way I want to do things, that's how we're going to do them, deal with it." Yeah, it was a sexual crime, but the motivation behind it wasn't purely sexual. With the coaxing (again, I'm a criminology student, currently an intern with the investigative branch of a mid-size midwestern city), it kind of makes me think that he's a "game playing" criminal; again, these are people that like to show their power, but do so in a way that gives them a heightened experience due to the fact that they feel like they've solved some kind of psychological/social labyrinth. It's the same rush that we as gamers get when we figure out a new strategy.

The father being an abusive prick is just another piece of the puzzle to slide in. No wonder that the brother adopted a sociopathic mindset, and if the father displayed violence towards the sister or the mother, it only served to instill the belief that this kind of behavior is the norm. That doesn't make it excusable, but it's likely a pretty accurate interpretation of what went down psychologically speaking.

Now, are some sex crimes truly sexually motivated? Absolutely. Deviant fetishists are a prime example. I sincerely do not believe that child molesters and the ilk are 100% power driven; they have a truly warped attraction that was created via a number of possible reasons. Some rapists apply to this. There is no "one-size-fits-all" formula for crime, no matter what CSI or NCIS presents; so there is margin for error and wiggle room when an investigator seeks to apply a hypothesis as to the motivation for a crime.

 

[SIXVI06-M]

Rape is a crime of dominance.

For the most part, it has nothing to do with sex.

I'm surprised so many Escapist don't know that.

Actually that's a very hotly contested viewpoint. The jury's still out on that so I'd not take it as gospel truth. The 'rape as power' theory is a product of several feminist scholars and is not the only theory, it's just received the most support because it sounds better than 'some people just want to fuck and don't care if you say yes', it's a view point that people find it easier to accept because it lets them feel that they're not capable of being a rapist.

I wholly agree with you - I see so many people recite the "it's a power/dominance thing" as if they all went to the same school, read it from the same book, eat the same cereal and wear the same clothes off the same department rack.

I agree that that theory in particular is just an excuse to find a 'rational' explanation behind it - something nice and civil sounding, and far detached from the very nature and cringeworthy act itself and foregoes too many factors by attributing it to one definitive trait.

I don't think it is something ANYONE can or should speculate or theorise about until they've had first to second hand experience of it. And even then, no one can get a whole answer- and there is a very good possibility that some people may not accept a far more detestable sounding motive.

And as mentioned before- I find it insulting. For something that has seemingly been approached so academically - I can't believe that they would still find a way to 'intellectualise' such a heinous act - dress it up so it's less than it seems, and better looking than what it actually is.

Rape is rape - power or not, you're already using power if you were able to rape somebody; it is still by and large a sexually charged act - and most prominently a gross perversion of another person. It can be read in too many ways, but it is simply not fair to pidgeonhole it to one simplistic trait.

 

[Niea]

The brother just wanted to fuck his sister because he wanted to fuck his sister....

Rape is rape - power or not, you're already using power if you were able to rape somebody; it is still by and large a sexually charged act - and most prominently a gross perversion of another person. It can be read in too many ways, but it is simply not fair to pidgeonhole it to one simplistic trait.

But the essence of the act is: person x wants to carry out action x, with out any regard or caring about how person y feels. It's a manifestation of the ability to project one's desires upon to others (Power) and controlling the situation to achieve one's desired results (dominance) even in the face of opposition.

This type of human expression is really basic, and is present in many different behaviors and intensities. From the psychopathic capitalist who just wants to make as much money as possible to the guy who wants to pass the car in from of him in traffic to the president of a country who wants to invade a neighboring country to fight the "red menace", even to the kid who wants ice cream and is going to complain until s/he gets what s/he wants. Rape is not about the act of sex, it is about desire, power, and dominance.

I agree it is an act that involves the physical act of sex, but I feel that in it self does not make it inherently worse. More so, it is the fact that rape is incredibly damaging and rapists just don't care about that damage as long as they get what they want vs something like robbing a rich person does not do much damage but still is an expression of projecting one's will upon another with out consent. I guess I mean, on order to rape you have to be psychopathic or something similar vs robbing a rich person because the amount of damage caused by rape is so so intense. In the end though, it's still about the attitude of power, privilege, and dominance. If these mindsets were eliminated there wouldn't be rape, murder, robbery, social inequality etc etc...

 

[Ace of Spades]

For the same reason that I was bullied as a child, and a lot of other bad things happen for no reason. You're essentially asking the age-old question of "From whence come evil?" It's pretty simple actually. Some people are just dickheads.

 

[Censorme]

It's a build-up of sexual frustration that explodes into action.
The only way we could mate with the women in caveman times was rape.

Now that we have law and order (morals for the weak to make themselves feel better), it is simply criminal to rape.

Why some people still do it? Read "Lord of the Flies" or "The heart of darkness".
Mental disorder. Degeneration. It's potential is in all of us.

Just make sure you are protected when law and order is gone.
I know I will arm my women to the teeth.

I disagree, Not every sexual encounter in "caveman times" (and by that I mean us, homosapians) was rape, thats redicualous, there was still mating anf family bonds and such, tribal culture and giving children best hopes of survivng

with animals I mimage the line between rape and mating would be more blurry

anyway as I have learned and many people have said, alot of the time its about power rather than simply sexual lust

plus Im not sure I agree witht he veiw that underneith every normal person there is a rapist lying dormant, sure we can all be capable of great and horrible things given the right circumstances but that dose not automatically= rape

Of course we had family bonds and tribalism. Of course we protected children.
You seem to be confused with how "The act" came about. You think the cavemen and women went on little dates and spent massive amounts of time together before they got married?
You didn't even know what sex was!! we DID. You were all like "Woah, what are doing sticking THAT in there?! Get off me!", eventually submitting (probably easier if you were in heat).

As for "life-long" mating and partner bonds, well....,"If I see you trying to hump my woman, I'm going to club you", sort of thing. Tough luck if our backs are turned. With the evolution of tribalism and language came a greater protection from rape because of norms and communication, but until then (and even after), if you got raped, YOU GOT RAPED.

Don't you get it? We ARE animals. Who are these many people? Do they think rape is a joke or a way of bullying? Lust and dominance are synonymous. We LUST for dominance. Some of us don't look pretty or can't smooth-talk our way out of a paper bag. How do men prove their manhood then? Even today, someone who can't get laid is considered weak.

Underneath every person is someone TERRIBLE, we agree. How do you know for sure it doesn't automatically mean rape though? If we're in the mood and we catch you off-guard in a place where no one can hear you, then it's go-time. I can't imagine who would pass up the opportunity in a time where law and order (dangers) are gone.