Rape is Not Motivated by Sex

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Rape is Not Motivated by Sex

Introduction

Rape is not a new phenomenon. The act of forcing someone to engage in sex against his or her will dates back many years. However, the motivation behind it has remained a controversy. Though it seems that rapists are after sex, the argument that violence is predominantly behind rape has, in recent times, become a widely held view.

It is estimated that 371 out of 100,000 women will become the victims of rape each year. Incidences can reach as high as one-in-four when attempted rape and coercion are also considered. This number does not take into account rapes that go unreported. The underreporting of this crime is a result of a number of reasons that are related to the ways in which rape is perceived and defined. The definition of rape is very important when asking "Is rape motivated by sex". If it is defined as one person forcing another into unwanted sexual intercourse with him or her, the idea that sex is the motive, is valid. On the other hand, if it is defined as simply a sexual violation of a person, other behaviors, such as rape with objects, can be taken into account and provide validity to the argument that rape is a crime of violence.

Statement of the Question

"Is Rape Motivated by Sex?"

"Yes" Answers

The need for sex has long been considered a natural human necessity. Human beings have an innate drive to reproduce. Rape has evolved over millennia of human history, along with courtship, sexual attraction and other behaviors related to the production of offspring. In seventeenth -- century Holland, women even married their rapists, who sometimes raped the objects of their affection.

Men are more likely to act on these feelings, which is why men rapists outnum...

... middle of paper ...

...e." National Review. (February 2001) 3.

8. Pino, Nathan W. "Gender Differences in Rape Reporting". Sex Roles: A Journal of Research. (June 1999): 10

9. Salaam, Kiini Ibura. "Navigationg to No!". Essence. (April 2000): 5

10. Sevicik, Kim. "These Women Were All Raped". Marie Claire. (March 2001):128.

11. Simonson, Kelly. "Rape perception as a function of gender -- role traditionality and victim -- perpetrator association". Sex Roles: A Journal of Research. (April 1999):12

12. Tanenbaum, Leora. "Boys Will Be Boys". Women's Review of Books. (October 1997):

13. Thornhill, Randy. "Why Men Rape". Sciences. (January 2000): 9

14. Von Der Heijden, Manon. "Women as victims of sexual and domestic violence in seventeenth -- century Holland: criminal cases of rape, incest, and maltreatment in Rotterdam and Delft". Journal of Social History. (Spring 2000) 21

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