Perspectives on Date Rape Rape and Sexual Assault
- Slides: 10
Perspectives on Date Rape
Rape and Sexual Assault of College Students Source: 2003 Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report (NCVS 1995 -2000) n Relationship to victim – 74% known – 23% stranger n Perceived using drugs or alcohol – 41% perceived using – 40% perceived not using – 20% don’t know
A 1988 Survey of College Women Had unwanted sex activity (not intercourse) due to verbal pressure Had unwanted sex activity (not intercourse) due to force (held down) Had unwanted intercourse attempted after taking drugs or alcohol Had unwanted intercourse completed by force (held down) 44% 13% 12% 8% 9%
Rape and Sexual Assault of College Students Source: 2003 Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report (NCVS 1995 -2000) n Police Notification – 12% reported to police – 86% not reported to police – 1% don’t know n Who reported to police – 73% victim – 27% someone else
Rape on Campus n Few women report the crime to police n Almost half keep it completely secret n Why so little reporting? – Few define the event as rape – Friends’ interpretations and advice are very influential
A Cultural Explanation n Male socialization – Frequent sex is a sign of masculinity – Men are taught to separate sex from love – Women are depicted as objects for pleasure – Men are expected to be the aggressor in sex – Men expect sex under certain conditions n Are these tendencies exacerbated within fraternities? (reading)
A Controversial View n Does “no” always mean no? n Token resistance – Women sometimes say “no” when they mean “yes” or “maybe” n 70% of women have done this at some time
Reasons for Token Resistance Fear of appearing promiscuous Practical reasons (fear of pregnancy) Desire to be the one in control Emotional, religious, moral reasons Get partner more aroused Uncertain about partner’s feelings Embarrassed about own body 90% 87% 75% 61% 56% Fear of sexually transmitted disease 34% From Muehlenhard and Hollanbaugh, 1988
Mixed Messages About Sex n Sexual fantasies – Many couples pretend coercion during sex – 40% of female college students fantasize about coercive sex § (Loren and Weeks, 1986)
His Role: “Token Affection” n What messages does he give in order to convince her to have sex? n How do his messages contribute to token resistance?
