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hink about the typical rape. What do
you think of? When asked to write about
the typical rape, college students often write
scripts about a very physically violent offence
that occurs outdoors, at night, and between
strangers. The rapist is completely at fault and
the victim is blameless. Participants expect
the rape victim to experience considerable
psychological damage. Research also has
shown that people may have several rape
scripts (e.g., a date rape script, a fraternity
rape script, a sex-gone-too-far rape script).
However, the prototypical rape is still thought
to be the extreme rape. The continued
presence of an extreme rape script and many
myths impairs the ability to correctly label
most sexual aggression as rape.
rape
An honest
conversation
ABOUT
By Kathy Ryan, Ph.D.
Perceptions that rape is violent may be
fostered by the media attention given to more
violent incidents. It may also be true that when
we think of crimes, we tend to stereotype them
in their more extreme forms. The reality is
that most rapes involve less extreme physical
aggression. Rape is the use of threats, physical
force, or incapacitation to have sex with
someone. The sex could be vaginal or anal
penetration, penetration with an object, or
oral sex that is forced upon the victim. Most
rapists do not use weapons or savagely beat
or kill their victims. In fact, most rapists do not
believe that they have raped. Defining rape too
narrowly allows less physically violent forms
to go unrecognized and it encourages the
perpetration of rape.
T
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LYCOMING COLLEGE 2015 SUMMER MAGAZINE
P E R S P E C T I V E S