Is Rape a Product of Sexual Desire, or the Exercise of Power - Essay Example

Is rape a product of sexual desire, or the exercise of power? Introduction Rape has always been a contentious topic in most settingsand generations. This specific field arouses different opinions that vary considerably to make the vice, or whatever one holds it to be, one of the societal concerns that has no definitive approach and conception. What one deems about rape is likely very separate from the thought of another, even where those expressing their views are very similar; same gender, age, community, generation, and so forth (Groth, Burgess & Holmstrom, 1977). The interest from the legal framework in the United Kingdom, and the rest of the world, on rape moreover adds to the stands taken. The question whose answer would go a long way to understanding the specific details of rape is whom among all the informants should be heeded most. Maybe if the definition of rape from the victims would be more revealing than from any other. However, isn’t it the culprit who is the active party in the deed and hence more edifying? Maybe it would be appropriate to shun both their views and seek that of a neutral party to avert bias. Either way, the ultimate result will be that of different views as it were in the starting point. It may also be seen as the construction of a maze in order to solve another. The aim of this essay is to evaluate rape from two predetermined standpoints; as a product of sexual desire or as an exercise of power. Notably, this narrows the angles one can view the deed by restricting the literature to precise concepts of criminology and victimization. In order to appropriately respond to the thesis in question, this work will strive to establish the motivators behind the rapes and verify why they can either be cited to be fuelled by sexual desire or exercise of power. Sexual Desires Vs. Exercise of Power The view that perceives rape as a consequence of sexual desires asserts that the act and what it ultimately causes is triggered by uncontrollable sexual desires that overrun the ability of one to restrain. This stand is particularly so because the male gender is culpable of most rape incidents, and their sexual desires are viewed to be somewhat uncontrollable as compared to those of their female counterparts. About 20% of the population in the United Kingdom has undergone a rape scenario, and only about 3% of this share comprises of male victims (Barber 2011). Another aspect to secure desire as a reason behind rape is that the women, or those raped, play a part in the act by inciting the culprits. Indecent clothing has in many instances been cited as the cause of rape or incidents of sexual harassment as many contend that such ways arouse the sexual desires of some individuals who may not be in a position to control the way in which they react. In a way, citing sexual desire as the motivator for rape takes away part of the blame from the culprit. It is a form of excuse that cites nature of humans instead of the individual culprit. On the other hand, the view that rape is an expression or exercise of power holds the culprit more responsible for the act. It is seen as an unjust act by those who hold more power over others. It is appropriate to state that most people do view rape in this context. The ability of one to be more likely to overpower a victim means that they will be more likely to rape them. It would be virtually impossible to rape a person who is more powerful taking into account that the victim is likely to resist and overpower the culprit. Power in this case can be viewed in many forms such as influence or just muscle, the initial is more applicable. For instance, the case of Jimmy Savile being in a position to sexual assault and rape about a thousand individuals without being questioned about it is an illustration of rape as a result of exercise of power (Boffey 2014). The overall stand in this context is that rape is a consequence of a depravity on the part of those responsible as compared to the blame on human nature (Beech, Ward & Fisher 2006). The stand taken in the end is imperative as it dictates other outcomes such as the provisions by the legal system, the societal understanding of rape, and also how both the culprits and victims think of themselves. Criminology and Victimization theories By narrowing the area of view on rape to just two that mainly incorporate the standpoints of the culprit and the victim, fulfilling the rationale of this work can be achieved by assessing criminology and victimization concepts and what they provide in this regard. Theories of Criminology These theories try to understand the reasons behind the actions taken by criminals. In this case, these theories will be used to try and understand why rapists act as they do. By identifying whether the motive behind a rape incident is because of either because of the inability of one to control themselves or because of ill intent will be key to demystifying this dilemma between sexual desire and exercise of power (Seigel 2006). The Positivist theory of criminology holds that criminals are not always in control of their actions, as they may be abnormal in intelligence, be incited or any other form of aspects that make them unable to control they actions. This concepts holds that those that commit rape do not do so in the conscious self, but are overpowered by their sexual desires to do so. A person with high desires cannot be held as accountable as a person in control of what they do from a sexual point of view. By arousing their sexual desires in ways such as the dressing code or any other way, they are no longer in a position to take hold of their actions (Seigel 2006). The choice theory does not concur with these views as it provides that offender weigh in the odds of committing a crime as compared to the price they will pay for it. In other words, offenders commit crime as an exercise of power. In an instance that one will feel secure enough to commit an offence (rape) on the basis of holding more power over the victims, they will do so. This theory favours the view that rape is a result of an exercise of power. The classical theory of criminology equally supports the provisions of the choice concept in that acts such as rape are extensively deliberated before they are committed. The key concept embedded within the theory is that one will do so once they have weighed in the pros and cons of doing so before taking any action. The decision to commit rape is based on the numerous advantages one gets as opposed to the minimal detrimental outcomes that may arise. Concisely, the decision to rape or not rape is deliberated on the affects it has on one-self with total disregard of the victim; exercise of power over them (Seigel 2006). The strain concept holds that individuals try to achieve goals in life by putting as much effort into it. However, not all that do so are in a position to rip the rewards that they would desire. The expectations that people had and worked towards do not always come to be. The ultimate outcome is that such individuals may be lured to make their expectations to pass in the inappropriate way. Acquaintance rape is common in the United Kingdom as people try to achieve long held aspirations in a way that shows both their determination and desperation (Seigel 2006). Theories of Victimization These are concepts that are solely aimed at understanding the reasons as to why the individuals that become victims end up like so. In comprehending this in the context of rape, it is possible to establish whether sexual desires or exercise of power is to blame for incidents of rape. One of the most utilised theory in victimization is that of active precipitation. The concepts holds that acts such as rape are done as the offender is prompted by the victim to do so. Although the offenders are capable of doing the act in question, they are not willingly going to do so unless they are incited to by the victim. Again, the issue of sexual desires arises. In a case where the victims acts in a way to arouse the offender, it may be stated that the act of rape that may result is a consequence of sexual desires and can be explained under the active precipitation theory of victimization (Seigel 2006). The lifestyle concept is also very supportive of the idea that the victim plays a major role in determining their selection for the offence. Since the area of concern in this case is that of rape, it may be hence be cited that the victim’s choice of lifestyle is a major contributor for them being targeted. Their lifestyles have to encompass activities that may leave others sexually aroused. The assumption in this case, as it were in the first, is that sexual desires are the key cause of rape. Most of the victimization theories cite that the victim plays a key role in the act, even though she may be unaware of it. However, it is possible to view the stands taken above on a different platform. For instance, maybe the reason that the victim is raped is not because of active precipitation but because the offender wants to exercise power over that individual. The same can be said of the lifestyle concept. The fact is that it is very intricate to judge such cases and the key reason behind them (Seigel 2006). The Differing Views If the views of the theories were overlooked for a while and more focus was paid to the views of others, different angles to understand the matter may be conceived. There is an apparent divide in the way different individuals understand the issue of rape. In fact, the term rape qualifies to be the term for some when relating to an incident while it does not qualify for others (Terry, Giotakos, Tsiliakou & Ackerman 2010). When forced sex is done by acquaintances on women in the United Kingdom, most do not even consider it as rape; there are a few who do though. This divide is what complicates the issue of establishing a definitive stand for rape. Maybe for some rape is not seen as un-consensual sexual encounter, but one that is violent with a stranger. Most women regard forced sex by a stranger but an acquaintance does not qualify to the awarded the label seeing that they are not strangers (Anderson & Swainson 2001). An angle that may help understand rape is that of the cases reported case and those estimated to be occurring. Many people do not report rape cases as a result of a wide array of reasons. The big question here is what would become of the incident once it is reported. Proving that one was raped in a task that is overwhelming to many who may be have undergone the experience because the meaning of rape may differ from that of an individual and the legal system. The outcomes that one may wish the case to bring about may hence be unachievable. Those who go ahead and report incidences of rape face more handles than the ones of living with it; proving to the court that indeed one was raped is an obstacle that most find very challenging to overcome. Although the law contend that rape is where there is sexual contact without mutual consent, it also allows one to defend themselves at all costs. It is difficult to fight back where one is overly overpowered by the offender, but it is a necessity if at all one wants to seek legal help after the incident. There is also the fear in some that taking the case to cause will also punish them to some extent because rape to some is not an incident one should publicise (Polaschek & Ward, 2002). The victim, offender, legal system, and the society all have differing views towards rape are all different. Each wants the matter handled in a specific way that the other parties do not contend with. These are some of the concerns that makes the entire even more complex than it was initially. Discussion In the case above, the victim is likely to view rape as exercise of power and so are the legal system. The society is a bit separated on the matter but the victim is likely to cite sexual desires as the cause of the incident. Even after taking the matter further by taking into account the views of others, the stands taken will surpass the restricted possible responses. This is the drawback that the work brings about. The number of responses and views towards rape are very diverse. Taking the thesis of this work to be whether rape is a predetermined act or one that is actively precipitated may have more inclined towards the initial perspective which in turn means that it is an exercise of power (Jackson, 1978). Another angle to deliberate the matter is to analyse the matter from a point of view that strives to establish the view that should be heeded. Who among all the above parties should the views on rape be heeded? By identifying the individual with the most knowledge on the matter, it is easier to define the deed as either caused by sexual desire or exercise of power. The only complication with this approach would be to place a finger on the most suited to provide their views as each seems to have a credible cause to do so. Conclusion Every approach taken to establish whether rape is an actions that results from sexual desires or from the exercise of power has proved to be hindered by the fact that the issue is too large to be compressed into two categories. However, it is easier to take a side if the two categories were comprehended in the view of whether rape is predetermined or involuntary on the part of the offender. Many people do not find the sense to state that sexual desires overpower one to commit the offence, why is it then that all people do not commit rape? The assumption that the act is as an exercise of power is one some are okay with, but others do not find it comprehensive enough to describe a very prevalent practice. The term ‘rape’ in itself is not clear for all those it affects. For instance, most women do not regard acquaintances forcing them to have sexual contact as rape although most others would find the term fitting (Vidal, 2011). In conclusion, it may be stated that rape is not either a product of sexual desire or an exercise of power, but more than just these two. The deed has been identified as a form of mass terrorism, violence, among other views. The motivators behind rape are way more than just these two. References Anderson, I., & Swainson, V. (2001). Perceived motivation for rape: Gender differences in beliefs about female and male rape. Current Research in Social Psychology, 6(8), 107-122. Barber, K. (2011). Sex and power. In S. Seidman, N. Fischer & C. Meeks (eds.), Handbook of the New Sexuality Studies. London: Routledge. Beech, A. R., Ward, T., & Fisher, D. (2006). The identification of sexual and violent motivations in men who assault women: Implication for treatment. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 21(12), 1635-1653. Boffey, D., 2014. Revealed: how Jimmy Savile abused up to 1,000 victims on BBC premises. [Online] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/jan/18/jimmy-savile-abused-1000-victims-bbc [Accessed 2 April 2014]. Groth, A.N., Burgess, A.W., & Holmstrom, L.L. (1977). Rape: Power, anger and sexuality. American Journal of Psychiatry, 134, 1239-1243. Jackson, S. (1978). The social context of rape: Sexual scripts and motivation. Womens Studies International Quarterly, 1(1), 27-38. Polaschek, D.L.L., & Ward, T. (2002). The implicit theories of potential rapists: What our questionnaires tell us. Aggression and Violent Behaviour, 7, 385-406. Seigel, L., J. (2006). Criminology, 10th Edition. University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Thomson Wadsworth. Terry, K.J., Giotakos, O., Tsiliakou, M. & Ackerman, A.R. (2010). Sex offenders: Rape and child sexual abuse. In C.J,. Ferguson (ed.), Violent Crime: Clinical and Social Implications. London: Sage. Vidal, M. (2011). Is it Rape? On Acquaintance Rape and Taking Women’s Consent Seriously. Archives of Sexual Behaviour, 40(5), 1075-1076. Read More