The Causes of Rape

The Causes of Rape: Understanding Individual Differences in Male Propensity for Sexual Aggressionexamines why some men are prone to rape, offers probable causes for this inclination, and provides a comprehensive review of scientific studies of coercive sex.

The authors look at evidence from studies in developmental criminology, evolutionary psychology, psychopathology, and psychophysiology and examine the situational and social factors that influence the likelihood of rape. Theories about rape have an unfortunate history of being unconstrained by empirical knowledge, sometimes with the harmful consequence that solutions to the problem of rape are ineffectual. The authors address this situation with a fact-based exploration of this phenomenon, beginning with a review of coercive sex among animal species and an account of rape throughout history and across culture, moving through a discussion of current research on rape, and culminating with a synthesis of research findings that points toward a new explanation of why some men rape. The authors also discuss the practical implications of their research on the assessment and treatment of men who rape.

This empirically exhaustive book will be the new standard text on the phenomenon of rape and will help psychologists, social workers, and legal professionals to develop a better understanding of sexual aggression.