Rape Typologies: Motives and Psychology of Rapists

Introduction: Scope and Definitions

Between 2002 and 2003, there were approximately 223,280 victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault in the United States alone. By this estimate, someone in America is sexually assaulted every two and a half minutes, and statistically, most of these victims are women (Catalano, 2). Further, since only 20 to 50 percent of rapes are reported to police, the actual number is likely much higher (Scully, 6). In order to understand these violent attacks and devise ways to combat the crime, it is imperative to understand the motives behind them and the minds of the attackers.

First, it is essential to understand the differences in terminology when discussing rape. In order for a sexual crime to be considered rape, most states require that the sexual activity be involuntary and committed only because of force or the threat of force (Groth, 3). In other states, however, the term can be applied to involuntary sexual activity committed as a result of pressure from a figure of authority (Groth, 4). The important factor, regardless of the specific definition, is that rape involves a sexual act committed without the consent of the victim.

Rape as Non-Sexual Aggression

These sexual acts, when committed against the will of the victim, are considered rape — but to assume that the motivation for such acts is sexual gratification would be inaccurate. Studies have shown that rape is seldom motivated by sexual indulgence (Renfrew, 207). In one such study, none of the rapists surveyed used rape as their only means of sexual satisfaction. In fact, one-third of the respondents were married, while the rest had girlfriends or regularly sought out prostitutes. Further, according to the victims surveyed, no attempts at seduction were made, indicating that sex was not the primary goal of the attacker. Even more telling is the fact that, in the rape crimes examined, one-third of the attackers were sexually dysfunctional during the attack and fewer than half of the victims tested positive for sperm, indicating the attacker did not achieve sexual satisfaction (Renfrew, 208).

According to current theories of criminal deviance, rape is not caused by a need for sexual satisfaction but rather by a variety of different factors. As a result, criminal psychologists have developed classifications of rape to help legal personnel track potential suspects, since each form of rape stems from different motivations. While many theories have been proposed, most theorists agree there are at least three categories: anger rape, power rape, and sadistic rape.

Three Categories of Rape

Anger rape, first defined by Birnbaum and Groth in 1979, is characterized by excessive force, insults, and extreme degradation of the victim. The crime is often not premeditated but appears to be committed as a sudden act of rage. According to studies, this type of rape is commonly committed by those seeking revenge or retaliation against women in general. Victims are not chosen in advance; instead, they are selected at the moment the attacker feels enraged (Renfrew, 210). Frequently in this type of rape, the attacker forces the victim to perform acts other than intercourse, such as fellatio or sodomy, in an effort to further demean her. In other cases, the rapist urinates or masturbates on the victim. The goal of these additional acts is not sexual gratification but rather a means of defiling and humiliating the victim out of rage and hatred (Groth, 15).

The second type, power rape, is often preplanned and even rehearsed. Power rape is usually accompanied by fantasies in which the female enjoys her subservient role or comes to desire the attacker following the rape (Groth, 27). While this type of rape is not committed with the intention of causing harm, violence can certainly escalate over time, particularly if the attacker is unable to perform sexually. The perpetrators responsible for this category of rape often derive their pleasure from the helplessness of their victims (Renfrew, 211).

For most who commit this type of rape, the goal is to possess the victim sexually. Feelings of inadequacy and uncertainty lead the perpetrator to commit the act in an effort to demonstrate strength, control, authority, or capability. Force is used only to subdue the victim enough to perform sexual activity. This is not to say that sex is the primary reason, however: control is the desired outcome. In power rape, the female is often held captive and subjected to multiple rape sessions in an effort to "win her over," or in the hope that the victim will eventually become compliant (Groth, 29).

The final form, sadistic rape, is perhaps the most dangerous. While rapes in this category share traits with other forms — such as the use of force, physical abuse, premeditation, and extended attack duration — they are unique in that the attackers are highly sexually aroused by extreme physical force and destruction. This force, unlike in other types of rape, may involve ritualized acts, torture, symbolic destruction of the flesh, and often the eventual death of the victim (Renfrew, 212). For the sadistic rapist, the fusion of violence and sexuality is the erotic component. The intentional mistreatment of the victim provides sexual gratification in itself, and sexual intercourse is often unnecessary. Bondage, torture, biting, burning, and mutilation are frequently involved (Groth, 44). In some cases, the assailant may use foreign objects to penetrate the victim. The sadistic rapist often reports no anger during the attack; the destruction of innocence and the mutilation of the human body are instead seen as the primary motives (Groth, 45).

Conclusion

There can be no question that more information is needed on rapists and their crimes. Current theories often overlap, and none appears to encompass all rapists or all rape offenses. While the anger rape, power rape, and sadistic rape categories have been identified, other attacks appear to combine elements of two or more categories. Similarly, while rapists have been identified as anger rapists, rapists with inferiority complexes, rapists with the Madonna-Prostitute Complex, sadistic rapists, and abusive rapists, there are certainly perpetrators whose personalities and crimes reflect either a combination of these traits or entirely different ones.