Relating Addict: Characteristics and motivations of a rapist:

Perpetrators of rape, who are overwhelmingly male, are characterized by impulsivity, quick loss of temper, lack of personally intimate relationships, and insensitivity to social cues or pressures. A subset of these individuals qualify for a diagnosis of psychopathy. Many rapists also show deficits in social and communication skills, as well as in their cognitive appraisals of women’s feelings and intentions. For example, they may have difficulty decoding women’s negative cues during social interactions and may interpret friendly behavior as flirtatious or sexually provocative. This can lead to inappropriate behaviors that women would experience as sexually intrusive.

Some studies have gone beyond examining the characteristics of men who perpetrate rape and sexual assault and have directly assessed their motives and justifications for their behavior. In one study, men who had reported engaging in sexual assault were evaluated regarding the rationale for their behavior. The primary justifications they endorsed were that the victim “had gotten [me] sexually aroused,” “led [me] on,” “was responsible,” and that “[I] thought she’d enjoy it once it started.” Factors that predicted the report of such justifications included rape-supportive attitudes held by the men, misperceptions of the victim’s sexual interest in the perpetrator, and the number of alcoholic drinks consumed by the victim.

The researchers in this study followed the perpetrators for 1 year. They found that the greater their use of justifications for having sexually assaulted a woman, the more likely they were to commit another act of sexual aggression in the future. These findings shed some light on the factors that lead some people to commit rape and sexual assault. As research progresses in this area, there are increasing efforts to better identify both potential perpetrators and victims before a sexual assault occurs and to use prevention programs to try to decrease the likelihood that such an assault will take place.

In conclusion, perpetrators of rape are characterized by certain traits and behaviors that can help us understand their motivations for committing this crime. Research is ongoing in this area to prevent rape and sexual assault from occurring. Society needs to continue to work towards this goal.