Rape Crime Research Paper

There are many different types of rapes. They can vary from acquaintance, marital, date, prison, drug-facilitated and statutory. Rape victims can have questions arise during the raping process all the way to when it's all over. Most victims tend to blame themselves and sometimes ask: why me? This can sometimes cause the victim to fall into the rape crisis syndrome or posttraumatic stress disorder (also known as PTSD). Although it may seem that these cases are important, most of them do not receive the attention they deserve, and this is mainly because of the lack in government funding. The first crisis centers were opened in Washington, D.C. and Berkeley, California around 1972 by feminist activist. Since then many more have opened and most of them have a 24-hour telephone hotline along with self defense courses for women and children.

Rape now a days is referred to as the second assault. It is also becoming more and more common throughout the world. In doing so, it has finally caught the public's awareness of its existence. According to Webster, rape is the "illicit carnal knowledge of a woman without her consent, effected by force, duress, intimidation, or deception as to the nature of the act." Rape is a crime against women, deadly insult against you as a person, and the deprivation of sexual self-determination. Rape is a man's fantasy and a woman's worst nightmare. (Medea & Thompson, 1974, p.11) "The word rape is derived from the Latin work raptus, which was used to define the act wherein one man damaged the property of another. (Smith, 2004, p.122) There is said to be three different types of rape; anger, power, and sadistic. (Allison & Wrightsman, 1993, p. 55-57) There are also many different classifications. Some of the classifications are acquaintance/date rape, spousal/marital rape; statutory rape, stranger rape, and drug-facilitated rape. (Karmen,2009, p.55-57) Aside from that, there is also a variation in the rapists. The rapists can vary from power assertive, anger retaliation, opportunity rapists, to anger-excitement rapist. (Paralumon.com, 1998) From the time the rape begins to when it is ‘over' many questions can arise in the victim's thoughts. One of the most common questions to arise is, why me? To help the victims through the healing process many crisis centers have been open worldwide. (Harrison & Gilbert, 1996, p.339)

The three different types of rapes are anger, power, and sadistic. Anger rapes are the result of pent-up hostilities within the rapist that at some point erupt. Since this type of rape is to release anger, it is sporadically and infrequently. During the rape the rapist uses the anger, so it has to build up again in order for another rape to occur. Therefore, the rapist uses "Sex becomes a weapon". (Allison, Wrightsman, 1993, p. 55) Then there are