Why Does It Happen?

INCREASINGLY, men are raping women. “On college campuses there are so many rape incidents,” observes the book Against Rape, “some large schools have put anti-rape measures into effect. At one Midwestern university an escort service was established. Women then reported being raped by the men who volunteered as escorts.”

Rape is nothing new. The Bible tells about the rape of Jacob’s daughter and David’s daughter thousands of years ago. But why has such conduct become so commonplace today?​—Gen. 34:1, 2; 2 Sam. 13:1-14.

A Rape Mentality

The way many men today view women is an important factor. They seem to think that the chief function of women is to provide sexual pleasure for men. The tremendous spread of pornography is a factor in such mentality. The phrase “piece of meat” is even used to describe a woman. The mentality that prompts such speech also is the mentality of a person who could rape.

Youngsters often are raised in an environment where they learn these attitudes. Young boys are taught that aggression and violence prove virility and masculinity. And girls learn to play hard to get, in effect, to tease men. Commenting about this, a counselor at a rape center in Chicago claimed: “Rape is the logical consequence of the way men and women are taught to treat each other.”

Sexual confusion in a boy’s formative years is also a factor in some men’s becoming rapists. Some female relatives, by treating boys as sexual playthings, have contributed to their having aggressive feelings toward women. One study of 200 convicted sex offenders in the United States revealed that 44 percent of them had slept with their mothers in the same bed, and that the mothers had behaved in a sexual way toward them.

Change in Modern Life-Styles

The fact that women are getting out and competing with men, becoming increasingly “equal,” is pointed to by some as another reason for the increase of rapes in America. Camille E. LeGrand, a California lawyer, says that rape is a way, consciously or unconsciously, of men ‘keeping women in their place’ by showing men’s continued strength and power over women.

The greater freedom of movement of modern women in itself exposes them more to rape. Psychologist Carolyn J. Hursch explains: “There are more rapes because there are more women out doing things. Fifty years ago there hardly was a woman out alone at night without a man. Today, that is obviously quite common.”

Also, more women today are putting themselves into rape situations. A popular TV commercial shows a woman alone at home inviting a male acquaintance over to her apartment for an alcoholic drink. She explains to viewers that to do so now is “downright upright.” And since the Bible’s standards of morality have been discarded by so many persons, the stage is set for women, in such a situation, to be forced, against their will, to have sexual relations.

“Date Rape”

The above expression may seem strange to many, yet it is appropriate. One authority estimates that “35 percent of rapes” occur in the dating situation; another, that “the vast majority” do. Thus the description “date rape.”

In a survey of 1,070 rapes, sociologist Pauline Bart of the University of Illinois reports that 59 percent were by men the victims knew. Pointing to the problem, the Toronto Star observed: “In many cases where a woman is sexually assaulted, it’s by someone she knows, she liked and trusted prior to the assault. In about half the cases, she found his initial sexual advance acceptable.”

Why, then, the rape?

Basically, it is because the woman dates a man who doesn’t respect the Bible’s moral standards. Dating has become a sort of “game” with many, rather than a means of seeking a suitable marriage mate. In such a dating situation, some men “misread” women. “They think if a woman has a drink with them that it’s OK to have intercourse with them,” explains psychiatrist Gene G. Abel. An invitation to her apartment, or by her accepting one to his, may mean to the man that the woman is willing to have sexual relations, even though when it actually comes to following through she says, “No!” and tries to get away.

Violence and Sex

There is debate over just what prompts a man to rape. It is commonly assumed that it is to satisfy sexual passion. But some say that often more is involved. A team of Boston College researchers reported: “Rape is a pseudo-sexual act, a pattern of sexual behavior that is concerned much more with status, aggression, control, and dominance than with sensual pleasure or sexual satisfaction.”

Sides often are drawn very sharply in the debate. A newspaper columnist expressed the view of many: “Rape is not a crime of lust​—it is a crime of violence.” No doubt some rapes are principally crimes of violence, with the motivation being to hurt women, dominate them, ‘keep them in their place.’ Yet the arousal of a man’s sexual desire​—whether the woman intended this or not—​also is a major reason why many men force women to have sex relations with them.

Interest in this matter prompted Donna Vali, a Los Angeles sociologist and criminologist, to send questionnaires to 645 psychiatrists. She asked such questions as: “If a female wishes to avoid being a sex-crime victim, would it be wise for her to consider what her clothing and actions might be saying as interpreted by males?” Also, “Are bikinis, tight sweaters, short skirts, low necklines and the no-bra fad among styles which might attract the consideration of a potential sex criminal?”

A total of 88 percent of the psychiatrists answered, “Yes,” to the first question, and 62 percent, “Yes,” to the second one. Vali commented: “Resentment against women is often given as the motivation [for rape]. This resentment is often the result of being teased by revealing clothes, then rejected if he tries to follow through on what looked to him like a come-on.”

Obviously, since both women in their 80’s and small children are victims, clothing is just one factor of many that can contribute to rape. But regardless of the factors involved, there can be no excuse for a man’s forcing a woman to submit to sexual relations.

Failure to Punish Offenders

Yet another reason for the rapid increase in rape is the failure of the courts to punish offenders. According to the Associated Press: “Police in Seattle received 308 reports of rapes last year, but only six persons were convicted.” Only about 2 percent of rapists are convicted and jailed. The rest go free. As the Bible says: “Because sentence against a bad work has not been executed speedily, that is why the heart of the sons of men has become fully set in them to do bad.”​—Eccl. 8:11.

Even convicted rapists are soon released, to rape again. “Turnstile justice is a hackneyed term​—but that’s what it is,” observed one police officer.

A Sign of the Times

So rape and other crimes are increasing at a faster and faster rate, creating a violent, sex-mad world in which it is almost too dangerous to live. Significantly, the Bible says “the last days” of this system of things would be “critical times hard to deal with” because men would be “fierce, without love of goodness.” Thus the unprecedented increase in rape is just another evidence that we are living in a most significant time foretold in Bible prophecy.​—2 Tim. 3:1-5.

Authors of a book dealing with rape prevention noted: “Some people, reading over our advice, will say that it verges on paranoia. . . . But paranoia is a necessary part of survival. When you consider our society, paranoia is to be expected. You shouldn’t be ashamed of it, or try to deny it, but, rather, you should deal with it.”

What can you do? How can you protect yourself from rape?