Jinn

I've heard the idea that "rape is not about sex, it's about power" many times in my life. From sociology classes at University all the back to 5th grade health class, I've heard this phrase uttered by teachers, parents, and students alike.

Just today I was reading a story today about a spree of convenience store robberies in which a detective was quoted as saying "robbery isn't a economic crime, usually - it's about the power." It's the same logic as above, but being applied to robberies.

Which got me to thinking - it this a legitimate claim? Are rape and robbery really about power, or is it a concept invented by a sociologist or psychologist?

It's a very prevalent idea, and just searching google for "rape power sex" gets you "Rape is not about sex to the rapist; it has to do with control and power. Although exact figures are not available...", "pornography is about power and sex-as-weapon - in the same way we have come to understand that rape is about violence" and "acquaintance rape is about power. ,. control,. and anger—not romance."

After dutifully searching the Internet and the academic (scholarly) journals that my University gives me access to, I'm unable to find research on the actual motivations of convicted rapists.

Even if a researcher asked convicted rapists why they committed rape, would they really say "it was for the power"? If not, would any statement such as this be anything more than a psychologist's assumption about their behavior?

The easiest counter-example is a person. If I know a person who wants to have sex but is unable to coerce willing females who subsequently rapes a woman (for the sex), then I have one example of a person who raped for sex, not power. If I know someone who robs a bank for the money, rather than the power, then I have another example.

I feel that the reasons for rape and burglary are - at the very least - a combination of a subconscious desire for a power as well as the actual thing being stolen; sex and money. Therefore, I'm not sure that statements that rape is always about power, or even "mostly" about power are accurate.

So, I'm curious - do you feel that this phrase accurately represents the majority of rapists? If so, have you arrived at this conclusion through research, or accepted it as true because of it's prevalence?

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"I'm typing on a computer of science, which is being sent by science wires to a little science server where you can access it. I'm not typing on a computer of philosophy or religion or whatever other thing you think can be used to understand the universe because they're a poor substitute in the role of understanding the universe which exists independent from ourselves." - Willravel