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Sexually Aggressive Behaviour

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Sexually aggressive behavior by men towards women ranges from small gestures that are unwanted or verbal behavior to sexual assaults such as extreme levels of rape that lead to the death of the victim. Rape is defined as the use of coercion or force to obtain oral, anal or vaginal penetration against the victims will and without their consent. Rape is usually committed by men and boys, usually against women and girls, but sometimes can be against other males. This paper will focus on males as the perpetrators and females as the victims. There has been a great deal of discussion as to why men behave in such a way. There has been a debate where it is argued by psychologists that personality attributes are sufficient for individuals to act in a consistent way in different situations. Socials scientists have a different view where they believe that an individuals behavior varies and is highly influenced by the characteristics of a situation in which the behavior takes place. This paper will discuss the situational theory and why it is the most applicable to men who rape when compared to the evolutionary theory and the feminist theory. It is more likely for rape to occur when an opportunity arises, as they are able to follow through with what they are already motivated to do. In order for a crime to take place, it is not just motivation, but also opportunity that play a major role in the decision to commit an offence. Clarke (1997) The situational theory puts an emphasis on the idea that fixed personality characteristics are not essentially the reasons behind criminal behavior (Weisburd, 1997), but rather the opportunities that arise in particular situations and how the situations attributes influence the offender and his or her decision making. (Clarke 1995). The results of the studies conducted by Sanday (2003) show that the rate of rape across cultures differ from high to low. In societies where women have much less of a say than men, there was a much higher incidence of rape. This suggests that due to gender inequality in societies and situations are what influence the amount of violence against women. Therefore, this shows how the social situation as well that the low value of women contributes to the exploitation of women in the modern society. The rational choice perspective, which is part of the situational theory, assumes that criminals offend because crime provides them with the most effective means of achieving what they want and desire. (Cornish & Clarke, 1975) It is seen as intrinsically rewarding. Criminals decide whether or not to commit a crime by weighing the effort, rewards, or costs involved in achieving the same thing by other means. Just like everyone else, offenders seek money, material goods, status, excitement, and sexual pleasure. Men who seek power, excitement or sexual satisfaction and are unable to get it by other means are usually seen to be the ones who commit rape. The study conducted by

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