Criminology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Criminology - Assignment Example Department of Justice. 2008). Approximately 73% of rape victims know their assailants which will be discussed in more detail later. For now let’s just add few numbers concerning rapists who are, as mentioned, familiar with their victims, 38% being friends, 28% intimate partners and 7% relatives (RAINN 2007). When looking through data displayed on RAINN website, although with exceptions, we can say that a rapist is a married man, already having criminal record, often under the influence of alcohol and drugs. The crime usually occurs in victim’s home, during evening hours and involves mostly the use of physical force. As the list of numbers grows, so is the dual feeling of disgust and disbelief after facing these facts. How is it possible that today, in the 21st century, in the western, modernized world, when animals have rights and get treated with dignity, rape persists as a phenomenon in these proportions. Explanations are abundant and diverse, but for the purpose of this paper we look into Lee Ellis’ book â€Å"Theory of Rape: Inquiries into the Causes of Sexual Aggression". Ellis devoted separate chapters of the book to three distinctive theories dealing with rape. Feminist theory claims that rape is largely the result of male domination in sociopolitical and economic affairs and subsequent use of sexual intimidation and exploitation by males to maintain their supremacy. Supporters of this theory assert that rape is simply a crime of power and has very little to do with actual sex. â€Å"Women are often seen as little more than property for which men compete† (Ellis 1989). Women have never been seen as equal to men, therefore there is a need to dominate them, and, as Ellis observes, the incidences of rape will rise as women increasingly defy the status quo in the society. Every new little victory for women as gender could mean more attempts of male population to continue domination. Ronald Akers and