Friday January 28 07:54 PM EST
All Men Potential Rapists, Claim Authors
NEW YORK (APBnews.com) -- A storm of controversy is brewing around an upcoming book by two evolutionary biologists who argue that rape is rooted in sex, not violence, occurring as part of a "natural biological phenomenon."
In A Natural History of Rape: Biological Bases of Sexual Coercion, scheduled for release by MIT Press in March, authors Randy Thornhill and Craig Palmer state that until society accepts science as the basis for sexual crimes, prevention programs are "doomed to failure."
"Rape is, in its very essence, a sexual act ... which has evolved over millennia of human history along with courtship, sexual attraction and other behaviors related to the production of offspring," writes Thornhill, a professor at the University of New Mexico and Palmer, an instructor at the University of Colorado.
Book: Potential exists in all men
At the heart of their controversial argument is the idea that all men -- under the right circumstances -- could be potential rapists, Thornhill told APBnews.com.
"It has to do with conditions under which men are raised that influence their proneness [to rape], like the characteristics of men's upbringings, boys who are raised in poverty or conditions where social relationships are not enduring. Those things are important conditions for influencing rape proneness," said Thornhill.
But there are certain conditions, he said, such as being isolated with a woman, or in the context of warfare, which may influence "rape proneness."
"A guy, regardless of how he has been raised ... finding a female in a real vulnerable situation ... in some conditions rapes her," Thornhill said.
Rejects 'aggression' motive
The authors reject the position of many social scientists who see rape primarily as an act of aggression. They say that for 25 years, the course of rape treatment and prevention has been steered by feminist ideology, an argument vociferously challenged by social historians.
Social theorists see rape as an "unnatural behavior that has nothing to do with sex" and a "symptom of an unhealthy society," write Thornhill and Palmer in an article about their book in the journal The Sciences.
The theory that rape is a violent crime motivated by the urge to exert power and control was put forth by Susan Brownmiller in her highly acclaimed 1975 work, Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape.
The book debunked the Freudian idea that "no woman could be raped against [her] will" and prompted new laws shifting the burden of proof away from the victim.
Feminists incensed
She said the publication of A Natural History shows that women are being forced to once more fight the "Victorian notion that men can't help themselves."
Brownmiller and others are incensed by Thornhill and Palmer's position, fearing that by characterizing rape as a biological imperative, they are turning back the clock on society's thinking.
"We are an evolved society. Why didn't they choose to look at burglary? They did it on rape because they have this theory that women should be blamed," Brownmiller said.
"I accept there is some evolutionary influence on rape, but it's a complex problem with a multitude of causes," said Mary Koss, a psychology professor at the University of Arizona, who co-chaired the American Psychological Association's Task Force on Violence Against Women.
Academics: Book is 'confused'
Other scientists and academics feel the book's premise is based on sloppy science, dismisses the important contributions of social science to rape prevention and could have potentially harmful consequences.
"It's confused, scientifically weak and naive," said Jerry Coyne, a professor of evolutionary biology at the University of Chicago. "The big question is, is it nature or are we responsible? I don't believe that [it is nature]. It's a pathology, a byproduct of aggression. If they say that men will rape if they think they can get away with it, why are the vast majority of men incapable of rape?"
Thornhill said most men do not rape because of the costs involved. "Men's sexual psychology pays attention to the costs of their actions. Studies show those who expect to live a long life don't engage in risky behavior. Men in the ghetto or in war are willing to accept more costs because they don't think they're going to live very long."
Authors: Suffered discrimination
The ideas in the book are not new and Thornhill and others contend they have suffered discrimination and hostility within academia and outside for their views.
His theories about rape have appeared in scientific publications for almost 20 years. But with his first book on the topic for a mainstream audience, Thornhill is finding out just how provocative his views are as he tries to tackle a deluge of media inquiries and requests to appear for debates on network television.
Critics say the suggestion that rape is mostly a threat to women of childbearing age neglects the high number of sexual assaults on children and older women, as well as sexual assaults on men.
The authors say current prevention methods based on the existing theory are "doomed to fail."
'Darwinian selection' is blamed
In the authors' view, a young man should take into account that it is "Darwinian selection" motivating him to demand sex even if he knows that his date truly doesn't want it. And again, it is "Darwinian selection" causing him to "mistake a woman's friendly comment or tight blouse as an invitation to sex." They recommend young women be taught "the way they dress can put them at risk."
"It's harmful and inconsistent with the American way of life. Not to go out or wear provocative clothing takes away constitutional freedoms to move about, freely associate and self-expression," said Koss. Rapists have been acquitted when defense attorneys argued the woman was "provocatively dressed in a turtleneck and knee-length skirt," she said.
Controversy could affect rape cases
Some fear use of an "evolution defense" could further reduce the number of rape convictions.
Brownmiller said that expert witnesses could argue such a defense in high-profile cases, and "it's hard enough to get a conviction in a rape case."
"Nothing in our book says that just because rape is biological it is justified, including in the courtroom," Thornhill said. "Rape is as rape is. Science has no opinion about what is right and wrong."
Koss said she is afraid the controversy could damage progress that has been made in the past 25 years toward combating rape.
"I view sexual violence as a unifying issue," said Koss. "It's not a conservative or liberal issue. Any attempts to create polarization are unwelcome."
By Amy Worden, an APBnews.com staff writer
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