Rapists: Not who you think they are

The majority of men who commit rape describe their behaviour as “definitely not rape” (84%). Most rapists seem “normal” and appear to be “good guys”.  They are not sociopaths or psychopaths. They are ordinary men who hold ideas about male entitlement and women’s inferiority. In other words, they are men who hold the abuse mentality that we describe in chapter 7 of our book, When Love Hurts. One study, conducted by Dr. Mary Koss, indicated that 1 in 12 men have committed rape – that is they have done behaviour that meets the legal definition of rape. The acts they commit are horrendously damaging to their victims, leaving lasting emotional, psychological and sometimes physical damage. Only 1% of rapists receive a criminal record for their crime (Harvard Medical School, 1992)