Citation
Williams, Monica & McCarthy, Bill (2014). Assessing stereotypes of adolescent rape. Journal of Criminal Justice. vol. 42 (6) pp. 557-567Abstract
Purpose This study examined adolescent rape in light of two popular stereotypes of young rapists. The “deficit” view emphasizes various sexual, psychological, or social problems, whereas the “entitlement” perspective highlights instrumental motivation, confidence, and gender-based privileges.Methods The study analyzed data on adolescent males from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). We used rare events logistic regression analysis to test the associations between rape and sexual abuse, sexual activity, personality and social attributes, and control variables.
Results Findings indicated notable associations between adolescent rape and variables emphasized by both stereotypes: net of a range of controls, a history of sexual abuse and low sexual self-control were associated with rape, but rape was also positively associated with self-esteem. We found no significant relationships between adolescent rape and sexual precociousness, number of sexual partners, using sex as a coping mechanism, social isolation, impulsivity, or narcissism.
Conclusions These findings suggest that both the deficit and entitlement stereotypes hold some merit for understanding why some young men rape.
URL
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047235214000877Reference Type
Journal ArticleJournal Title
Journal of Criminal JusticeAuthor(s)
Williams, MonicaMcCarthy, Bill