Do you think most rapists are primarily motivated by sexual gratification or power/sadism?

Question

ChrisMaster69 · Accepted Answer

Not a good idea me answering this question but here goes.

you all missed out opportunity.

a lot going on the answer is looking at what are pretty much serial level.

the vast majority are from random one off attacks, and then repeats.

a huge number are from family members or friends you think you can trust, or friends family members.

then you have those where it’s a girl (or guy) out with friends and or alone and returning home or to student digs etc.

I don’t think there is a primary one as a lot of rapists turn that opportunity in to sexual gratification (or that sexual gratification has an opportunity), this then can trigger this power and control, domination.

for some it will be power or revenge against a perceived wrong

for other sexual gratification and power and control.

When I was at school a friends girlfriend (14) was raped by 5 men, she was simply crossing the road as they drove up, they asked her a question, one of the guys grabbed her and they drove off. They were not out to do it, however the opportunity presented its self and they did it.

they destroyed a young life in an instant, not from the need for power, not from sadism, not even initially from sexual gratification but from opportunity.

again with friends and family, there may or may not be that desire, lust, however if an opportunity arrives, then they find what may have been simple bullying or playing, suddenly provide an opportunity. Yes the other motivations may have been there but for most nothing would happen with out that opportunity, alone with friends and a drunk older brother, a relation who has watched but not done anything.

by the way there often seems to be trivialisation about rape, it’s nothing trivial it’s destroys people, families and haunts them throughout their life, so please never trivialise it.

MrOracle · Accepted Answer

I suspect that there are two main groups, though of course there will be exceptions that don't fall cleanly in either group.

The first group would be the "date-rape" guys. Most of them don't necessarily use violence, but more manipulation/pressure. And I think these guys likely are looking for sexual satisfaction but are also people who are very entitled - likely they grew up with their parents almost never telling them "no" and buying them whatever they wanted and letting them do whatever they wanted. They literally struggle with the whole concept of being told "no."

The second group would include most "stranger rape" - and for these guys, violence, power, and control are the primary motivations. Many of these men have serious mental health issues, most (but not all) came from abusive childhoods, and they have zero remorse for what they do (rape is rarely the only crime these types commit). These men tend to be nihilistic and often harm and destroy people and things just out of boredom - for something to do. They're extraordinarily dangerous, and will almost always be repeat offenders.

chrissykerdock · Accepted Answer

it's definitely about power when it's a violent rape... i was raped once so i thought he didn;t use violence on me but he got me to do what he wanted without force he kind of like yelled at me a little bit... i was 16 he was in his 50s... when he was done he thanked me and left... not sure what he thought about it either... i kind of felt bad about it but ultimately forgot about it.

loves2learn · Accepted Answer

Power and sadism. 100% it is NOT sexual. It’s the best way they can overpower, scare and humiliate their victims. Richard Ramirez was soooo grosssss his teeth were rotting out of his face. 🤢

MzAsh · Answer

Rape is primarily about power.

Xitomyth · Answer

I believe that various reasons are to blame, but any one alone could do it though. It's a case by case bases. Basically it could be that something went wrong in the womb, like genetic damage causing the wrong chemicals/hormones to be flooded into the unborn child, thus changing the brain chemistry just enough to cause all the other problems later in life. It is a matter of record by confession that some rapists do it for some kind of gratification, some do it for the thrill, some do it to be sadistic, some do it because the can't control their impulses for some reason, some do it because the women in their lives abused them as kids, and others still do because they get wasted somehow and black out and then do it on a whim... It is never any one thing for all, but there is usually some kind of combination of factors that lead to it.

HugoThe2nd · Answer

I haven't researched this topic myself, but I've had conversations with a person who works in the criminal psychology field, and they believe rape is largely unrelated to sexual gratification.

This is especially highlighted by cases where the victims aren't even the perpetrator's sexual preference.
For example, most criminals who commit sexual crimes against minors aren't actually pedophiles nor do they have any such tendencies in general.

Lliam · Answer

I've read that rapists are motivated by things like power, control, anger, or sadism. There are people who get off on destroying things or torturing creatures.
But in the case of a male raping someone, I can't imagine sexual gratification not being a primary motive. After all, even though the rapist might find power, control, anger or sadism stimulating, he uses his sex to gratify it. His penis is the weapon and ejaculation is his goal.

I also tend to think some rapists are like thieves. They have some form of sociopathy that makes it impossible for them to relate to the feelings of others and they are motivated purely by their own appetites. I think there are plenty such cases where rape is a matter of opportunity. "Mmmm, I want that!" Like a thief who sees an opportunity to take something by force. Like frat boys raping drunk girls. Or even girls unknowingly putting themselves into sexual situations with guys who turn out to be brutes. Some guys see women as nothing more than objects of gratification and employ their greater size and strength to abuse them sexually even if they protest. So sex is his primary urge, but sociopathy makes it possible to rape and abuse. Power, control, anger or sadism - a woman struggling and in pain - may even add to his excitement and pleasure.

OlderAndWiser · Answer

I think that the primary motivation is anger.

hellionthesagereborn · Answer

Power and control, thats what it is always about. If it was sexual gratification they would just get a prostitute.

iseekpinetrees · Answer

Sadistic tendencies takes the win.

ZackBan · Answer

I think they're more about taking back control that was taken away from them during their lives.

All rapists suffered mental trauma at some point even those who don't know it.

Maybe child abuse, or watching their parents getting abused or abusing eachother, or even something that happened at school like bullying taken too far etc...

So by the time they feel the need to rape it's about dominance but not the sadist kind, sadism can be a good thing when done right (mainly to a masochist) instead it's about absolute domiance over an unwilling person it's about "I can do what I want and not you nor anyone can stop me".

The problem is the act of rape is so horrific that it's hard to sympathize with a rapist and they are often branded as the ultimate evil, animals umong people wen in fact they too are victims of circumstances.

That being said I personally cannot place myself above that because I know if anyone I cared about got raped I'd want the head of whoever did it.

Leavesbound · Answer

I think it depends on the rapist.

Some simply can't control their sexual urges and that combined with a sociopathic attitude in general means they just don't care who they hurt to get off.

Others view rape as a way to hurt others as part of the way they deal with their anger.

Still others are simply not aware that the person they are raping is a real person.

Finally some rapists are actually convinced their victim wants to be raped. To them it is inconceivable that any woman does not desperately want them as a lover so they feel they are doing the woman a favor by raping her. To them an emphatic "NO! Stop!" really means "Oh god yes do it more!"

normalice · Answer

My guess is sexual urges are the amplifier - a necissary component but it's not the "signal" that's amplified. The signal is just standard insecurity. Fear of rejection. Fear of inadequacy. Fear of responsibility..

jshm2 · Answer

No. Also, most rapists are actually known to the victim. Serial rapists are a rare anomaly.

That's the jist of the data in the book Criminal Profiling: Principles and Practice by Richard N. Kocsis.

There tends to be a media and Hollywood hype about rape crimes and their prosecutions. One reason prosecutions are low and mostly unreported is that the victim and defendant were in some relationship and got drunk/high/angry and one raped the other.

It becomes difficult to pin the blame, (not to mention costs and public judgement) and going down the gratification/power/sadism is very hard to prove in a court of law.

Serial rapists are another matter as they tend to have "calling cards" and fit certain profiles.

TadCurious · Answer

Mistixs I voted Power/Sadism. I think I've read that rape is a crime of violence that involves the genitals of both the victim and perpetrator but that the dominant motivation is power and control.

yofuknutz · Answer

shoot the bastards is cheaper than the death penalty  https://youtu. be/iErIaSjc8bI

have_a_good_day · Answer

In 1978, Rodney Alcala appeared on the popular TV show “The Dating Game”—and won! Bachelorette Cheryl Bradshaw picked him based on his answers, but after the show, she changed her mind and refused to go on a date with him because she thought he was “creepy.” Alcala was later convicted of murdering five people from 1977-79 and eventually pled guilty to two more murders that he committed in 1971 and 1979

Sargentcaptain · Answer

Those can overlap. There's a lot of people who derive sexual gratification from the power they hold over another human being.

Gwenhwyfar · Answer

Both

Shaggy_KW · Answer

It could be really anything, wether sexual gratification, sadistic mindset, or just an urge that they didn't have enough self control to tame, rapists aren't mentally "there" in their mind. They could do it just because they want to, anything is a factor when you're a sociopath.